Winnebago Nation

The RV in American Culture

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Popular Culture, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Winnebago Nation by James B. Twitchell, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: James B. Twitchell ISBN: 9780231537650
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: April 8, 2014
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: James B. Twitchell
ISBN: 9780231537650
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: April 8, 2014
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

In Winnebago Nation, popular critic James B. Twitchell takes a light-hearted look at the culture and industry behind the yearning to spend the night in one's car. For the young the roadtrip is a coming-of-age ceremony; for those later in life it is the realization of a lifelong desire to be spontaneous, nomadic, and free. Informed by his own experiences on the road, Twitchell recounts the RV's origins and evolution over the twentieth century; its rise, fall, and rebirth as a cultural icon; its growing mechanical complexity as it evolved from an estate wagon to a converted bus to a mobile home; and its role in bolstering and challenging conceptions of American identity.

Mechanical yet dreamy, independent yet needful, solitary yet clubby, adventurous yet homebound, life in a mobile home is a distillation of the American character and an important embodiment of American exceptionalism, (Richie Rich and Hobo Hank spend time in essentially the same rig at the same campground, albeit for different reasons and in different levels of comfort.) The frontier may be tapped out but we still yearn for the exploratory life. Twitchell concludes with his thoughts on the future of RV communities and the possibility of mobile cities becoming a real part of the American landscape.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In Winnebago Nation, popular critic James B. Twitchell takes a light-hearted look at the culture and industry behind the yearning to spend the night in one's car. For the young the roadtrip is a coming-of-age ceremony; for those later in life it is the realization of a lifelong desire to be spontaneous, nomadic, and free. Informed by his own experiences on the road, Twitchell recounts the RV's origins and evolution over the twentieth century; its rise, fall, and rebirth as a cultural icon; its growing mechanical complexity as it evolved from an estate wagon to a converted bus to a mobile home; and its role in bolstering and challenging conceptions of American identity.

Mechanical yet dreamy, independent yet needful, solitary yet clubby, adventurous yet homebound, life in a mobile home is a distillation of the American character and an important embodiment of American exceptionalism, (Richie Rich and Hobo Hank spend time in essentially the same rig at the same campground, albeit for different reasons and in different levels of comfort.) The frontier may be tapped out but we still yearn for the exploratory life. Twitchell concludes with his thoughts on the future of RV communities and the possibility of mobile cities becoming a real part of the American landscape.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Debating Race, Ethnicity, and Latino Identity by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Encountering Religion by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Families of Virtue by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book The Teachings of Master Wuzhu by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book A Śabda Reader by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Avant-garde by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Wrestling with the Muse by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Mission Revolution by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Poetic Machinations by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Love Letters from Golok by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book An Outline of a Theory of Civilization by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book George Gallup in Hollywood by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book The Aesthetics of Everyday Life by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book For Nirvana by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks by James B. Twitchell
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy