Description
Book SynopsisFrom police on the street, to the mayor of New Orleans and FEMA administrators, government officials monumentally failed to protect the most vulnerable residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast during the Katrina disaster. This violation of the social contract undermined the foundational narratives and myths of the American nation and spawned a profound, often contentious public debate over the meaning of Katrina’s devastation. A wide range of voices and images attempted to clarify what happened, name those responsible, identify the victims, and decide what should be done. This debate took place in forums ranging from mass media and the political arena to the arts and popular culture, as various narratives emerged and competed to tell the story of Katrina.
Is This America? explores how Katrina has been constructed as a cultural trauma in print media, the arts and popular culture, and television coverage. Using stories told by the New York Times,
Trade Review
"The title of Mr. Eyerman’s book about Katrina — Is This America? — is a question many have been asking lately. It’s a telltale sign of collective trauma, a grasping for identity when the usual bases for community aren’t there anymore. If research on other collective traumas is any indication, it may take years, and a great deal of political imagination, for us to figure out where to go from here." * The New York Times *
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 1. Breaking the Covenant
- 2. Print Media
- 3. Arts and Popular Culture
- 4. Television Coverage
- Conclusion
- Notes
- Bibliography
- About the Author and Series Editor
- Index
