Hell of a Vision: Regionalism and the Modern American West (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780816528509)

The American West has taken on a rich and evocative array of regional identities since the late nineteenth century. Wilderness wonderland, Hispanic borderland, homesteader's frontier, cattle kingdom, urban dynamo, Native American homeland. Hell of a Vision explores the evolution of these diverse identities during the twentieth century, revealing how Western regionalism has been defined by generations of people seeking to understand the West's vast landscapes and varied cultures.

Focusing on the American West from the 1890s up to the present, Dorman provides us with a wide-ranging view of the impact of regionalist ideas in pop culture and diverse fields such as geography, land-use planning, anthropology, journalism, and environmental policy-making.

Going well beyond the realm of literature, Dorman broadens the discussion by examining a unique mix of texts. He looks at major novelists such as Cather, Steinbeck, and Stegner, as well as leading Native American writers. But he also analyzes a variety of nonliterary sources in his book, such as government reports, planning documents, and environmental impact studies.

Hell of a Vision is a compelling journey through the modern history of the American West--a key region in the nation of regions known as the United States.

Author: Robert L. Dorman
ISBN-10: 0816528500
ISBN-13: 9780816528509
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Language: English
Published: 10/11/2012
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 1.00d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 04/01/2013