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Subscribe now. 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. Monsters in America is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. Mr. Pooles evidence is as intriguing as it is informative. Social commentary may drive sub-text but money drives the movie. We've quickly looked at a wide variety of Native Cultures across the Americas. Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. 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. ", In 2014 he published _Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror_ that looked at the life of 1950s horror host Maila Nurmi (a.k.a. The tendency to view American monsters as primarily psychological archetypes ignores how closely they have reflected actual historical events and actual historical victims.". (Greg Garrett, Faithful Citizenship blogger and author of, One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter, (John David Smith, Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte), W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston. Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. 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. Analysis The monster tells Victor:"You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being." Victor refuses and then later relents to the monster's wishes. An excellent history of the American obsession with monsters, Poole analyzes our religious and nationalist beliefs to see how we have dealt with the Other in our long, horrifying existence as a nation. Henri Nouwen Books An Introductory Reading Guide. I suppose history could be read into just about any object. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! (Gary Laderman, Professor of American Religious History and Cultures, Emory University), (J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion). In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. I appreciated that in this second edition he shows how our language of the monstrous has played a role in instances like the police shootings of unarmed black people and how visions of dread play into Donald Trump's rhetoric. Thoughts: What makes a monster a monster? 1960-1980 3. For Professors: Exam Copies. If you will, a shining city on hill built on the bodies of natives, blacks, women, and anyone else we dont like very much. Available Its cohesive, cursory, and has a smattering of typos. Poole seeks to undermine myths of American exceptionalism by locating monsters that he believes exist outside our psyche, in history. Lewis Biography (And Other Biographies /Companion Guides)! 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. 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. 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. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America. Jacques Ellul Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Not only that, but Sandra Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, is a very good lawyer. I hated this book. What I discovered is that Poole should have written two books: his perspective on American history, another on monsters. The book won the John Cawelti prize from the Popular Culture Association for the best book published in pop culture history for 2011. ! His transitions from movie metaphors to American social ills are often strained if not unconvincing. But honestly, most folks go to horror films for what they would say is the hell of it. Some people enjoy being scared, period. Michelle Shannon is licensed under a The pages are littered with characterizations which demonize only a conservative set of ideas. Insightful and brilliant! Sabbath Books Best Reads for Christians on Rest and Sabbath! Hades Roman name: Pluto. Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2012. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. He tells his story through handwritten notes and a typewritten screenplay. Other times Poole relies too heavily on social interpreters for his connections. 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. OBrien follows and reminds the jury that the State has not proved any of its charges against Steve. Dont have an account? In a nutshell, monsters for Poole are metaphors / stand-ins for whoever is loathed or feared in a certain historical context. American history comes at us dripping with gore, victims lying scattered on the ground, eldritch moonlight revealing creeping horrors you never learned from your eighth grade history textbook. In the end, though, I could easily see assigning parts of this book to undergraduates. Spring 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! I'm just saying that throughout the country's history, there have been some pretty dark times. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for anyone who wants to understand the dark roots of America culture." Briggs presents his defense of King. 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. Please wait while we process your payment. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2017. Fall 2022 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! damn good primer on monsters in America. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Through the two and a half weeks I took with this book, I have been citing it in conversation. At the very end, Poole implies that for what has gone before, it could very well get worse. Monsters in America. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Another witness testifies that King is left-handed. I found it to be a perfect model for critical thinking about the social representations of various popular monsters, and the book led to wonderful class discussions. I took copious notes in the margins, and will be using this book frequently as I continue to work on my own YA horror fiction (e.g. Marshall1 Jenna Marshall Prof. Goff Writing 1010 12 September 2021 Summary Final In Scott Poole's essay Monsters in America Poole's main claim is that stories of monsters are associated with the troubled history of American history of racism, politics, class prejudice, gender disparity, and how society's fears can be equally showing of our divides. I have an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Powells Books and IndieBound. is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. American history from the past to the present. Monsters in America is W. Scott Poole's interpretive history. 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. Dracula (1931) is based on the fear of foreigners and disease. Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. Reprinted by permission. This book is a wonderful introduction to American history through the lens of monsters. That being said, however, if you are a teacher who needs to get a class full of barely literate college freshmen to understand what it means to read / think about things in historical context, Poole's introduction, "The Bloody chords of Memory," is readable and accessible even for a group of resistant and vaguely engaged (at best) 18 year olds. Friedrich Nietzsche believed we are the monsters. More than mere metaphors, they are creations of human fears and human ignorance. Acknowledgements: Thank you to Kelly Hughes from Dechant-Hughes for my review copy! Poole invites us into an important and enlightening, if disturbing, conversation about the very real monsters that inhabit the dark spaces of America's past. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Wendell Berry Poems Seven of Our Favorites! Wed love to have you back! From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. And I don't have to mention the meaning of all the zombie movies. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. "The American past reads like something of a horror movie, maybe even a low-budget slasher. Component 3: Vocabulary. Monster is a 1999 young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers. We are led to believe that bloody movies portray the sinister seditions of social conservativismthe ultimate grim reaper. Christopher Columbus came to the Americas searching for gold, slaves, and monsters. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Evenhandedness exists in the books last sentence suggesting that liberal visions of social justice could create something worse (228). If you view everything that has happened in the last ten thousand years as an atrocity committed by (American) White Anglo-Saxon Protestant men against the wide-eyed, helpless, innocent (and rather stupid) non-male/non-white world in a concerted race (or gender where convenient) war and stolidly ignore all contrary evidence, the world is full of monsters. The Best C.S. In Monster, Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon's trial. Bram Stoker Award finalist W. Scott Poole is the author of numerous books and articles on monsters and mayhem in popular culture. Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Unless specifically stated in the review, I have purchased all books reviewed. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in. Regardless of the gruesome event, whether it's the Salem Witch Trials back in the 1600s or 9/11 just 10 years ago, one thing remains constant: Americans are obsessed with them. I highly recommend this for fans of the horror genre and anthropology. does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021. Please wait while we process your payment. I had trouble finding a consistent narrative in a book that talked about sea monsters, Bigfoot, Universal Movie Monsters, Freak-shows, and several other topics, and never spending enough time on any of them to feel like I was more informed after reading. Poole suggests monsters are created by America to mask its own monstrosities or monsters exist which interpret American culture. The little monsters who come to our doors for candy at Halloween are small reminders of our large problem. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Sawicki states that he believes in Steves honesty as a filmmaker and as a person. W. Scott Poole, Monsters arrived in 2011and now they are back. They are manifestations of our society. His new book, forthcoming this fall and available for pre-order, is _Wasteland: The Great War and the Roots of Modern Horror_. Indeed, the reader may struggle as I did with the leaps Poole makes between monster movies and American social ills. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. Sex and violence are the recurring themes of the book, but Poole always provides context for why they recur so often. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. He wrote in his journal (one code per order). "Monsters in America" is a work that touches on the many facets of Horror in America. 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. but on the whole, an engaging and thought provoking read. I loved this book. Dorothy Sayers Poems Five of Our Favorites! History is horror. An unexpected guilty pleasure! Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. Sales Date: 2018-07-13. She continues to assert that Steve served as the lookout for the robbery and is as guilty as the others. Get help and learn more about the design. Why are we scared of this person? is always a question behind each chapter and Poole is careful to never reduce it purely to matters of sociology or psychology while still using those tools of analysis. Human beings made him declare "war" by treating him like an enemy. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% We can anticipate either alien salvation or judgment from beyond. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Probably more 3.5 stars. "Angels, Monsters, and Jews: Intersections of Queer and Jewish Identity in Kushner's "Angels in America."" PMLA 113, no. OBrien tells Steve that her job is to make him a human being in the eyes of the jury. 335 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. Insightful and brilliant! The book reflects on the. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Poole agrees telling us early and often You are the main character in this terror-filled little tale (xviii). Poole never assumes a 1-1 metaphor, but he does show how common themes (the reemergence of the vampire at different points in American history, for example) are useful shorthand for working through these anxieties. 20% [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. Sometimes it can end up there. 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! 20% It's a comprehensive look into ghoulish, weird, and woke world--10/10. 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. Monsters refuse to be cordoned off in only one nationality, ethnicity, religion, or political mindset. Frankenstein (1931) happens when somebody tries to make a more perfect human. 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". Twelve Important Theology Books of 2020!!! Poole wants to tell a story and take his readers on a journey, and he definitely does so. I thought this was gonna be about different monsters from American folklore. 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.". on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% 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. It's also a great way of introducing the idea that you can use different lenses/ways of writing to introduce and discuss topics. What is it that rumbles in the American unconscious that relates to the figures we see on the screen. FABULOUS! 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. Poole argues that "Monstrous metaphors in American historical life have a way of becoming realthey are intertwined with attitudes and social structures that make the monster possible. Component 2: Summary. All content is original and cannot be copied without permission. Steve records suicidal thoughts and violent prison incidents. Monsters in America Project. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Title and sub-title encouraged my interest in securing a copy of Monsters in America for review. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Sometimes it can end up there. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. Bloodshed and hatred are universals in human nature and Pooles book is a very unsettling history of its American manifestation. There he teaches courses on monsters, pop culture, and American history. The Monster argues that his murderousness is not his fault. Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014. He reveals how monster stories went west to Sand Creek and Wounded Knee, bringing the preoccupation with monsters into the twentieth century through the American Indian Movement. I also think this could've used a second editor before being published as there are many typos and grammatical errors, as well as a few points that could've used some fact-checking. 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]. Here we not only meet such monsters but also discover America's cultural monstrosity. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. He is the author of several books, including a biography of H.P Lovecraft, which became a Bram Stoker award finalist, and Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror. The old newspaper adage still holds true today. If one would like to get into the spirit of monster mania during Halloween, no better place to begin is with the books that generated monster madness: Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. Evans states that King was his partner in the robbery and that Steve served as the lookout. that Poole have used to describe the events of . However, his interpretations and implications are nothing less than threatening to whatever status quo our authorities would prefer us to maintain. One wishes for a consistency in commentary. Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2012. 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. Stamped on American culture, the phrase brings to mind images of costumes, plastic masks, and parents holding the hands of little monsters as they collect candy calories. He is at home with his parents and his brother Jerry. Fyodor Dostoevsky Download all his Novels as Free Ebooks !!! Simplistic and not incredibly thoughtful, but useful for my purposes, Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012. 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. I found the book interesting and informative, it's brief but gives you just enough to perhaps to look further on your own. C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. The jury returns verdicts of guilty for James King and not guilty for Steve Harmon. For me, there are intertwined. This book is really good, a look at our monsters in a social conceptional way. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 The fear of anything not considered normal or not well-understood e.g. "Sick," published by Abrams/Amulet). Poole's book is fantastic, a terrific look at what makes monsters in film resonate in American culture. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014).