Cartographic Dramas & the Politics of Place

Welcome to Deep Dives and Drafts! If you're new, please check out our group page to learn more about us here.

This month, we’re charting new territory (literally) with a deep dive into cartography and all the drama it’s created.

From colonial explorers naming lands that weren’t theirs, to Google quietly adjusting borders depending on who’s searching, maps have always been tools of both knowledge and control.

Themes we might explore:

• History & Empire: How cartography shaped colonial expansion, from “discoveries” to renaming and redrawing the world.
• Maps as Power: Borders that fueled conflict, U.S. boundary oddities, gerrymandering, redlining, and propaganda maps.
• Science & Discovery: From John Snow’s cholera map to ocean-floor surveys, satellites, and LiDAR. History of cartography and its future.
• Critical/Counter-Mapping: Restoring Indigenous geographies and mapping from community perspectives.

Expect some juicy map drama alongside deeper conversations about who draws the world — and what that means for the rest of us.

Suggested resources to spark conversation:

Online Article/Reference:

• Cornell: Persuasive Cartography Map Collection (link)
• This is Not an Atlas (FREE ebook) (link)

Documentaries:

• This is Not an Atlas (2020, mini-doc from a group of “Counter-Cartographists”) link
• How the States Got Their Shapes (Prime Link) *Thanks Kevin F!
• Maps: Power, Plunder & Possession (2011, televised mini-series) Episode 1

Podcasts:

• Stuff You Should Know: How Maps Work Link
• What is Critical Cartography? A Conversation with Dr. Annette Kim Link
• Miguel Álvarez: A Cartographer’s Tale Geomob Link
• Exploring The Library of Lost Maps: Geographical Thinking from Esri Canada Link

Books:

• Atlas of The Invisible by James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti
• All Mapped Out: How Maps Shape Us by Mike Duggan
• How to Lie with Maps, Third Edition by Mark Monmonier
• Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place) by Tim Marshall

Please let me know of any podcasts, docs, books, etc that you'd like me to list here!

How does this group work?
Each month we will select a topic to explore. The meetup will be anchored by a set of recommended readings, podcasts, or other media intended to provide theoretical context and a foundation for discourse. Our aim is to foster intellectual engagement, thoughtful dialogue, and collective learning.
Meetups will be in public spaces (bars) where folks can order beverages if they wish.