Interview with Abigail Lewis

Lewis.A.1979_05.14.2020 Tyler Lehrer Today is Thursday, May 14, 2020. I'm here with Abigail Lewis, or Abby Lewis, we're doing an interview for the documenting Covid 19 project on behalf of the Oral History Program for UW Madison. Abby, I wonder if we might start off by having you tell us a little bit about how you're affiliated with UW Madison? What do you research and teach and publish about?

Abigail Lewis Sure, so I'm a PhD candidate in the history department, and right now I'm the one of the George L Mosse exchange fellows with the Hebrew University. And so I'm finishing my dissertation right now, which is on photography in occupied France during World War Two and the Holocaust.

Tyler Lehrer Nice. So I understand you were in the process of really conducting, carrying out the bulk of a lot of that research when the Covid 19 pandemic really swept over the world in general, and really in particular, UW Madison's institutions and networks and, you know, centers, I wonder if you might tell us a little bit about, and this is, like a really big question, how you experienced the impact of Covid 19 on UW Madison as it really touched your your research and what you were doing at the time.

Abigail Lewis Right, so my story is probably pretty different than you know, most other students at UW, and first of all, was in the really lucky position that I finished most of my research, and I was largely in Jerusalem writing like finishing my dissertation and taking of the writing time and library space and scholars that I can connect with, and really kind of learning about Jewish history on the ground. So at least from a research standpoint, Covid 19 00:02:00has not completely derailed the work that I'm doing, and for a lot of my friends, it has, however, for me, I had to, you know, on a whim with, you know, only a week notice, leave Jerusalem and move to Madison. I hadn't, I hadn't lived here in almost two years. So it's not only I wasn't just kind of picking up and returning home, it's kind of in the middle of a pandemic starting a completely new life. I so I moved to Jerusalem in October from Washington, DC, and was supposed to stay until summer. So it came back to Madison about six months early, which is kind of crazy. And for me, what happened was we got an email, I think, on March 12, saying that the university had kind of unilaterally decided that we all had to return as soon as possible to the United States. And first of all, first, it seems so crazy that I thought that it was a mistake, like I thought that graduate students would not be included in this, because I wasn't, you know, I wasn't living on campus, I wasn't taking courses, you know, I had an apartment that I shared with a roommate. You know, I really like had a life in Jerusalem, whereas I don't really have a life in Madison, but it turned out it was unilateral. And then I had my colleague, Chad, and I spent, you know, a week preparing to leave, and then we came back and in mid March. So for me, it's kind of dealing with the fallout of kind of having to leave everything behind so quickly, like I had to leave some of my things I never have to clean out my office, like I I had to give my keys to my office to someone else, because I couldn't even get back on campus to get my stuff and that, and then figuring out what life looks like in Madison, initially. So I'm super lucky that the Mosse program has been so supportive of us, 00:04:00and they were able to kind of get us some emergency funding. And so I initially stayed for two weeks and quarantined in an Airbnb, which I was only able to afford to do so because the program had helped us. And then since then, I've been temporarily living with my boyfriend's family. Since for about six weeks now, and now I'm moving into my own place today, which is exciting.

Tyler Lehrer Nice. I bet that's probably going to feel really good. Yeah, Abigail Lewis Yeah. So it's been, you know, it's been a whirlwind two months. Another thing that was kind of that that put our timeline just so much different is that Jerusalem, so the Israeli school year, is on a completely different calendar. So we were on break from late January to early March. So I had been I'd taken a vacation. I went to Europe for two weeks. Then I went to DC to see my boyfriend, and then. After that was actually the conference in the US in early March, and was told by the university, you know, to get back to Jerusalem as quick as possible. So after you changed, my flight, went back. I got in, you know, I entered Israel just hours before they closed the borders, and then two days later, received the recall order. So it's been a complete, like a whirlwind, really, since February.

Tyler Lehrer So from your experience, and like the way that you were directed, on the, you know, on the one hand, to return to Jerusalem, and then, you know, seemingly less than a week later, directed to leave, it was a very uncoordinated communication.

Abigail Lewis And part of the issue is just that, you know, we're being asked to make decisions about the future when you don't even know what's going to happen the next day, [TL: Sure] and the people that I had been in contact with regarding whether I should, because we did float the idea of me not going back to Jerusalem, and the people I was, you know, corresponding with, are different people that then 00:06:00made the decision, that we that had to, that we had to come back. So part of the problem is that decisions are just being made at completely different levels. And at the time, I thought again, I thought it was totally crazy, and I spent about a day trying to appeal the decision because it didn't make sense to me to get on an international flight, to move back to a place where I don't I literally had nowhere to live. But over that week, things got progressively worse in Israel. Israel never really had a huge problem with the virus, but the lockdown measures were quite extreme. And by the day that I but by the day that I left, I mean, I wasn't even sure I'd be able to get a taxi to the airport, because they were, you know, levying new restrictions on how many people could be in a car. I think the day after I left, suddenly, you know, you couldn't go beyond 100 meters from your apartment for any reason, including exercise, you know, unless you're going to the grocery store. So I think that that would have been really hard to manage completely alone, you know, in a country where I have no resources, so on, so on the one end. So in retrospect, it totally made sense. But again, you know, we're being asked to make decisions when, literally, the next day, everything would look completely different than I had the day before so.

Tyler Lehrer And to have to basically pack up one's life as best one can in 10 days. You know, under quote, unquote, ordinary circumstances is already a kind of an extraordinary thing. So how did you do that? You know under such rapidly changing circumstances, and what kind of support did you get, if any?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, so again, the Mosse program, like Chad and I were exceptionally lucky, because the university did not provide any kind of like support for plane tickets. And this isn't a moment where plane tickets are exceptionally expensive because they're quickly being canceled. 00:08:00So the Mosse program that day got us in touch with, you know, the travel agent that we with, and they bought us a ticket, which was no small feat, because several of the tickets that we found, we'd reach out to the flight or the travel agent, he'd say, oh, I've already heard that's going to be canceled because airlines were canceling flights to and from Israel. You know, we could only fly with layovers in particular places, which, I think by the day we left, the only layover we could have was either in the US or Russia. That was it. There's no other way to get to the US. I had to, you know, I, one of the things that was really difficult is that I shared an apartment with a roommate, so I, you know, I did end up, so I paid a month rent. And you know, that's really, was really difficult on my roommate, because I was supposed to be paying rent so much longer than that, I had to find more suitcases, which was really hard when everything was rapidly shutting down. And luckily, I have a friend who's a diplomat who had more suitcases than he knew it's do it. So that's how I ended up getting extra baggage. And like I said, there were some things I just wasn't able to do at all, like I couldn't return my keys to my office. I wasn't able to say goodbye to a lot of my friends and colleagues that I'd bet to come really close with so that was, I think that was in particular, really hard. And I had kind of, I'd also plan to, do you have one day where I just go to the archives and do an archival dump. But the archives never actually opened again for me to do that, so.

Tyler Lehrer So you make it back to Madison, or you're getting ready to make it back to Madison. What are some of the things that you know factor into your decision making about where to stay? Do you go back to Madison? Do you go somewhere else? You know, what is that whole, what is that like?

Abigail Lewis Right. Like, this was another part of the recall that was. Really difficult, because 00:10:00I think it was really the language was written for undergraduate students who can just, you know, who go home and stay with their families anyway during the summer. You know, I haven't lived with my family, and I don't think I've lived with my parents, and, you know, nearly 12 or 13 years. So when we when we were planning what we were going to do, it never crossed my mind to go to North Carolina, where they are and where they don't necessarily have the resources to to, you know, put me up for an extended period of time. And, you know, my mom and sisters are all nurses, so it also didn't make sense to go there whatsoever. So it was just like gut decision, like I knew I was going to go to Madison. I had already planned to return here for the next academic year. And then after that, that's when I started trying to figure out what I would do, where I would live. Initially, I just thought, Oh, I'll stay with my partner's family. That'll be totally fine. And they agreed to that. And then a few days later, they were like, wait, we we, you know, we're also somewhat uncomfortable with you coming and living here after not necessarily being abroad, but having traveled as much as you had [TL: Yeah]. So it was at that point that I, you know, reached out to the program, and I reached out to the university, and said, you know, I need to figure out how to quarantine, because part of the logic behind bringing us home was for our safety and for the safety of people in Madison and but actually, if you have nowhere to go, how do you do that? So Sky and Leslie and others in the history department were able to get us some financial help. And then I got into Airbnb for two weeks. And I actually reached out to a bunch of Airbnbs, told them exactly what my budget was, and asked them if they'd be willing to consider, you know, letting me stay there for two weeks. Granted, what I paid for two weeks is more than what I pay is significantly more than I pay in a month, usually in Madison. But I'm really happy that I had a place where I could, you know, had a full kitchen. I 00:12:00could cook. I had a desk. The place I stayed, even had, like, a small gym. So it really was the perfect place to be, you know, while quarantining.

