Monsters highlight both the positives and negatives in any society, and as such, require the reader to open ones mind and accept that the history taught in history books may not be the truth. What would be made of the differences of the heavy, utilitarian coffee cups of the 1940s compared to the cups featuring Gary Larson cartoons so popular in the 1990s? A monster, in most cases, is something that challenges human morality or customs, or rather, a single group of people's moralities. InMonsters in America,Scott Poole asks these thought-provoking questions while traveling through American history following the evolution of the monster over time. Highly recommended." Jenn's Bookshelves "In Monsters in America, Scott Poole expertly weaves together folklore, media studies, and some of the more disturbing moments in American history to remind us of the vital roles monsters play in our culture. This well-written and thought provoking book examines what scares us and what monsters in popular entertainment have to say about our fears and values in society. For me, there are intertwined. He is also author of a number of books, including most recently How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church (Brazos Press, 2019). They Poole offers an insight on America's fascination with monsters. Wendell Berry Poems Seven of Our Favorites! Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. This item: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting by W. Scott Poole Paperback $34.99 The Monster Theory Reader by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock Paperback $45.11 On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears by Stephen T. Asma Paperback $28.95 What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Jos Delgado, an employee of the drugstore, tells how he found Mr. Nesbitts body and noticed that cash and cigarettes were missing. I am fiercely passionate about two things: History and Monsters. That's What She Read by You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. BUY . Not only is it written in a fun, easy to relate to voice, but it is also chock full of info. is lively and entertaining throughout. Hardback: Baylor University Press, 2011. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Sawicki states that he believes in Steves honesty as a filmmaker and as a person. I found it informative, fascinating, thought-provoking and well-written. Monsters in America does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. OBrien gathers her papers and moves away, leaving Steve standing with outstretched arms. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Go to BN.com to get your copy of these helpful resources. Amazon has encountered an error. An unexpected guilty pleasure! Best Johnny Cash Books Biographies and More! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Lewis Biography (And Other Biographies /Companion Guides)! Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. She identifies James King as being one of the two young men. However, this book was not only as easy read, but incredibly enlightening, eye-opening, and thrilling. Discount, Discount Code The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. SparkNotes PLUS Steve records suicidal thoughts and violent prison incidents. Call me crazy, but I don't think a historian's role ought to be the reaffirmation of modern feelings of superiority over everyone else who has ever lived. All opinions expressed are uniquely my own. Name: Kim Hoan Tran Dr. Che 07/08/2019 Summary Paper Summary of Monstrous Beginning In Monster in America written by W. Scott Poole, especially the chapter called "Monstrous Beginnings". It's rarely happy news being reported. Victor sees the monster's point of view and agrees to create a mate for the monster. Separated by significant eras in American history, a reader gets a clear picture of how the definition of a monster changes depending on the cultural and political events of an era. In Monsters in America, Scott Poole expertly weaves together folklore, media studies, and some of the more disturbing moments in American history to remind us of the vital roles monsters play in our culture. Enter your email address to subscribe to That's What She Read and receive notifications of new posts by email. When social conservatives oppose something, like - say -. Buy now: [ Amazon ] [ Kindle ]. Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. Freedman, Jonathan. Another witness testifies that King is left-handed. Frankenstein (1931) happens when somebody tries to make a more perfect human. Not only do they continue to live in our midst, but, as historian Scott Poole shows, these monsters are an important part of our pasta hideous obsession America cannot seem to escape.Pooles central argument in Monsters in America is that monster tales intertwine with Americas troubled history of racism, politics, class struggle, and gender inequality. IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. The new edition extends this analysis to shed light on some of the darker developments in recent American political culture. Please wait while we process your payment. Alien invasions prompt the authors apt comment, The otherness of the monster can embody the sum of all fears but also an escape from fear (131). Students will maintain a list of unfamiliar words they come across in the chapter. Bloodshed and hatred are universals in human nature and Pooles book is a very unsettling history of its American manifestation. Hes never less than canny on the pop culture angle: Dracula and Frankenstein are almost everywhere in the book, his insights