Cultural Writing. Essays. David Roediger teaches History and African-American Studies at University of Illinois and is a pioneering figure in whiteness studies, a vital branch of thought that explores and elucidates the dynamics of white identity (or non-identity). This book collects shorter essays on a range of radical topics, from meditations on key figures like C.L.R. James and Andre Breton to more topical discussions of football, hip hop, and Bill Clinton's impeachment. "David Roediger is renowned for his brilliant writings on whiteness, but few readers acknowledge what lies at the root of his work: his abiding hatred of all forms of oppression and exploitation. If you didn't know this before, HISTORY AGAINST MISERY ought to make it clear, for Roediger has put together a powerful collection of rants and chants against miserabilism, and a surrealist road map to liberated futures. This is one of those books we must keep close to us as we struggle to overthrow misery once and for all"-Robin D. G. Kelley.