Tyler Lehrer So in those two weeks, you know, you're able to do a lot of those things. I wonder, like, what has life been like, both during those two weeks and then subsequently, up until this point where you're poised to get ready and move again over the next couple of days, how have you been coping? Have you been able to work? What are just ordinary days like for you?

Abigail Lewis Right. Yeah, and it's a good question again, because you know what daily life has looked like, has changed. I feel like every few weeks for me, you know, in the in the week between when I was in Israel and when I knew I was going to be coming home, it was incredibly stressful, because it was, it was at that moment we're beginning to realize how serious this was. And I had done the worst possible things you could. I traveled internationally, you know, I had seen friends, and then suddenly was having to get back on a plane. And so at that, I think that that week was when I experienced, you know, the highest level of anxiety, down to the point that I felt physically ill and really ill regarding the unknown. And, you know, having, kind of losing your life right in that moment. The two weeks I was in quarantine, I feel like I just, I did nothing, and I tried really hard to write, but it for me writing, I write the best when I'm in a really stable position where I'm not worrying about other things. And during those two weeks I'm again, just kind of watching the clock to see, you know, if I get sick, trying to figure out where I'm going to live next, trying to not lose my mind being alone all the time. So I ended up just reading a lot and watching a lot of TV. And in the end, it really wasn't that bad, but I think kind of managing the anxiety again of the unknown, 00:14:00you know. And since I've been at my partner's family's house, it's been a lot nicer and easier to get back to work. Granted, we are, you know, three people, one unemployed person, and then three others that are working from home. So there's been a bit of like management of space. But I'd say, over the last month, I've actually gotten back into a good work routine. And I think, because I feel, you know, I'm in stable position, there's not that much else I have to worry about. So, yeah, I've actually been, I'm proud that I've been writing quite a bit over the last, I would say, month now, and I'm actually in a pretty good work routine, where, because you're with family, and this is something I'm really not used to, because I haven't lived with family in so long, but you actually finish at six o'clock, and everyone you know cooks dinner together and has a cocktail and, like, talks about what their day was like. And that really has, I think, helped give me the stability that I need and and I think just not the. Alone has helped me out quite a bit. So I kind of really feel for my friends that are, you know, have now been alone for months now, and are also, you know, trying to write these extended writing projects that really require that we be in a space where we can be, you know, productive and creative and clear minded.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah, no, definitely. I wonder, what does the next, what does the summer and the year ahead look like for you? You know, knowing that everything is, you know, obviously in flux, but.

Abigail Lewis Right, at this point, I'm mentally preparing that I have to be working from home for the foreseeable future, which I think is going to be difficult, because I just am not used to I don't like working from home. Usually. I like being able to have an office that I go to and have a day that feels like a work day, but I'm getting better at it. My new apartment doesn't have an office, like doesn't have a place to work, necessarily, but, 00:16:00you know, I can sit on the couch or, you know, kitchen table, or, you know, I'm looking into buying desks so I can figure that out, and I'm pretty much assuming that that's what normal life is going to look like for a long period of time. And I feel lucky that I can kind of commit to to doing that. You know, my my partner is a baker, and he's getting ready to start a job, and so he doesn't have the luxury of just being able to stay home. And actually, his, you know, financial survival depends on being able to work. So I recognize that I'm coming from an exceptional place of privilege that, you know, my funding has not been disrupted. That other than having this kind of moment of intense change, that, other than that, things have been pretty okay for me. You know, I kind of hope that one day I'll be able to go back to the library and, you know, sit in the historical society, because that's where I prefer to write. But at least for the summer, I'm assuming that this is what what I'll be doing, and then I have so my fellowship, the mosse exchange fellowship, is a two year fellowship, so I'll be on fellowship until next May, which is really great. I think one of the things that has caused me the most distress that I didn't realize was going to be set an issue, and I'm sure others are feeling this too, is that suddenly, for academics, the job market is collapsed even further than it already has. So it's a little stressful knowing that it's going to be even harder for me to find a job, but at least until May. I'm really my last, you know, really till June of next year and set up, which is good. [TL: That's great] Yes, I'm not. I don't have to online teach. I haven't had to make this, like, insane transition that others have, not having to, like, prepare my classes to be online for probably the fall because I'm fellowship. So yeah. So it's really like. 00:18:00Tyler Lehrer Do you, do you feel like maybe, or worry that you'll be a little bit behind the curve the next time that you do have to enter into, like, the teaching fray? And, you know, let's hope not, but maybe everything is still online whenever that happens?

Abigail Lewis Absolutely. So one of the things I've been thinking about a lot is that, you know, already looking, you know, I've applied for jobs over the last few years, and most jobs, you know, they want someone with online teaching experience. And I had kind of lamented the fact that I'd never gotten the opportunity to do that. Now that everyone has been forced to teach online, it's no longer, I think it's no longer going to be we want someone with online teaching experience, it'll be, we must have someone with online teaching experience. So in some ways, because I wasn't teaching, I missed, you know, I missed making this transition, and now, you know, pedagogy looks completely different today than it did back in February. So I'm hoping at least over the next year, to try and get some kind of training in online teaching, or some kind of experience designing courses online. Because I think that as jobs do start to come up, that's going to be increasingly important, especially if the virus continues to be an issue. We may, you know, obviously we'll probably be teaching online for a lot longer than we planned, but we may have to make these transitions again.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah, so you mentioned having to self quarantine when you got back to Madison, and it sounds like, you know, you despite having, all you know, this massive expo- potential exposure event, having to travel internationally when you did, and even in the weeks prior to that, that you probably weren't exposed or didn't develop Covid, 19 symptoms. [AL: Right] Have other have family members or close friends, contacts, partners, 00:20:00you know, people really close to your networks, been, you know, personally, medically or otherwise affected by this?

Abigail Lewis So I don't know anyone who's developed Covid 19 symptoms. And in some ways, you know, beyond my immediate family, I like, I'm almost kind of shocked that having, like, I took two international flights in a very short period of time between the US and Israel, when, you know, at like, at that moment where we're starting to become aware, right, of how bad the virus is. Like, I feel really lucky that I didn't get sick or didn't get exposed. But, you know, my so both of my sisters and my mom are all nurses, and luckily, my mom is only she's a lactation consultant, so she's only treated she well she's only had to work with one patient who was tested positive. But one of my other sisters is currently working on a covid unit, and luckily, she hasn't developed any symptoms. And she says she feels, I mean, she's in DC, and she's actually in one of the kind of worst hit hospitals, but she says she feels, you know, safe that she has, at least when she's interacting with covid patients. She has the proper PPE, and she's also only 25 years old, so she seems not as stressed out about it as I would be in terms of, like, the fear of getting sick. I think she's just more like, frustrated that this is the situation she's been put in. She was actually supposed to come visit me on the very day that I left Israel, supposed to be arriving, and had taken two weeks off work. We were going to go travel around Israel and go to Greece, and then instead, she's, you know, working overtime, you know, in a dangerous situation. So that's the closest connection that I have. But I don't know anyone personally who's tested positive or shown symptoms.

Tyler Lehrer Well, I hope it continues. That continues to remain base.

Abigail Lewis I hope so, yeah, at least not that I know of. 00:22:00Tyler Lehrer So I wonder, as we, as we maybe begin to draw to a close, if there are just some things you think that are really important for, you know, as a historian yourself, for maybe future generations to know about what you're thinking and feeling and experiencing during this moment, you know, like, what's really important? What should people know or understand?