into the fear of zombies are sharp, the comparison of Patrick Bateman and Dexter Morgan is inspired, and the analysis of fifties icons like Vampira and the Addams family are very good. Free trial is available to new customers only. At the very end, Poole implies that for what has gone before, it could very well get worse. damn good primer on monsters in America. I heard the author on Coast to Coast, and even though he had that dry, flat Midwestern accent (sort of like Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz") I knew I had to get the book. Excellent examination of horror movies evolution through the years and also how societal happenings influence the movies at the time they are made. Sabbath Books Best Reads for Christians on Rest and Sabbath! Monsters in America Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. Please wait while we process your payment. The old newspaper adage still holds true today. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Monstrosities exist in us and therefore they are all around us. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Insightful and brilliant! The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. She continues to assert that Steve served as the lookout for the robbery and is as guilty as the others. Thoughts on books, family, and life in one impressive package. It is not just about film and fiction, but the cultural events that mirrored the works on the screen and in our nightmares. View all He also makes notes about his movie and about details he observes in court. Poole has set the bar ridiculously high for any future research exploring the locus of historical and cultural studies, particularly as it pertains to the horrific. Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, as well as the seeming ubiquity of the monsters of our past and probable future. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Lovecraft_. All content is original and cannot be copied without permission. It is lively and engaging and well researched. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. It is an alternative view of history through something that is not necessarily studied in such depth and over such a long period of time. A lot of people gave it poor reviews, maybe because they didn't like what the author plainly demonstrated, that the real monsters in America are the Americans, mainly the white Americans. (one code per order). What becomes disturbingly apparent is that most of Americas hatred of the Other is based in Christian religious belief. Christopher Columbus came to the Americas searching for gold, slaves, and monsters. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers. The opening chapter introduces several motifs that will be present throughout the story. Author: W. Scott Poole Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books ): "Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. These monsters are created by multiple aspects of society and give meaning to the culture as well. does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. His new book, forthcoming this fall and available for pre-order, is _Wasteland: The Great War and the Roots of Modern Horror_. Often fascinating attempt to look at monsters through the lens of American history, Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2011. It is not a book on actual monsters but how Americans find monsters in different eras on social constructs. Please try again. Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning in American history. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. This was a great concept, but I struggled to even make it through the introduction. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Please use a different way to share. She tells the jury that James King and Steve Harmon, along with two other criminals, robbed a drugstore. Lovecraft in print. Whats worse is how these monster images exist even until today. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers. Whether your interest is literature, American history, popular culture, race and ethnicity, women's studies, or religion, you would be happy reading this book. She asks the jury to recall how Steve conducted himself on the witness stand and to compare Steve with Sal Zinzi, Bobo Evans, and Osvaldo Cruz before they decide who is believable. Other times Poole relies too heavily on social interpreters for his connections. James King has his own lawyer, Asa Briggs. Monsters, he says, are "cultural constructions of the terrible that define what it is we subconsciously fear and what it is we're told to hate or love.". Salvatore Zinzi, a prisoner at the Rikers Island jail, testifies that another prisoner, Wendell Bolden, told him about the drugstore robbery. Contact us "Rue Morgue" magazine called it "the best biography of H.P. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. I'm just saying that throughout the country's history, there have been some pretty dark times. It is super nasty, and blood ends up everywhere. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past. In fact, perhaps our own beliefs about monsters and their intractable nature help to produce the monsters we fear the most., I've had a question for a long time. In "Monstrous beginnings," the introductory chapter of "Monsters in America: Our Historical, Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting" by W. Scott Poole, the author makes an argument, about how monsters were not only used as entertainment, but were also used as an excuse to, justify the offenses done to the Native Americans as well as the slaves brought from Africa by, the European settlers. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. After a minute elapses from the time David, Billy and Brent enter the store, a man, Jeff Miller, a local townsperson, flies into the market, bloodied and frantic. for a customized plan. Here's where you'll find important quotesfrom Monsterand explanations of them. Highly recommended for horror or monster fans with an interest in American history; slightly less so for American history buffs with a hobby in monster entertainments. "Monsters in America" is a work that touches on the many facets of Horror in America. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014). If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Baylor Univ, $29.95 (296p) ISBN 978-1-60258-314-6 From 19th century sea serpents to our current obsession with vampires and zombies, history professor Poole (Satan in America) plots America's. He decides to make a movie about his experience. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Renews March 11, 2023 Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. Discount, Discount Code Would that Poole could have written a chapter on one of the liberal American horror shows: 50 million babies slaughtered through this countrys abortion industry. (Gary Laderman, Professor of American Religious History and Cultures, Emory University), (J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion). Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Harmon explains that in his cell. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Youve successfully purchased a group discount. This isnt a book for the squeamish as Poole details how a horror film like Candyman is based in fact to a great deal. Dont have an account? Pooles excoriation of one homogenous grouping belies the essence of the problem which is our human nature. I think that what makes the book riveting is that despite the particular social factors and grisly historical events, the book is about the Other in media. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. Wed love to have you back! Want 100 or more? Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. Twelve Important Theology Books of 2020!!! Thoughts: What makes a monster a monster? Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2012. The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. Steve also states that he was not at the drugstore on the day of the crime but was walking around thinking about his movie. Definitely would recommend it as a quick read and dive into monster history, as well as a great resource to find other books the author recommends to look into more! I love ghost stories and folklore because they reveal an aspect of history and popular thinking in an entertaining way. Perhaps monsters are made in our society more purposefully than we realize. It was just way too "all over the place" for me. At times in the book a movie director is taken at his word, the reason for his film given authorial intent. 20% It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. However, this book was FABULOUS! The book is rich in history, pop culture references, and analysis. Howard Thurman Books An Introductory Reading Guide. [Pooles] book is sufficiently clear and engaging for general readers to enjoy and would make a worthwhile addition to undergraduate course in American history or culture. He rightly frets over our technology which ineffectively obscures the divine and so Americans create vampire stories which take Gods place (59): Americans are still attempting to apprehend mystery in the midst of supernatural confusion (11). Best Bob Dylan Books Biographies, Lyrics, and More! John Wesley Sermons - The 7 Best Sermons from the Founder of Methodism. This is an important book that Id recommend very highly. Consulting newspaper accounts, archival materials, personal papers, comic books, films, and oral histories, Poole adroitly illustrates how the creation of the monstrous"other"not only reflects society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts.Monsters in America is now online at www.monstersinamerica.com. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. Academic, yet very accessible, I was fascinated by this book, and it holds a very special distinction as the only book I was required to buy for a college class that has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf now that the class is over. Study Guides, Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. She explains that some jurors have decided against him just because he is young and Black, so Steve has to make the jury see him as different from the other defendants. Monster in America is a literature book by W. Scott Poole. Not only is America guilty of creating its own horrors, failure to acknowledge monsters also creates them (23). Dorothy Sayers Where to Start with her Mystery Novels? I hoped to expand my interaction in the genre, albeit from an American point of view. The author explores American History and how people's fears and reactions to changes in society both affected and were affected by monsters in print and film. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Before you get all "He's Anti-American!" Please try again. The Best C.S. In the follow-up to his first book, Satan in America, Poole has now turned his attention to the monsters that inhabit American cinema and American imaginations. 