The Pacific Region: The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures

by Jan Goggans (Editor), Aaron DiFranco (Editor)

Overview

Robert Penn Warren once wrote West is where we all plan to go some day, and indeed, images of the westernmost United States provide a mythic horizon to American cultural landscape. While the five states (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawai'i) which touch Pacific waters do share commonalities within the history of westward expansion, the peoples who settled the region—and the indigenous peoples they encountered—have created spheres of culture that defy simple categorization. This wide-ranging reference volume explores the marvelously eclectic cultures that define the Pacific region. From the music and fashion of the Pacific northwest to the film industry and surfing subcultures of southern California, from the vast expanses of the Alaskan wilderness to the schisms between native and tourist culture in Hawa'ii, this unprecedented reference provides a detailed and fascinating look at American regionalism along the Pacific Rim.

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures is the first rigorous reference collection on the many ways in which American identity has been defined by its regions and its people. Each of its eight regional volumes presents thoroughly researched narrative chapters on Architecture; Art; Ecology & Environment; Ethnicity; Fashion; Film & Theater; Folklore; Food; Language; Literature; Music; Religion; and Sports & Recreation. Each book also includes a volume-specific introduction, as well as a series foreword by noted regional scholar and former National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William Ferris, who served as consulting editor for this encyclopedia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313330438
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	12/30/2004
Series:	The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	504
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author

JAN GOGGANS

AARON DIFRANCO serves as Program Officer for the Pacific Regional Humanities Center at the University of California, Davis. He is completing his Ph.D. research in the U.C. Davis English Department, where he specializes in 20th century poetry, environmental criticism, and bioregionalist culture. He has published several pieces on American nature poets, including an article on Gary Snyder's poetics.

Table of Contents

Foreword by William Ferris

Preface

Introduction by Jan Goggans with Aaron DiFranco

Architecture by Julie Nicoletta, Merry Ovnick, and Spencer Leineweber

Art by Linda Noveroske Rentner and Janet L. Steinbright

Ecology and Environment by M. Kathryn Davis

Ethnicity by Aaron DiFranco and Kella de Castro Svetich

Fashion by Susan B. Kaiser and Linda B. Arthur

Film and Theater by Georges Van Den Abbeele, John T. Caldwell, Jan Goggans, and Jeff Purdue

Folklore by Barre Toelken

Food by Kimberly D. Nettles, Melissa Salazar, and Alice McLean

Language by Kevin Donald, Ritsuko Kikusawa, Karen Gaul, and Gary Holton

Literature by Jack Hicks, Michael Kowalewski, and Chris J. Sindt

Music by Pauline Tuttle, Valerie Samson, Sydney Hutchinson, Rob Kirkpattick, and Jan Goggans

Religion by Jeremy Bonner, Vivian Deno, and Aaron DiFranco

Sports and Recreation by Mont Christopher Hubbard, Andrea Ross, and Patrick Moser

Timeline

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Editors and Contributors