Abigail Lewis I mean, I think one of the things that I've become really aware of over the last few months is just how privileged I am and how, like, how privilege has really changed. I think my experience, and I'm privileged at the level that even just that the mosse program supports and the History Department supports its graduate students so well, and you know, not everyone had that kind of support, like the fact that the mosse program, they made sure I got a flight back, because that was one of my first concerns, is there's no way I can afford this plane ticket that they were able to get me financial funding to help offset any unexpected costs, to help offset having to pay for an expensive place to quarantine, to potentially have to pay for double rent, both in Madison and in Jerusalem and just having like, I think one of the reasons why I instinctually knew I was going to come to Madison was because I do have this community here. It's almost like, in lieu of my family connections, they have, you know, everyone the history department that was there to support me. And so I feel lucky that I had all of these advocates, and I had financial help from the university at a moment that I could have been housing insecure. So for me, that really, really made this transition so much easier. And I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had that. And I'm sure there's a lot of students who are put in similar position to me that didn't have that level of support. 00:24:00So that's something I've been thinking a lot about. And as someone who studies like warfare and occupation, it strikes me as so, you know, as I was saying, we're being asked to make these kind of, in the moment decisions based off of, you know, having no idea what was, what's even going to happen the next day, the sense of kind of constant, constant, you know, uncertainty about what the future holds. And even though it like, I mean, I said, part of what I said is the Holocaust. I really can't relate to that, but I can relate to this kind of sense of abnormality, the sense of of, you know, not knowing what comes next, but being forced to make really important decisions. So that's something that I've been thinking a lot about as a historian.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah, absolutely. And just some of the ways you know that the stories, the objects that are being produced. I was even thinking about the Donald Trump signed check as like an object, to tell just such a really complicated story about the political environment and the economic context, [AL: Yeah] and the, you know, the human being-

Abigail Lewis Right the way all of this is converging and, and, just as I say, with, you know, thinking about privilege, you know, at the same time we're watching, you know what's happening? I'm seeing so many other people, like across the country that you know, you know workers who are being forced to go back to work before they're ready, seeing still police violence against African Americans. And, yeah, it's just this kind of crazy moment where, yeah, you have this pandemic, and I think it's shedding light on these kind of larger issues, like political and social issues in our country and cultural really, yeah. And as someone who studies photography as well, I've been kind of trying to almost start kind of collecting some of the images that I think that are one day going to be part of the kind of visual memory of 00:26:00this period of time, and a lot of them are those images of, like the beaches where there's this sense of right, of like normalcy when there shouldn't be. And it really resonates with some of the images that I've looked at in occupied Paris, where people are swimming in the Seine in like 1942.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah, and thinking about, you know, as our own state supreme court, I think, you know, yesterday overturned the governor's stay at home ruling, and that's going to affect just about every county that has an issue its own. You know, much more local stay at home order, as many have in response over the last 24 hours. But, yeah- yeah, please.

Abigail Lewis I would say I've been having to kind of constantly explain to my friends in Europe and Israel what's going on, because in a lot of ways, what's happening in the US is so unfathomable. And so almost like confusing to outsiders who are watching, because it's just kind of insane.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah. Well, Abby, before we let you go, just want to give you one last opportunity. Is there anything you wanted to add about your experience or about this public health moment, this crisis, this experience we're all having together.

Abigail Lewis I think there's one of, you know, leave a thanks to people like, like Skye Doney and Leslie Abadie and, you know, my advisor, Laird Boswell, and others that have really, like, gone to that for me. And really, I think, demonstrated why I think Madison feel like, feels like home, almost instinctually. So I think, yeah, I think that's an important thing to end with.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah, absolutely. Also, as a beneficiary this year of the History Department's just incredible advocacy of the graduate students [AL: Right]. You know, could not agree more yeah.

Abigail Lewis The work that Leslie has done to try and you know, the fact that she 00:28:00recognizes that most students during the summers, for example, work in restaurants or have lost their form of like, their form of employment, or how they normally be funded, and kind of figured it out for people. I don't know if other departments are doing that. So it really is exceptional.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah yeah. The just tremendous creativity and will on her behalf and the faculty, whose research budgets are going to keep us all busy over the summer [AL: Right]. Yeah, it's been really tremendous, as it has been to get a chance to talk to you and hear your thoughts and reflections and experiences, and I understand you get you get to go move and get keys to a new apartment. [AL: Yes] So please don't let us hold you any longer. And you know, really grateful for your time. And I so look forward to,- oh, go ahead.

Abigail Lewis Yeah. It's been great talking to you. Thanks for asking to do this.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah definitely. And you know, once this is all over, I look forward to hanging out with you and Chad and grabbing a beer on the terrace.

Abigail Lewis Yeah, absolutely, yeah. I hope that can happen sometime this summer.

Tyler Lehrer Yeah me too. All right, we'll take good care and yeah. All right, bye.

Lewis.A.1979_01.21.2021 Maddy McGlone All right. This is Maddy McGlone with the UW oral history project. It is Thursday, January 21 and I am here with Abby Lewis, can you spell your name for me real quick, Abby?

Abigail Lewis It's A B B Y and then L E W I S.

Maddy McGlone Gotcha, thank you so much. And how are you affiliated with the university?

Abigail Lewis I'm a PhD candidate in the Department of History.

Maddy McGlone Great. Thank you so much. So the first question I have is in regards to you, talked a lot in your last interview about how you were recalled from Jerusalem to come back to the US because of the pandemic. We were just wondering at the time of your last interview, you were living temporary with your boyfriend's family. I believe [AL: Um, yeah], are you still living there, or are you living somewhere different now?

Abigail Lewis No, yeah, luckily, we found an apartment in, I think, early June. 00:30:00[MM: That's great] But we were there for, oh, I was there from April to, yeah, early June. And as you probably know, it's so hard to find housing in Madison, because everyone moves in and out on the same date [MM: Right]. Luckily, we had a place to stay until we, like, actually found the right place, and now we have an apartment or a house. Well, we're living in a house that has multiple apartments that's next door to his parents. [MM: Oh, that's great. That's great] Yeah. Like, I never thought I'd want to, like, live so close to family, but it's been really nice during the pandemic to have them, like, right next door.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, yeah. Do you have any updates on what the period was like before you moved and how it was switching from living with family to living on your own in the pandemic?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, I mean, for me, it was pretty hard because, I mean, I haven't lived with family since I was 18. I'm 31 so I've been a really long time since I've actually like shared space with family members, but also, you know, they weren't my family, but they are my family, but they're not like my parents, if that makes sense. And it was just like hard negotiating space with people that are then all working from home. Like, I think that that was the most difficult thing, is that, like, his mom and stepdad were both, like, figuring out how to work from home. I was trying to also then work from their house. Then my boyfriend was unemployed, so he's just like, and can't go anywhere, so he just had, like, no idea what to do with his time. And it was definitely a very kind of, like, unproductive period I spent a lot of time, like, writing in a guest bed, because there's just no other place for me to do so. But like, we made it through that. Like, I feel lucky that I wasn't just totally alone during that time, because I had other options to, you know, rent an apartment and, just like, self isolate for several months. And I think that that would have been much harder for me, but things have definitely gone, like, gotten a lot better since, you know, I found my own apartment and have, like, an office to work at and a space 00:32:00that's like, just mine. And after that, I was really able to kind of like, dial in and start writing again. And that's when, like, life felt like it went back, not back to normal, but found, like a sense of normalcy.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, yeah. What was it like moving in the middle of a pandemic?

Abigail Lewis I mean the hardest thing was just trying to find an apartment. You know, as I mentioned in Madison, it's just exceptionally difficult to find a place outside of, like the normal moving window. But also I people didn't want to show us the apartment. So it was really hard to judge places via someone like walking around with a cell phone, right, showing us it to us via the phone. But then it was also awkward to kind of, you know, negotiate with people as to whether we could come see it in person and and finally, we got lucky that the place that we ended up moving again, it was like, literally right next door, which is how we found it. And the owner like no one had been living in the apartment, so the owner felt comfortable having us, like walk through it in person. But it took us a good six weeks to actually find an apartment, and I think usually in Madison, like usually, if it hadn't been a pandemic, it probably would have been a bit easier.

Maddy McGlone For sure, for sure. All right, so my next question is sort of about you talked in your last interview about wrapping up your work in or the lack of opportunity you had to wrap up your work in Jerusalem, really. Do you have any updates on that have? Obviously, you probably haven't been able to go back, but um, any updates on that transition and how that's turned off for you?

Abigail Lewis So, I mean, there's still research that I just, like wasn't able to finish, and luckily that all can kind of go into, you know, my future projects, and I've been able to just kind of like, finish my writing with what I have. I think the hardest part was that I have an article that's coming out that really needed research, both in France 00:34:00and Poland, and I'd gotten funding to do that. And so I kind of had to just then be upfront about, like, what I could and could not do. In this article, and it's for a book with a slated publication, so I couldn't, I'd have to pull it from the book to not publish it, and it was accepted to be published. But still, it kind of it's hard knowing that I could have, like, done more research, and there's more I could have added to it. Luckily, I have someone in France who's been willing to scan documents for me if I need it, because there there were hope, like things that I had planned to do. But luckily for me, it hasn't been as disastrous as it has for like other history students who haven't done any research whatsoever, and we're planning on spending this whole year abroad, and at least for historic like historians who study non American history, like this time abroad is so important, and it's so hard to get this funding, yeah? So if you get it, you kind of have to be able to go. And I have a lot of friends who have been stuck and are kind of can't really move forward in their program, Maddy McGlone Yeah, yeah, I can imagine that would be be, I mean, such an interruption, really. Um, you talked in your last interview about making the decision to come to Madison, as opposed to some other places. How have you felt about that decision since then? Like, was it the right choice? Have you enjoyed being in Madison?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, I definitely think it was the right choice in the end. I mean, I had kind of just like, made a snap decision and realized, like, when I was told to come back. I never can really considered going to my mom's house in North Carolina, like, I just knew I was going to come to Madison. And it was definitely much easier to come here and then to stay here at the university, to not have to then move multiple times. Like, I think if I had gone to North Carolina, I would have had to then eventually move to Madison, I had, like, things that were still here in friends basements, and then I've been able to, kind of to pick up some work at the University, which has been really good. 00:36:00My family, they're also all healthcare workers, so like, wouldn't have been that safe to live with them. Like my sister, who's who I wouldn't have been living with was working on a covid unit. My mom was working with covid patients. So it's definitely better to not to also just like not be around them.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, yeah. You mentioned work with the University. Talk a little bit about that. What have you been doing?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, so since September, I've been working as a peer advisor with International Student Services, and that's an opportunity that I would not have had if I didn't, hadn't come back to Madison. And honestly, it's been, it's been kind of nice having, like, feeling like I have a new chapter, if that makes sense. Yeah, before, I was really feeling like I'd kind of gone back in time, because I'd felt like I had already left Madison for good, and was one day, you know, was soon going to get a job elsewhere, which didn't happen, and then suddenly I'm, like, back in Madison, living with my boyfriend's parents, with, like, you know, having a, like, a hard time, even, you know, finishing my dissertation. So this job has been super helpful for me, and has given me, you know, professional experience I think is going to be important for when I graduate. And, you know, as I begin to look at work outside of, like, academic positions.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, definitely. Um, can you talk a little bit about your dissertation too, and how the work for that has gone? And, um, yeah, how that's gone?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, so, um, so I'm writing about photography in Nazi occupied France during World War Two. And I've honestly like over the summer, have been was much more productive than I thought I would be given the pandemic. But I think like, once everything, once I kind of had a place to write and everything kind of settled down, I found that was actually much easier to concentrate when I wasn't going to campus all the time, and kind of like juggling all of these different events or talks. So I ended up finishing two articles over 00:38:00the summer, which are now both going to be published. That's great. And now I'm just finishing up the last chapter of my dissertation, and then we'll graduate, hopefully.

Maddy McGlone Wow, wow. [AL: Yeah] That's super cool. That's super cool. Um, have you had any um, you talked last time about the support that you got from your fellowship program and and how appreciative of your word that, um, are there any updates on that program, or any other people who have really supported you in this time?

Abigail Lewis So, yeah, I mean, I'm there. All of those people are still supporting me, like I'm still affiliated with the mosse program, still felt like a fellow with them, and the biggest conversation I've been having with them now is kind of like, what comes next for people like me, because at least for the academic job market, for my field, it was already really bad, like, for example, for European history, which is, you know, from which could be, from 1789, to today, from like Britain to Russia, only had five jobs last year, I think. And so this year, with the pandemic, there was one across the whole country for, like, a huge period of time. Yeah, and so one thing that's been really helpful is my department has just been really kind of attuned to what's going on. They've had constant conversations with me about, you know, ways that I can, you know, be more creative about my job search. They're kind of considering trying to find ways to provide resources for students who are defending their their dissertations with, like, no possibility of even applying for an academic job. And to help, kind of then provide training and resources to, you know, not necessarily move out of academia, but find other positions. So, so that's one thing they've been working with me on, which has been really helpful. And just like checking in to make sure things are going okay. I mean, it's weird at this point because it's been almost a year and they have a lot of students they're working with, including new students who came to Madison for the fall semester.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, 00:40:00definitely, yeah. All right, um, well, yeah, um. So tell me a little bit. I know we asked you last time about what daily life looked like during that early pandemic. And also, I think, I think we were asking, how did it look the first couple weeks? And then, how has it changed since then? How has it changed? I think going going from the summer where maybe cases were a little bit lower to the spike in the fall to now. How have things changed for you?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, I feel like my schedule's been constantly changing, because over the summer, once I found my own place, I was just writing all the time, and it's probably the most productive writing wise I've ever been, but it's really only sustainable for short periods of time, like I can't do it all the time [MM: Right]. And then in September, I started working for International Student Services, and so, you know, basically a few hours a day I helped them, and then the time that I'm not working with them, I write. And that was really, it's just like, such a nice way to have my time feel more productive and organized. But also it's really made me feel useful during the pandemic, because, like, the pandemic has hit some of these international students, especially, and, you know, ways that are, you know, very, like, distinct [MM: Yeah]. And then for a period of time, I was working on campus. So then I was, like, biking to camp. I was working, writing in the morning, and then biking to campus every day. And that was, for me, was really nice. Like, that's another reason why I love that I came back to Madison, because just able to spend so much time outside. I hung out with friends by like taking bike rides around the lake, like hanging out in parks. And then in November, when the university closed for in person, then they moved us back to remote [MM: Gotcha]. So then I've since, since Thanksgiving. I guess I've mainly just been in my apartment, like, working at my desk, and not really leaving 00:42:00that much. So I'd actually say the last like, two months have been really hard. It's kind of everything keeps going up and down [MM: Yeah, oh, completely] some of it was actually, really nice. I felt like really, like successful and productive, and then, like, around Thanksgiving, like, with the holidays, and just kind of being mostly alone has been really hard [MM: Yeah] and then I'll start working on campus again on Monday.

Maddy McGlone Oh, that's great, yeah. Um, can you tell me a little bit about working with the international students and how, I mean, I know you didn't work with them before the pandemic, but how that's been impacted by the pandemic?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, I think the most complicated thing is just that so many students are not in the US. They went home like some of them went home back in March. Some of them, you know, decided to go home of the summer, when the university was mostly going to be remote or online. And many of them went home expecting, like me, to go, like, go back soon, and suddenly they've been home for a year. So it's been, you know, I think the majority of like, what we're doing right now is, you know, providing students with resources so they can continue their studies and do so from like, whatever level of safety they feel, whether they want to come back to Madison, or whether they want to stay like in their home countries, but it's because it's kind of an unprecedented situation. There's just a lot of like immigration issues that come up, like new things that we become aware of every day, that you know might be an issue, and every student has a wildly different situation. So it's been definitely a challenge. Like every time I feel like I understand something, then I get a student that sends an email, and then I realize that their case does not at all fit the model of, like, what we've been taught. So it's been, it's like a It's so it's been certainly challenging, but like I said, it's made me actually feel more productive and more useful, I think, and I think I actually have a harder time when I'm like, sitting at home just doing my own work.

Maddy McGlone Can you talk a little bit more about writing and how that I know you've mentioned that 00:44:00you felt very productive in the summer, but more about how writing has changed in the pandemic, and what you think was. So what helped you be productive in the summer, and maybe why you're feeling less productive now?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, I think, um, so, I think there was a moment in the summer where people were just more plugged in than they are now, you know, like, at this point, everyone's kind of over having, like, like, I had multiple zoom writing groups, which were really nice over the summer, and then around one of them kind of fell apart in October, and the other in November, and people were just like, I can't do this anymore. But that was something that was really helpful for me, because every other week we presented, like, one person would present a chapter or an article or something they were working on, I think there was, like, a kind of a point in the summer where I kind of just like accepted that this is what my day was going to look like. And I just started, you know, finding joy in writing that I hadn't otherwise. But also was able to kind of like punctuate my time with, you know, going on bike rides and being outside. I have a big front porch, so I rode on my front porch all the time. And yeah, I don't, I don't know why, in that like, kind of moment, from probably May to October, things were just like, really May or May to November, even, which is, like, the most productive period of my life I've ever had. And I think that, yeah, the holidays were just pretty hard. Like we weren't, even though my boyfriend's family lives next door, like we weren't able to go over there, you know, we've, I've, like, barely left the house, and I, you know, I miss the kind of human contact that, in some ways, we we fought for over the summer, but kind of gave up on after it's, like, been so long. So I'm hoping once things, once I'm, you know, at least leaving the house more often, working on campus again, I'll kind of settle back into, like, a more normal 00:46:00routine. [MM: Yeah, for sure, I'm definitely looking forward to the weather getting better] Yeah, no, I noticed today that, like the sun started rising a little bit earlier.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, I actually, I sat outside today for the first time in ages. So looking forward to that. Yeah, speaking of, you know, hanging out and spending your free time, you mentioned riding bikes in the summer. How have you been spending your free time when you're not riding or and working and not seeing people anymore, too.

