Back Talk from Appalachia

Confronting Stereotypes

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, State & Local, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Anthropology
Cover of the book Back Talk from Appalachia by , The University Press of Kentucky
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9780813143347
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky Publication: February 27, 2013
Imprint: The University Press of Kentucky Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9780813143347
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
Publication: February 27, 2013
Imprint: The University Press of Kentucky
Language: English

Appalachia has long been stereotyped as a region of feuds, moonshine stills, mine wars, environmental destruction, joblessness, and hopelessness. Robert Schenkkan's 1992 Pulitzer-Prize winning play The Kentucky Cycle once again adopted these stereotypes, recasting the American myth as a story of repeated failure and poverty--the failure of the American spirit and the poverty of the American soul. Dismayed by national critics' lack of attention to the negative depictions of mountain people in the play, a group of Appalachian scholars rallied against the stereotypical representations of the region's people. In Back Talk from Appalachia, these writers talk back to the American mainstream, confronting head-on those who view their home region one-dimensionally. The essays, written by historians, literary scholars, sociologists, creative writers, and activists, provide a variety of responses. Some examine the sources of Appalachian mythology in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature. Others reveal personal experiences and examples of grassroots activism that confound and contradict accepted images of ""hillbillies."" The volume ends with a series of critiques aimed directly at The Kentucky Cycle and similar contemporary works that highlight the sociological, political, and cultural assumptions about Appalachia fueling today's false stereotypes.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Appalachia has long been stereotyped as a region of feuds, moonshine stills, mine wars, environmental destruction, joblessness, and hopelessness. Robert Schenkkan's 1992 Pulitzer-Prize winning play The Kentucky Cycle once again adopted these stereotypes, recasting the American myth as a story of repeated failure and poverty--the failure of the American spirit and the poverty of the American soul. Dismayed by national critics' lack of attention to the negative depictions of mountain people in the play, a group of Appalachian scholars rallied against the stereotypical representations of the region's people. In Back Talk from Appalachia, these writers talk back to the American mainstream, confronting head-on those who view their home region one-dimensionally. The essays, written by historians, literary scholars, sociologists, creative writers, and activists, provide a variety of responses. Some examine the sources of Appalachian mythology in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature. Others reveal personal experiences and examples of grassroots activism that confound and contradict accepted images of ""hillbillies."" The volume ends with a series of critiques aimed directly at The Kentucky Cycle and similar contemporary works that highlight the sociological, political, and cultural assumptions about Appalachia fueling today's false stereotypes.

More books from The University Press of Kentucky

Cover of the book Dying to Eat by
Cover of the book Uneven Ground by
Cover of the book Mountains on the Market by
Cover of the book A Political Companion to Walker Percy by
Cover of the book Return to Nature? by
Cover of the book Frog Pond Philosophy by
Cover of the book Sporty Creek by
Cover of the book Madeline McDowell Breckinridge and the Battle for a New South by
Cover of the book Enemies to Allies by
Cover of the book The Complete Guide to Kentucky State Parks by
Cover of the book What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career by
Cover of the book Thunder of Freedom by
Cover of the book Jefferson Davis Gets His Citizenship Back by
Cover of the book Ida Lupino by
Cover of the book The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy