Author Archives: Sam Bisno

If I spent my first four months in Belfast doing everything I could to learn its layout, customs, and history, I’ve spent the last three attempting to translate that knowledge—admittedly still limited, but growing—to other American outsiders. In January, my … Continue reading →

I knew I wanted to study in Ireland when I learned of Frederick Douglass’s visit here in 1845–46. A student of Civil War–era U.S. history, I had read about events like the New York City draft riots of 1863, a … Continue reading →

My semifinalist interview for the Mitchell Scholarship took place on October 30, 2023, less than a month after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War. Unsurprisingly, the conflict was one of the topics we discussed. Given the political context of the … Continue reading →