Abigail Lewis Yeah. The main thing is, I'm a member of a gym, and they let us go in person and wear masks, and I have a friend group of like, three people that also go to that gym. And so I kind of like, now the gym is like, kind of like a safe place to hang out [MM: Yeah] and those are the same people that in the past, I would go on bike rides with. So I see them like most days. That's good. Sometimes I'll have like, one friend over for dinner [MM: Yeah] and still, like when possible, just like taking walks outside.

Maddy McGlone Yeah for sure. For sure. Um, can you talk about, maybe, strategies that you've used to, you know, keep yourself grounded, you know, stay sane, basically, during, during Covid And like, I mean, you mentioned having people over and and, like, what you can do within your safety, like, what you're willing to not sacrifice, because it doesn't sound like you're being unsafe at all, but that sort of thing, like picking your boundaries and figuring out what you're gonna do to help yourself be happy. Can you talk about that?

Abigail Lewis Yeah. I mean, I think it just keeps changing too with, like, each part of the pandemic we go through in which like, each season, if that makes sense [MM: Yeah, totally]. Like, I think over the summer, at first, I stayed sane by just, like, keeping busy [MM: Yeah] because I just moved back to Madison and didn't have any friends and, like, didn't really have anything 00:48:00to do anyway. Anyways, I think more recently, making time to actually see people in person has been really helpful. And like I said, I kind of now have like a pot of, like three people that I see, and I'll have dinner with them, like I said, I see them now almost every day at the gym. I never thought I would have like a hangout at the gym. And, you know, just trying to, like, make time to do things like that for myself [MM: Yeah, for sure, for sure] but it's hard. Like, I said, Things keep changing, and I think, like, over the next few weeks, like, I need to finish my dissertation, so I kind of have to just get back into the zone [MM: Yeah] focus on that for a while, and hopefully that'll kind of, I just hope, by the time I finish my dissertation, and maybe, like people, more people, will start to get the vaccine, and we'll start to see, maybe, like an even more normal scenario, but we'll see.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, definitely, um, tell me about you know, once you're finished with your dissertation, once you graduate, what is the future? Are looking like for you right now, and what do you anticipate is going to happen with this pandemic?

Abigail Lewis Gosh, at this point, I have no idea. I mean, when I started graduate school, I thought that I was going to be a professor at a university one day, and that was like, really the only future that I had planned out for myself. And now, you know, it's been eight years since then, things have just, not just because the pandemic, but because, you know, higher education has just shifted to make that really not a tenable option. So now I'm just kind of, you know, being open minded about where I may end up. I'm hoping to stay in Madison, unless I find like the right situation to move so I'm applying for, I'll be like, applying for, like, academic administration jobs at UW for sure and elsewhere, and also probably 00:50:00applying for some like government jobs, and see, like, what opportunities might be out there. And it's actually kind of exciting to have, like, suddenly have more options than you realized. [MM: Yeah] In regards to the pandemic, who knows at this point? Like, what's coming next? I'm trying just to not have high like, have many expectations and just, like, take things as they come. I do hope that I get to travel sometime soon, like maybe in the summer.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, oh, we can all hope for that. [AL: Yeah] Um, yeah. So um, last plan question that I have, um, I know we asked last time if anyone close to you had um, been directed, directly impacted by covid, meaning, like, had had covid. Um, you don't have to, you know, name anyone specifically, but like, has that changed?

Abigail Lewis Now I've had, yeah, quite a few friends that had covid in Madison. Luckily, no one in my family did, at least that I know of, and that like includes both my sisters and my mom that all worked on covid units and our nurses, but yeah, I know now I probably know quite a few people that that had had covid, but no one had it severely. That's good. I have, like, and I had a few friends who, like, had family members who had had bad cases. And one of my I had actually a couple friends whose grandparents died. [MM: Oh, wow, yeah, yeah] Yes, which is kind of it's weird to think about, because I think, yeah, last time that, you know, not we had spoken, but the last time I spoke with someone, yeah, I don't think I'd known anyone who had it.

Maddy McGlone Um, have you had any covid scares? Just wondering.

Abigail Lewis No, not really I had, so I had one friend who got it, and she didn't have it badly at all, but she, I had literally seen her two weeks 00:52:00like we, at that point, I like we, that was when it was so warm enough to sit outside. So we had, like, every Friday, we went and had dinner at this restaurant outside, and then I hadn't seen her for two weeks. And then, like, the day that she tested positive was two weeks after, like, the to the day, oh, I went, immediately, got tested, and had talked to work, my work, and, you know, they said, You know, I was really outside the window to be worried about it. But that was the, like, the only, not necessarily scare, but like, moment where I, like, I, you know, jumped on my bike and went straight to campus and got tested and thought that I might have to quarantine.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, I thought of another question, actually, because of that, um, the new testing program that's being implemented so you're working on campus, so you're gonna [AL: Yeah] have to do the two [AL: Yep] week testing thing. How do you feel about that? Have you started yet?

Abigail Lewis So I went yesterday to get tested. We'll see how it goes. I still have not gotten my results. [MM: Gotcha, yeah, I went on Tuesday, and it only took six hours, which was very-] That's interesting, because, like, I had new people who got tested last week who didn't get their results for like, four or five days [MM: Yeah]. And then when I went yesterday, they said I should get my results in a few hours, and it's been 24 hours, and I haven't heard anything [MM: Interesting, interesting] and I have to work on campus on Monday, so I'm like, cross like, I don't know if I should go back tomorrow [MM: Yeah] hoping that they've, like, have results for me by then.

Maddy McGlone Um any thoughts about this change and how they're requiring people? Do you think it's going to be effective? How do you feel about it?

Abigail Lewis I mean, I hope that it's it's effective. I mean, I still think, like, the best policy for the university is just to severely limit in person classes, rather than have, you know, students like I had one professor who, like we so I have, I'm taking one seminar this semester, and we all indicated our preference for online only, 00:54:00and the professor, like, emailed us trying to convince us to have an in person class and how they believed. There was, like, lots of social distancing possibilities in our big, beautiful classroom, all of us are like, you know, I'm actually the only person in the class that'll be coming to campus, so everyone else would have to come to campus twice, one day a week to get tested, and one day a week to come to class, which for most of them is a bus ride to campus. And no, I'm glad that they're requiring testing more extensively, and I just like hope that it goes smoothly, and hopes that, hope that it helps things go better for this semester. But I don't think that it necessarily means that we should move everything in person [MM: Right] just because we're doing that, if that makes sense [MM: Yeah, totally, totally, um] but I got so I got tested, you know, the way they were doing it last semester, which was, like, the nasal swab [MM: Yeah]. And that was super easy, like, it took me a minute, and I got my results within 12 hours [MM: Yeah]. And I'm assuming they had to change it so that they can do it on the scale that they need to be doing.

Maddy McGlone Right, yeah, that's what I've heard. But it certainly was more pleasant last semester. [AL: Yeah] Yeah. Um, so, okay, actual last question. Now, um, you mentioned that you have healthcare workers in your family. Have they, or anyone else you know, received a first or second vaccine dose yet?

Abigail Lewis Yeah, they've all been fully vaccinated. [MM: That's great. That's great]. Yeah, so two of them are in DC and one's in North Carolina, yeah, so they all got their first dose around Christmas and then their second dose a couple weeks ago.

Maddy McGlone That's great. Yeah, I'm very glad to hear that that's going smoothly in some places. [AL: Yeah] Yeah. All right. Then the last point is, just, do you have any thoughts, final thoughts, anything you want to share? Make sure people know about this time in the pandemic?

Abigail Lewis Gosh. I mean, it's been just like such a 00:56:00weird period of life. I feel like, because it's, you know, not only, I mean, last time you spoke, I'm kind of dealing with having to literally move to a different country, or I don't have a place to live, and, like, don't really have any family. And then, you know, since then, it's been about you trying to finish my dissertation and figure out, like, how to have a life, and figure out, like, what comes next for me. And I'm kind of eager to see what comes next, especially, like, now we have a new, like, political administration, and, you know, people are starting to get vaccinated and things are starting to look up. So it'll be interesting to see, like, how I feel six months from now, yeah, um, but, yeah, it's been an interesting and, like, I guess, kind of like productive period of life, like, it's kind of forced me to really, like, rethink what's important and what makes me happy. And that's at least, I wouldn't call it like, a positive thing that's come out of all this, but I think it's been, like, an important shift.

Maddy McGlone Yeah, totally, totally. You mentioning that. You know that it's January 21st 2021 that means that means that the inauguration was yesterday. Anything you wanted to say about that?

