About the book
From Storyville brothels and narratives of turn-of-the-century New Orleans to plantation tours, Bette Davis films, Elvis memorials, Willa Cather’s fiction, and the annual prison rodeo held at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Jessica Adams considers spatial and ideological evolutions of southern plantations after slavery. In Wounds of Returning, Adams shows that the slave past returns to inhabit plantation landscapes that have been radically transformed by tourism, consumer culture, and modern modes of punishment — even those landscapes from which slavery has supposedly been banished completely.
Adams explores how the commodification of black bodies during slavery did not disappear with abolition — rather, the same principle was transformed into modern consumer capitalism. As Adams demonstrates, however, counternarratives and unexpected cultural hybrids erupt out of attempts to re-create the plantation as an uncomplicated scene of racial relationships or a signifier of national unity. Peeling back the layers of plantation landscapes, Adams reveals connections between seemingly disparate features of modern culture, suggesting that they remain haunted by the force of the unnatural equation of people as property.
Editions of Wounds of Returning
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807831045
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807858011
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469606538
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890880505
Read an Excerpt
From Storyville brothels and narratives of turn-of-the-century New Orleans to plantation tours, Bette Davis films, Elvis memorials, Willa Cather’s fiction, and the annual prison rodeo held at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Jessica Adams considers spatial and ideological evolutions of southern plantations after slavery. In Wounds of Returning, Adams shows that the slave past returns to inhabit plantation landscapes that have been radically transformed by tourism, consumer culture, and modern modes of punishment — even those landscapes from which slavery has supposedly been banished completely.
Adams explores how the commodification of black bodies during slavery did not disappear with abolition — rather, the same principle was transformed into modern consumer capitalism. As Adams demonstrates, however, counternarratives and unexpected cultural hybrids erupt out of attempts to re-create the plantation as an uncomplicated scene of racial relationships or a signifier of national unity. Peeling back the layers of plantation landscapes, Adams reveals connections between seemingly disparate features of modern culture, suggesting that they remain haunted by the force of the unnatural equation of people as property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wounds of Returning about?
From Storyville brothels and narratives of turn-of-the-century New Orleans to plantation tours, Bette Davis films, Elvis memorials, Willa Cather’s fiction, and the annual prison rodeo held at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Jessica Adams considers spatial and ideological evolutions of southern plantations after slavery. In Wounds of Returning, Adams shows that the slave past returns to inhabit plantation landscapes that have been radically transformed by tourism, consumer culture, and modern modes of punishment — even those landscapes from which slavery has supposedly been banished completely.
Adams explores how the commodification of black bodies during slavery did not disappear with abolition — rather, the same principle was transformed into modern consumer capitalism. As Adams demonstrates, however, counternarratives and unexpected cultural hybrids erupt out of attempts to re-create the plantation as an uncomplicated scene of racial relationships or a signifier of national unity. Peeling back the layers of plantation landscapes, Adams reveals connections between seemingly disparate features of modern culture, suggesting that they remain haunted by the force of the unnatural equation of people as property.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Wounds of Returning?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Ethnic studies / Ethnicity
Where can I read a sample of Wounds of Returning?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807831045
How long is Wounds of Returning and how many pages does it have?
Wounds of Returning has 240 page(s)
Is Wounds of Returning part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series New Directions in Southern Studies
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Wounds of Returning?
Jessica Adams Stone
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Wounds of Returning is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807831045) and paperback(ISBN 9780807858011) and ebook(ISBN 9781469606538) and pdf(ISBN 9798890880505)
Where can I buy Wounds of Returning online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Wounds of Returning from below
Where can I buy Wounds of Returning?