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 Fairbairn’s Object Relations Theory in the Clinical Setting by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book No Return Address by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Internet Literature in China by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Presidential Debates by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Course in General Linguistics by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book A Korean War Captive in Japan, 1597–1600 by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Troublesome Science by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Nuclear North Korea by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book But Enough About Me by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book American Showman by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book When Heroes Love by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book The Fate of Ideas by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Memory, Trauma, and History by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book The Why of Things by James B. Twitchell
Cover of the book Pathologies of Reason 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