Abigail Lewis It's just like a huge relief, probably like the best thing to come out of this past year. And I just, yeah, I just hope that we see some real change coming. And, you know, I don't really know how much you know Biden can do to fix the pandemic at this point, beyond trying to get more people vaccinated and push this even more, but it is just like, nice to have, like, at least one thing to hold on to all of this, like when, when they announced that Biden had won, you know, because I live on the east side of Madison, and there was just like, parades of cars, people cheering, and it was kind of like the one, like, really happy day that we've that we've had. So that's one thing that's that's definitely positive and looking up. 00:58:00Maddy McGlone Yeah, for sure. For sure. All right, um, any, any other thoughts, final things you wanted to add? [AL: I think that's it] Okay, then I'm going to end the recording here. Thank you.

Lewis.A.1949_04.18.2021 MADDY MCGLONE: Alright. Today is Monday April 18th. 2021. My name is Maddy McGlone. I'm here with the UW oral history program. I'm here with Abigail Lewis today, Abby. Can you spell your name for me real quick?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: It's A B I G A I L L E W I S.

MADDY MCGLONE: What is your affiliation with UW?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: I am a George L. Mosse Fellow in the department of history at UW-Madison.

MADDY MCGLONE: Awesome. Awesome. So you're coming from Madison right now, I'm assuming.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: Yeah, I'm in I'm currently in Madison.

MADDY MCGLONE: All right. Um, so I know last time we talked about, you know, what work you were doing. You had just finished up your dissertation, I believe or maybe that was a few interviews ago, but you were, you know, on the job search doing that post phd stuff. Do you have any updates on job search? What your work is looking like right now? Those sorts of things.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: Yeah. So I've been, you know, I defended my dissertation back in September and since then have been, you know, working on my research, but also mainly applying for jobs. And then I've been doing a couple of like part-time positions that I'm hoping will kind of get my foot in the door in like academic programming or program director type positions. So I've been working as a contractor at the Holocaust Museum doing campus outreach and I've been planning a faculty seminar for them. I'm still working very part time at international student services and then as I mentioned applying for jobs, a couple of interviews. I have a couple of postdoc, potential postdoc offers. So yeah, I'm kind of figuring out like, where I want to go next and, you know what, the like next, right step is for me.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah, definitely. For sure, for sure. 01:00:00I know that we talked a lot about, like, the how the pandemic has exacerbated, like, the already extreme lack of jobs for people with history phds and humanities phds in general. Have you seen an increase in the number of available jobs? Or has it been just as bad?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: It's just as bad. Yeah, I mean for perspective. I would say that for modern european history, so it's like 19th and 20th century Europe from like Russia too often Britain there were like five jobs.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: In the entire country and there was like a couple of jobs in the UK as well. But I mean, this is a, this is a trend that I've been seeing since really 2019, 2020. 2020 was, obviously the worst, well, 2021 was pretty bad. There was really only one job. So now it's kind of back up to five, which is isn't great. So it's still, you know, an incredibly challenging market. One thing that I have been saying that I think is pretty exciting is the number of postdocs that are kind of designed to help get scholars in the door and experience in like, kind of positions.

MADDY MCGLONE: Sure.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: We saw a ton of postdocs and academic programming postdocs that are working with, like running area studies centers. Those jobs that are doing kind of more like campus outreach, public outreach work looking at something exciting, that might be kind of become more and more common over the next couple of years. So I'm excited to kind of see like where that goes. So I think like academia and higher education as we know it is just completely changing.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah, definitely. So it seems like you've gone from, you know, all of your focus being on your dissertation getting that done, finishing your degree to now, you've got a bunch of different things going on. What is the typical day look like for you?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: Yeah, so I usually start kind of 01:02:00writing pretty early. And right now, I'm kind of, I'm juggling a bunch of different things. I'm usually writing from, doing some kind of writing whether it's for my job at the Holocaust Museum, or if it's a cover letter for a job application or if it's like working on publication. I'm usually writing from like let's say like 8-4ish and then I kind of go back and forth between you know, the different projects that I'm working on. And then on Fridays, I work on campus at international student services. So it's kind of nice to have like one day where i'm doing something completely different.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: And I find that I do better when I have kind of multiple projects to work on. Like I always struggled to just 9-5 write my dissertation but I get a lot more done when I have kind of these smaller things that I'm working through.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah. For sure. For sure. Um, so what have you been doing like in your free time, especially now that things, while they were getting warmer, or maybe they weren't. But I was hoping they were getting warmer. And now that things have opened up a little bit.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: Really kind of the same as when we last talked. I feel like my main pastime is going to CrossFit and which has been nice because I've kind of had a consistent place where I can hang out with friends and, you know, feel safe. And yeah, like the community during the pandemic, I've recently gotten to go on a couple of trips for conferences, but got to kind of make a vacation out of it. Yeah, that's what I thought, that's the biggest change, is things have opened up, you know feeling safer traveling and getting to go to in-person conferences.

MADDY MCGLONE: For sure. Where did you get to go for conferences?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: I was in Charlotte, North Carolina like three weeks ago and then I was in New Orleans last week.

MADDY MCGLONE: Awesome. Yeah, really cool. Like sort of in that regard, does it feel like things are starting to go back to normal?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: It does but I'm kind of like cautious about it, right? Yeah. I mean, now, 01:04:00you know, we don't wear masks on campus anymore. And you know, I found myself being one of the people who I thought I might keep wearing a mask and I haven't, although, you know, now we're seeing again that like covid, numbers are going up. So I just don't know. I mean, I feel like there's kind of no going back to like a pre-covid world. We just have to adjust and kind of figure out, you know, how to live life in these circumstances, but it definitely felt a lot easier than, you know, especially what was it this time last year this time like last summer when, you know, numbers started rising again, we went back to having businesses closed and masks, it's again, it's feeling a little bit like, like, more comfortable, I guess and there's more things to do and I mean, I'm sure it'll be a lot better once, you know, everything opens for the summer and there's like outdoor stuff.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah, definitely definitely. I know we touched on this a little bit. But um, my one of my final questions was, do you have any reflections on how covid has impacted like just you're completing your degree. Like everything that's happened over the past couple years and and like your career trajectory at this point.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: I mean, first, I feel like I've become a lot more productive at home, which has been good. I used to not be able to get any work done at home. Yeah, some kind of learned a sense of discipline like for writing and when I'm like not just sitting at the library or cafe and so that's been really, really useful and productive for me and kind of changing my work habits. I think that's forced me to think and be more flexible about where I see my career going. It's been nice to be able to be be really transparent about the fact that I could kind of see two different career paths for me at this point. One being, you know, becoming a Professor and like a traditional academic path, but another being in 01:06:00academic programming or public history, museum work. So it's been exciting to kind of explore that with, you know, working remotely for the Holocaust Museum. For example, I think it's also really kind of changed the way that I think about teaching last summer. I taught my, an online research method seminar about the Holocaust and visual culture and I'm teaching it again, this coming summer. And I'm just, I'm teaching that class in a very different way than I used to teach. I mean, I built the class to be only online, I would have to completely change it to teach it in person.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: We also do like, you know, thinking about what's useful for students time in like realizing that how you know busy they are and all of the things that they have going on in their lives as well as all the things I have going on in my life, like trying to think about how to make a class really work for students. That's something that I've tried to be really, you know, about like not assigning unnecessary readings because you know, we only need to, we need to accomplish like what the course objectives are. So that's why I've been just like really thinking about a lot especially after teaching last summer.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah, definitely. Did you feel like you had good engagement from the students online?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: Um, it was really a kind of up and down. I mean I didn't have the same kind of engagement that I would in like a discussion and I could never really get the discussion board to work in that way. And I've just learned that it doesn't work in that way and online just looks different. So this is kind of one of the things I'm thinking about, as I plan to reteach, it. The students worked really hard on their research projects and those came out great. But there's definitely a sense that everyone was so, just like, burnt out. Actually burnt out with taking online classes, that were not meant to be online.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah. Yeah. For sure. So, then my final question is just like, how 01:08:00do you see the summer going covid, wise, and then also like, for your future plans. Those sorts of things like just future question in general.

ABIGAIL LEWIS: Yeah, so I'm starting in May. I'm teaching this class again and then I'm also continuing to work in this position, the Holocaust Museum. So, starting in June. I'm running a faculty development seminar. That's something I'm excited about. Hopefully, I'll be able to do some publishing this summer. We'll see if I actually have time to do my own work and I have some travel. One of my friends is getting married. So I'm going to San Diego. That was my first like big kind of vacation in a really long time. Then I just have to kind of make some decisions about what I'm doing next year and then start to plan accordingly.

