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Saturday, August 2, 2014

August 2-3, 2014: July 2014 Recap

[A recap of the month that was in AmericanStudying.]
June 30: American Mythbusters: The Pledge of Allegiance: A July 4th series on busting national myths starts with things we get wrong about the Pledge.
July 1: American Mythbusters: The Statue of Liberty: The series continues with what’s right, and what’s wrong, with how we remember Lady Liberty.
July 2: American Mythbusters: Pocahontas: Some of the complex histories and truths behind one of our most mythologized historical figures, as the series continues.
July 3: American Mythbusters: Rosa Parks: The good, better, and best ways to remember an iconic, mythic woman and moment.
July 4: American Mythbusters: George Washington: The series concludes with three of the most common myths about the Father of Our Country.
July 5-6: American Mythbusters: 4th of July Special: But wait, the series is extended with a special holiday post on the letters that reveal the myths and truths of our national birthday.
July 7: ALA Follow Ups: Contemporary Literature and Culture: A series following up May’s ALA conference starts with the three great speakers on the panel I chaired.
July 8: ALA Follow Ups: Rebecca Harding Davis: The series continues with a panel that considered some of the complexities of one of our under-read 19th century authors.
July 9: ALA Follow Ups: Teaching Asian American Literature: Some of my takeaways from a great roundtable discussion, as the series rolls on.
July 10: ALA Follow Ups: Alfred Bendixen: A tribute to the scholar without whom the ALA wouldn’t exist, and the importance of his work.
July 11: ALA Follow Ups: The ALA and the FRC: The series concludes with the jokes, ideals, and realities of an uneasy coincidental juxtaposition.
July 12-13: Crowd-sourcing the ALA: Fellow AmericanStudiers weigh in with their own ALA follow ups and responses—add yours in comments, please!
July 14: American Beaches: Revere Beach: A summertime series starts with three telling stages of one of our most emblematic beaches.
July 15: American Beaches: The Inkwell: The series continues with a few ways to AmericanStudy a unique and iconic beach.
July 16: American Beaches: Gidget and The Beach Boys: What we can make of a striking early 1960s fad, as the series rolls on.
July 17: American Beaches: On the Beach: On the under-appreciated classic film that couldn’t compete with historic threats.
July 18: American Beaches: Baywatch: The series concludes with the superficial and silly series that still reveals American narratives and myths.
July 19-20: American Beaches: Jamie Hirami’s Guest Post: My latest Guest Post, from a talented young scholar studying another of our famous beaches.
July 21: American Autobiographers: John Woolman: A series on autographical writings and voices starts with the 18th century chronicler of inspiring wanderings.
July 22: American Autobiographers: Olaudah Equiano: The series continues with the controversial personal narrative that should be required reading whatever its genre.
July 23: American Autobiographers: William Apess: One of the recovered 19th century voices we’re very lucky to be able to hear, as the series rolls on.
July 24: American Autobiographers: Nat Love: On the unique and larger-than-life autobiography that helps us analyze longstanding national myths.
July 25: American Autobiographers: Carlos Bulosan: The series concludes with the 20th century autobiographical novel guaranteed to pull your heartstrings.
July 26-27: Crowd-sourced Autobiographers: My latest crowd-sourced post, with fellow AmericanStudiers highlighting autobiographical works—share your thoughts in comments!
July 28: Uncles and Aunts: Uncle Remus: A series inspired by my sister’s birthday opens with the folktale uncle who is propaganda and yet something more.
July 29: Uncles and Aunts: Aunt Jemima: The series continues with the worst and best of a caricatured commercial character.
July 30: Uncles and Aunts: Uncle Buck: The film character who helps us analyze narratives of lovable but  troubled funny men, as the series rolls on.
July 31: Uncles and Aunts: Binx’s Aunt Emily: On a fictional character who embodies but also challenges a sexist stereotype.
August 1: Uncles and Aunts: Uncle Elephant: The series concludes with the children’s book that’s as sad and as joyous as life itself.
Next series starts Monday,
Ben
PS. Topics or themes you’d like to see covered in this space? Guest Posts you’d like to contribute? Lemme know, please!

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