Regionalism and the Reading Class

by Griswold, Wendy

• ISBN13: 9780226309224
• ISBN10: 0226309223
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-01
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

Globalization and the Internet are smothering cultural regionalism, that sense of place that flourished in simpler times. These two villains are also prime suspects in the death of reading. Or so alarming reports about our homogenous and dumbed-down culture would have it, but asRegionalism and the Reading Classshows, neither of these claims stands up under scrutinyquite the contrary. Wendy Griswold draws on cases from Italy, Norway, and the United States to show that fans of books form their own reading class, with a distinctive demographic profile separate from the general public. This reading class is modest in size but intense in its literary practices. Paradoxically these educated and mobile elites work hard to put down local roots by, among other strategies, exploring regional writing. Ultimately, due to the technological, economic, and political advantages they wield, cosmopolitan readers are able to celebrate, perpetuate, and reinvigorate local culture. Griswold's study will appeal to students of cultural sociology and the history of the bookand her findings will be welcome news to anyone worried about the future of reading or the eclipse of place.

Author Biography

Wendy Griswold is professor of sociology, comparative literary studies, and English at Northwestern University, and the author of several books including Cultures and Societies in a Changing World and Bearing Witness: Readers, Writers, and the Novel in Nigeria.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Place, Regional Culture, and Regional Literature	p. 3
The Reading Class	p. 36
Cowbirds in America	p. 70
Paradox in Italy	p. 101
State Patronage in Norway and the U.S.	p. 128
Conclusion: The Reading Class and the Future of Regionalism	p. 160
Authors from Survey2000	p. 176
Most Popular Authors Overall and in Nine Regions	p. 180
References	p. 187
Index	p. 203
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.