MADDY MCGLONE: Yeah, for sure for sure. Well, thank you for all of those thoughts. Is there anything else you wanted to get on the record?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: I don't think so.

MADDY MCGLONE: Okay. Well, then I will stop the recording. Oh I should ask. Is it okay for us to add this recording to the same release form as the past couple ones?

ABIGAIL LEWIS: Yeah.

MADDY MCGLONE: Okay.

Lewis.A.1979_09.15.2021 Maddy McGlone: All right. Today is Wednesday September 15th. 2021. My name is Maddy McGlone. I'm with the oral history program here at UW-Madison. I'm here with Abby Lewis, Abby can you spell your first and last name for me real quick?

Abigail Lewis: So my first name is Abby A B B Y and my last name is Lewis L E W I S.

Maddy McGlone: Thank you. And what is your affiliation with UW Madison?

Abigail Lewis: I'm a graduate student in the department of History here at UW-Madison.

Maddy McGlone: Great. Thank you. So the first question is just I know you've been in Madison for some of the pandemic at least since you came back from Jerusalem and I believe you had just moved the last time we talked is that place where you're calling from right now the place you moved to.

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, so I'm in the same apartment that I moved to now over a year ago, which is kind of wild because it feels like I've only lived here for a short period of time and I'm yes, still in Madison. 01:10:00Maddy McGlone: Got it, got it. And how has you know, that been being in Madison this whole time like have you enjoyed being here? Obviously, it's not Jerusalem, but has it been okay?

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, I've I'm happy that I came back to Madison. It's been kind of weird and hard because a lot of my former friend groups are no longer here. And so I kind of had to make entirely new friends during a pandemic but it's definitely been easier to kind of be productive here. I've slowly been able to kind of be more connected with advisors even when I can't see them, I've been It's been nice to be near the library. Now, the libraries reopen. So yeah, so it's ultimately been good to kind of weather the pandemic here where I have like a bit more of a support system.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, that's good to hear. So I know you just are in the process of wrapping up your thesis right now, how have the past few months been working on your thesis and how has really, you know, wrapping up been for you.

Abigail Lewis: So it's been, it's been pretty crazy. So I just yeah I submitted my dissertation last week, and I was also teaching an online course over the summer. So the summer of kind of feels like a lost summer and that I didn't really do anything but write, but now everything's turned in, was kind of a weird feeling.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, for sure, for sure. I know we talked more. So in the first interview about how, you know, you had to like, pick up and leave Jerusalem. You had a lot of, you know, loose ends. Was there any way for you to, you know, tie those up at all in the past six months. I know there weren't like you sort of hadn't been able to get back at all the last time we talked, but Abigail Lewis: Yeah, no. Yeah. It's at this point. I've kind of not given up on going back. But, you know, I will not, I probably won't go back anytime soon. Israel's had some of the most restrictive rules regarding 01:12:00like tourism and immigration and the pandemic and like, although they're like most people in Israel and now getting their third shot. They still have not reopened the borders really at all. And actually I have friends who have like who have left only to like visit their families for some time, for some, the first in a year and a half, two years. And even though they've had three vaccines, they still have to go back and quarantine and Israel's making people who are arriving, do like blood tests to like check their antibodies. Oh my gosh, and these are people with visas. And who actually live there. So unless I like get a postdoc in Israel. I don't think I'll be going back anytime in the near future, which is kind of sad, but I'm also kind of okay with it at this point.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you for that update. I also wanted to ask like, what else are you doing other? Well, obviously thesis is probably taking up most of your time. But do you have a job starting soon like in the fall or where you working on anything else this summer how's like outside of your dissertation work been going.

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, so I don't have a job lined up, yet. The academic job market is kind of just starting, but I'm just starting to apply for jobs. For now, the third time, I do have a part-time job at UW, which I think we've talked about before, so I'm continuing to work for international student services this year while I'm still in Madison. And yeah, I'm hoping that you know, by the end of this Academic Year. I'll have kind of a more concrete idea, like of what comes next and where I'm going, but I'll be here and I'll probably be in Madison until, you know, at earliest May.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah. I know we talked about, you know, how difficult, obviously the academic job market has been even before covid. Do you have any thoughts on how covid has changed that? And like, you know, just how difficult 01:14:00it is now, as opposed to before the pandemic.

Abigail Lewis: I honestly, I feel like covid exacerbated issues that were already there, the academic job market was already bad and it, so like so for perspective, you know, this will be the third time that I've applied for jobs. I think the first time that I applied for jobs, there was only maybe 10 jobs in my field, which is European history from 19th to from the in the 19th and 20th, centuries. That's a big field that includes a lot of people. The second year. I went on the market. I think there was again, maybe like, Like anywhere from like seven to eight jobs. And then last year. I think there was one. So, one of the things that happened during covid is just that schools had hiring freezes. And I think for some fields, covid, made things worse, but for these, my field in European history it just was already bad.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah.

Abigail Lewis: So far, they've announced five jobs in my field for like searches this year. I think one big difference is that, you know, covid has demonstrated the extent to which we can put put learning online. So I'm, I don't know if there's going to be kind of more positions that might be part time or even remote or they're having, you know, instead of hiring professors. They're hiring. Someone adjunct to teach classes just online. Yeah, that could be something we see this year. We don't kind of a kind of don't know yet, but it's definitely changed like how we think about higher education.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, for sure. Thank you. I was also wondering, you know, as you're finishing your, you know, graduate studies, obviously, you are Mosse fellow. Do you have anything to say about how the Mosse program has supported you over the past six months at all? I know, of course they were really helpful in getting you into the U.S. And things like that.

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, so, I mean the Moss- I'm super lucky that 01:16:00the Mosse program has supported me to the extent that they have over the last few years. I mean, when we were in- when me and my colleague, Chad were stuck in Jerusalem and the university had us come back it was the Mosse program that paid for everything. Other students would got no financial support from the University to buy, you know, a last-minute, international plane ticket to, you know, find new apartments or places to quarantine and us we had to also, you know, pay rent in Jerusalem. So the Mosse program not only paid for our tickets, but then, They also gave us like an extra stipend to offset the extra costs. They then, so this year, like one of the reasons why I'm kind of okay with not having a full, a full time job yet, is that the mossM program converted, extra funding that they had normally to send students to Jerusalem into like a one-time Fellowship for particularly graduate students, at the end of their studies, who, because of covid, were not able to find a job. So they're actually, so they're actually funding me until the end of the academic year.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, that's good to hear. It's good to hear. Could you walk me through basically, what a typical day is looking like for you right now from like when you wake up to when you go to sleep.

Abigail Lewis: Sure. Yeah. Well, so maybe I'll tell you about my schedule was because this week has just been different, I've like, not been, not been working on my dissertation. But at least over the summer. So I've been getting up just super early in the morning, like I get up at 4:30 and go to the gym and then I usually try and start writing by like 6:30 or 7:00. So usually work right like, 6:30 to 7 and until noon. And then at noon, I go to my job on campus and then I work noon to 4:30. 01:18:00And then after that, like I have no problem getting up early and working, but I like don't work well late. So I get home. I get home like 4:30 to 5:00. And after that I just like cook dinner or like watch TV, read a book, hang out with friends. So that's been yeah, that's been like my that's been a pretty typical schedule for me all summer. Now. I'm like still a naturally waking up early even though I don't need to. Hmm, answering emails. I have a bunch of other small projects. I've been working on but it's not nearly as intense as what I was doing all the way up until I've like Tuesday of last week.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, do you get to defend now? Is that happening soon?

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, so my defense is on Monday.

Maddy McGlone: Oh my goodness. Good luck.

Abigail Lewis: Yeah. Thank you.

Maddy McGlone: Super exciting. Yeah, is that does that got to be in person then?

Abigail Lewis: So, this is another weird my advisor really wants to have it in person. He's done a couple of online defenses and he's not a fan of it, but we because, like most professors don't feel comfortable doing an in-person defense. What we're doing is we're having the defense on my advisors back porch with masks on.

Maddy McGlone: Wow.

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, and he already, we already did it for one friend of mine who defended like two weeks ago. So they decided that that was what they were going to do for mine again. I honestly wouldn't mind doing it online, but I'm so used to it now. If I had it online I could like, I could open it up to more people, like I have friends really like all over the world that like have expressed interest in being able to sit in on it. So doing in person we can't do it that way, but it'll be nice to actually be able to like have a conversation with them versus kind of bouncing back and forth online.

Maddy McGlone: Got it. Yeah, who's your advisor?

Abigail Lewis: Laird Boswell.

Maddy McGlone: Okay. And do you know who's on? I guess 01:20:00you do know who's on your committee, right?

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, yeah.