1945-1960 2.) He tells his story through handwritten notes and a typewritten screenplay. From 19th century sea serpents to our current Publishers Weekly session with vampires and zombies, Poole plots America's past through its fears in this intriguing sociocultural history. Contact us Dallas Willard Books Seven Essential Titles to Read! Instead it's more about the social function of the monsterous and why people believe what they believe and how different folkloric monsters became popular at different times in history. for a group? In 2009, Poole published _Satan in America: The Devil We Know__ (Rowman and Littlefield), a cultural history of the image of Satan in American religion, history and popular culture. (And as someone who lives with a history PhD and who briefly pursued graduate studies in history myself, I like to believe that I know from whence I speak.) Copyright 2023 That's What She Read. But he also shows that the monstrous can be sympathetic, that it can also be used by the oppressed to speak back to the mainstream. Sophfronia Scott - The Seeker and the Monk [Review], James Atwood - Collateral Damage - Brief Review, Emily M.D. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. Picked up on a whim, I certainly got the expected analysis of horror movies as a way for Americans to understand and react to their culture, but the author also makes the (very strong and well supported) argument that far from being a way to understand the world around us, monsters are also used by those in power to crush those without under their heel while also ignoring and excusing the fact that they're doing so. I wasn't ready for the overtly sociological approach of the book, and was expecting a history, as alluded to in the title of the book. Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis, a Full Book Summary, or Full Book Analysis of Monster. by Michelle | Nov 30, 2011 | Books Read in 2011, P Author | 0 comments, Title: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting, Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston, where he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. The image freezes as the screenplay ends. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for anyone who wants to understand the dark roots of America culture." Steves lawyer, Kathy OBrien, urges Steve to take his situation seriously because this crime could put him in jail for twenty years or more. Highly recommended. Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. He decides to make a movie about his experience. Reprinted by permission. The Monthly Kindle Ebook Sale March 2023, 5 Essential Ebook Deals for Church Leaders 23 February 2023, 5 Essential Ebook Deals for Church Leaders 16 February 2023, Rumi Poems Eight of Our Favorites by the Sufi Mystic, Walt Whitman Poems 8 of our Favorites from Leaves of Grass, Alexander Pushkin Five Poems by the Russian Poet, Against Christian Nationalism: Essential Books [A Reading Guide]. 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Subscribe now. But a third interpretive option exists. Associated with war, cleverness, and wit, it is no surprise that she favors Odysseus. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. Books About Race in America; Coretta Scott . Pooles bibliography is an additional treat as it includes many excellent books for further reading or study - "1973 Nervous Breakdown: Watergate, Warhol, and the Birth of Post-Sixties America" and "Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen" were two titles that jumped out at me thats so full that one could even write their own treatment on the subject. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers, new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. Best Leonard Cohen Books Biographies and Books by the Songwriter. After readingMonsters in America, a reader will view monsters in a completely different light. History is horror. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile Poole walks readers through the American history of monsters, matching horror trends to American epochs, where it turns out our sociopolitical climate influences the monsters we laud and follow in fiction, film, and the media. Unfortunately, however, the writing just reads as super amateurish and unnatural--to the point where your brain feels exhausted after slogging through only a couple pages. For him, this place is the opposite of realhe has to do everything in front of strangers. The jury returns verdicts of guilty for James King and not guilty for Steve Harmon. The guards take the bleeding dude away. Evil brutes exist inside and outside American neighborhoods. It is a frightening world we live in, yet the horrific things in our literature and culture play a vital part in helping us reach some understanding, and even some peace about them. What is it that rumbles in the American unconscious that relates to the figures we see on the screen. While I appreciate and agree with his argument that monsters are "real" because their effects on history / on people's lives have been real, I dislike his assumption that people in the past were the obvious victims of prejudice and misplaced fear and that they were not insightful or intelligent enough to realize what they were truly afraid of. The book takes you from the trenches at Ypres to the backlots of Universal Studios and introduces you to the artists, writers, and directors who shaped the world of horror we know today from their own encounter with the carnage of the Great War. Not only do they continue to live in our midst, but, as historian Scott Poole shows, these monsters are an important part of our pasta hideous obsession America cannot seem to escape. Hades Roman name: Pluto. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for . A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

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