POP CULTURE PLACES An Encyclopedia of Places in American Popular Culture
This
three-volume reference set explores the history, relevance, and
significance of pop culture locations in the United States—places that
have captured the imagination of the American people and reflect the
diversity of the nation.
Pop Culture Places: An Encyclopedia of Places in American Popular Culture
serves as a resource for high school and college students as well as
adult readers that contains more than 350 entries on a broad assortment
of popular places in America. Covering places from Ellis Island to
Fisherman's Wharf, the entries reflect the tremendous variety of sites,
historical and modern, emphasizing the immense diversity and historical
development of our nation.
Readers will gain an appreciation of
the historical, social, and cultural impact of each location and better
understand how America has come to be a nation and evolved culturally
through the lens of popular places. Approximately 200 sidebars serve to
highlight interesting facts while images throughout the book depict the
places described in the text. Each entry supplies a brief bibliography
that directs students to print and electronic sources of additional
information.
Features
Enables
readers to perceive how their lives have been influenced by everyday
places in the past, from centuries ago to the modern era
Provides
unique and enlightening insights through a comprehensive overview of
the history, contemporary perspectives, and pop culture influences of
places across America
Spotlights historic locations
central to films, television, music, and daily life to teach students
about American history and culture through topics that interest them
Trailblazing Activists of the Civil Rights Movement
Protest has always been a catalyst for change. It is the cornerstone of
America's own birth. Did not the first immigrants help America take its
first steps upon the road to greatness when they long ago protested
against the oppression of their native government and established new
edicts promoting the ideals of freedom and opportunity? Since the first
African slave was forced to board a ship bound for this continent,
protest has been a major motif in the African American experience. It
was a critical weapon during the raging violence against blacks
following the end of Reconstruction, the Jim Crow years, and against the
grisly conditions in the ghettoes in the North. Throughout history
protest has been used to combat economic and political oppression,
racism, discrimination, and exclusion from mainstream America. Icons of African American Protest
reveals the extraordinary strength, courage, and sacrifice displayed by
individuals for the cause of freedom and civil rights. The 24 leaders
showcased here cover a broad spectrum of descriptors-vibrant, tame,
intense, aggressive, and diffident-and their politics ran the gamut from
conservative to ultra-radical. Nevertheless, whatever techniques,
modes, or tactics employed-such as Thurgood Marshall's legal fights in
the court room, Dr. King's reliance on nonviolent civil disobedience and
direct action, and Huey P. Newton's advocacy for armed
self-defense-they were all, in their time, radicals who strove to
eradicate racism and the climate of exclusion.
This two-volume
reference provides both students and general readers in-depth coverage
of contemporary voices of protest, supplemented by sidebars on major
turning points, freedom songs, and important symbols, such as the
clenched fist of the Black Power Movement. Also included are a timeline
of key events, historical documents, a glossary, and a thorough
bibliography of print and electronic resources to encourage further
research.
"Knight brings to life the work, thoughts, and contributions of 24
trailblazing activists. Their life stories, told in great detail, provide
readers with new insight on the achievements and experiences of each icon. This work, aimed primarily at high school students and general
readers, would be a good addition to public and high school library
collections lacking book length biographies on these civil rights
activists. Lower-level undergraduate students may find this work of
value as a basic introduction to important figures of the twentieth-
century civil rights movement." –ARBA
A Guide to Women in Comics, Video Games, Film, and Television
This
book offers 25 profiles of some of the most popular female action
heroes throughout the history of film, television, comic books, and
video games.
Female action
heroes, like other fictional characters, not only reveal a lot about
society, but greatly influence individuals in society. It is no surprise
that the gradual development and increase in the number of female
action heroes coincides with societal changes and social movements, such
as feminism. Nor is it a surprise that characteristics of female action
heroes echo the progressive toughening of women and young girls in the
media.
Female Action Heroes: A Guide to Women in Comics, Video Games, Film, and Television
brings to the forefront the historical representation of women and
girls in film, television, comic books, and video games. The book
includes profiles of 25 of the most popular female action heroes,
arranged in alphabetical order for easy reference. Each chapter includes
sections on the hero's origins, her power suit, weapons, abilities, and
the villains with whom she grapples. Most significantly, each profile
offers an analysis of the hero's story—and her impact on popular
culture.
Features
Comprises 25 profiles, arranged alphabetically
70 sidebars provide additional information on pertinent topics, individuals, and symbols
Includes
a chronology of major appearances of the 25 female action heroes in
film, television, comic books, and video games, as well as women's
fashion trends and major events in women's history
Offers a photograph of each featured, female action hero
Presents
a glossary of 39 terms, including female archetypes like "femme fatale"
and social movements like "third-wave feminism"
Provides
a selected bibliography of books and Internet sites related to the
topics of female action heroes, women's history, and media studies
Highlights
Looks at female action heroes who have had the most impact on popular culture
Covers the development and growing popularity of female action heroes in America's most influential media forms
Examines
changing trends and perceptions of gender roles in history and the
media, offering a comprehensive look at the creators and the social
forces that influenced female action heroes
Provides information on historic female action heroes and on important issues and figures in women's history
"This is the first work to cover strong women characters in media
since Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular
Culture (Palgrave Macmillian, 2004). Its broad appeal makes it a
good fit for public, school, and academic libraries and for anyone
interested in gender roles and the historical time line of female
toughness." —Library Journal
***
"The writing is engaging; the content is accurate and makes good
reading. A fun addition to reference collections from high school and
up." —Booklist