Maddy McGlone: That’s how it works. Alright, um well then I do want to ask well, actually about your campus job. Have you like enjoyed working in the international student services department?

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, I think it has given me kind of like a sense of purpose during the pandemic. Yeah, because actually before that, I was working in restaurants and I quit my restaurant job because it was just unsafe. Yeah. And like and the pay was just not worth it anymore. And so I got this job instead and it's been it's like really rewarding to feel like we're actually helping students who are in a, like, a particularly vulnerable position, like in students who weren't able to come to the university last year, those who like went home and then could never get back and helping them figure out like how they can continue their studies. How can, how can they, you know, have a plan to come back to the US? It's also just been fun, learning something new. It's been a long time since I actually learned a completely new thing. And I feel like I've been working there for almost exactly a year now. And I feel like I kind of understand at least some of the intricacies of, like, immigration regulations for international students specifically.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, for sure. So, you mainly working on the sort of like legal aspects of, you know, International students like what does your job entail?

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, so it's my job is suddenly changed a lot. Now that we have students back at the University, but a lot of what I do is answering emails directing students to the right resources to help answer their questions, and I don't really deal with any of the legal stuff. But at least have to know, you know, how to help students answer their questions.

Maddy McGlone: Sure.

Abigail Lewis: So like, to provide resources, to help connect them with their, like, their international student services advisor. 01:22:00Now, primarily, what I'm doing is interacting with students in person, because now they just walk into our office and ask.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah. Yeah. Have you gotten any like interesting or funny questions?

Abigail Lewis: Well, the I think the hardest thing we've had to deal with is or at least that I've had to deal with just as students have come in who have had a really hard time finding housing.

Maddy McGlone: Hmm.

Abigail Lewis: And I think it's there's something. I think the most of them usually just are able to get spots in the dorms, but the dorms are so overbooked. Yeah, and many of them couldn't get their visas and until like the very last moment. So, they couldn't plan in advance as they didn't know, if they were actually going to be able to come. So that's been one of the most typical issues that I've dealt with, like students walking in and actually not having a permanent place to stay yet. But I'm also, I've had to learn a lot about like, what resources exist at the University because last year, I was just answering emails and so it was kind of predictable, but now students will walk in and be like, you know, how do I buy furniture? You know, yeah, he's like that or that are also kind of outside our purview. But because we're, you know, a friendly face that that students know they can go to, they'll, you know, feel comfortable asking questions.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, how has working with, you know, International students changed your perspective on the university? All I know, I feel like it's definitely a different experience coming here from, you know, a different country as opposed to like, like I'm from Wisconsin I've known about the University of my whole life.

Abigail Lewis: I mean this wouldn't be about like Wisconsin specifically, but I definitely have a new appreciation for how hard it is to be an international student in the United States. Just all of the different things that they have to take into consideration. The things that they have to do to make sure like to make certain that they're staying, you know, they're maintaining their student visas. Yeah, I definitely understand. You know how difficult that is and I feel like us as American students. We just like 01:24:00enroll and we show up and right.

Maddy McGlone: Right.

Abigail Lewis: That's just not the case for them at all.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, thank you. I also want to ask sort of, like, outside of work. I know this summer, you know, cases have risen and fallen. And the Delta variant has begun to spread in like things were opening up earlier in the summer because everyone was vaccinated. How has your, how has that changed your daily life, and like what you've been able to do in your free time.

Abigail Lewis: Honestly it has not really changed what I do in my free time that much. So, you know, early in the pandemic I like I kind of made a group of friends through my gym which was luckily able to open back in look June 2020 and it's been that's been able to stay open. That's kind of been one of my primary friend outlets. And so like the people that I spend time with are still primarily them. I still like mainly hang out with people, you know, at their houses or in parks.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah.

Abigail Lewis: I haven't really kind of like transitioned still transitioned back into kind of what my social life looked like before the pandemic.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah.

Abigail Lewis: I think the hardest thing is like, with the gym is having gone from not having to wear masks, working out. We'll have you. And, yeah, I don't mind wearing a mask at work and I honestly prefer that when we're working with, you know, students who literally just got off of a plane. Yeah, but yeah, wearing masks at the gym is just really, really hard. I have I have really enjoyed the return of like Madison music festivals. That's something that like is, is kind of a part of like pre-pandemic life, then didn't exist last year, and it was really nice to have that back this summer.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, definitely definitely. I know obviously you're finishing dissertation the so you probably haven't had a lot of free time. But like other than that like music festivals, that sort of thing. Is there anything else you've been doing in your limited free time?

Abigail Lewis: Other than going 01:26:00to going to the gym and music festival. Not really looking forward to like have to be able to have hobbies again because, Maddy McGlone: Yeah Abigail Lewis: I've been working so intensely really for the last year to try and get my dissertation done. So, yeah, it'll be fun to kind of figure out like what I enjoy doing again outside of working. And yeah.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, that is exciting for sure. What are you anticipating the fall is going to look like? And obviously, like, students are back on campus and full force. How do you feel about that? How what are you thinking is going to happen over the next couple months.

Abigail Lewis: I honestly have, no, I don't know like what's going to happen, but it's been really cool. Have seeing students back. I hadn't actually been at UW with, like, a full student body population since 2018. Because I had a bunch of ed fellowships in DC and then I was in Israel and then I came back here in the middle of the pandemic. So it's been In actually, like a nice to see the university kind of alive again. It really reminds me like why I love working at the University. Why I've like continued to stay, you know, do multiple graduate degrees. So it is so it is cool to like see students back and excited. I definitely, I taught an online class over the summer and you can definitely tell that students are just tired of taking online courses and kind of worn out. I have no idea what's going to happen in terms of the pandemic. I know the university has said that the student body population is like 90% vaccinated.

Maddy McGlone: My mom told me, it's ninety one point eight. I think is the official statistic this morning.

Abigail Lewis: Yeah, actually, I feel really com- I mean, I'm not teaching any classes right now. So, I mean, I have friends who were teaching classes with hundreds of students. They might feel differently than I do. But at least I feel, you know, comfortable being on campus. I don't imagine they're going to shut down again like, unless something completely disastrous happens. 01:28:00Maddy McGlone: Yeah Abigail Lewis: And students have been back for a few weeks and it seems like things are going okay. So crossing my fingers that the semester goes well.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, definitely this is sort of back tracking, but is there anything you want to say about how teaching went this summer other than, you know, the students were burnt out.

Abigail Lewis: No, it was probably the hardest class that I've ever taught. I mean, I've never had never taught an online class before so that in and of itself was a learning experience. And and it's always hard when you teach a new class for the first time because you never know what's going to work. But yeah, I could definitely tell that students were just so tired. You know, like I've never had not that they were trying to do the bare minimum because they're I did it, I taught a research class and their research projects were great.

Maddy McGlone: What was the class?

Abigail Lewis: So I taught a research methods class on visual culture in the Holocaust.

Maddy McGlone: Okay, cool.

Abigail Lewis: So they were like super engaged with their their own research and but in the in the past, I've had them kind of do online projects and had them interact with each other more often. And I could just tell that that was not going to happen. Yeah, showing up and doing the work and not putting not not that, they weren't putting extra in there, just wasn't the same level of excitement and I had a I had a lot of one-on-one meetings with them and which we were just like very honest about you know, students are ready to be back on campus. They're tired of taking online classes, especially over the summer. So that's why I'm like so happy and excited to see them all back because I'm sure that's just radically changing their learning experience.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, definitely. Thank you for those thoughts. My last question is, just what do you want people to know about this time? Is there anything else you want to have on the record?

Abigail Lewis: This is always such a hard question. 01:30:00I kind of constantly so, you know, I study World War II and especially like daily life and it's always kind of interesting to in like part of my my own argument in my research. It's just kind of how complicated life was and how hard it is to kind of make moral determinations about people's actions and even just the inconsistencies of like what people do on a daily basis. And how everything is always changing and I kind of, and this is not the same at all. But I definitely get a sense of just how complicated is like living at these kind of, like, an extraordinary time or at kind of a moment of crisis where you don't know what things are going to look like next month, you know, like we can't even really predict what the fall is going to look like. And you kind of just have to take everything, you know one day at a time and, you know, make the best decisions that you think you can so that's been something. I've been thinking a lot about just being able to relate in some way to my research.

Maddy McGlone: Yeah, thank you. Okay. So those were all the questions I had prepared. Is there anything else you want to add?

Abigail Lewis: I think that's it.

Maddy McGlone: Okay, cool. Then I just have to ask is it okay for us to you know, add this to the other release form. We had in release it on the same timeline. Yeah. Okay cool. Then that is all thank you so much. I'll stop the recording now, okay.