Jennifer lieberman examines the apparently incompatible notions of electricity that coexisted in the american imagination, tracing how electricity became a common though multifarious symbol for modern life. Power lines archives center for mark twain studies. Power lines examines a series of moments of technical change when electricity accrued new social meaning, plotting both power lines and the power of narratives in american life and literature. Its interesting and beautiful you dont have to worry about it poisoning you in your sleep like gaslight, says jennifer lieberman, author of power lines. This event is cosponsored by nd energy and the department of american studies. Jennifer lieberman, university of north florida stem and. Whether life was an honest game of chance, or whether the cards were marked and forced, he could not refuse to play his excellent hand. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952, is forthcoming from mit press in 2017. An interdisciplinary teacherscholar, she specializes in american literature and culture, science and technology studies, gender and women studies, and critical pedagogy. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 july 2019 276 pp. Jennifer lieberman, assistant professor of english at the university of north florida, examines the role humanities play in technologic fields. This is not a sophisticated understanding, but it shaped me, and it explains the mingled fascination, surprise, and delight with which i confront jennifer l. For this reason, narratives about electricity were particularly evocative. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 inside technology by jennifer l.
He accepted the situation as though he had been a party to it, and under the same circumstances would do it again, the more readily for knowing the exact. He could never make the usual plea of irresponsibility. The shape of power is always the same public books. Stories of a doctors first year of practice in the smoky mountains from the worlds largest community of readers. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 inside technology lieberman, jennifer l. Liebermans power lines uses case studies to consider how americans viewed and wrote about electricity over a span of seventy. Power lines provides a fascinating study of how electricity defined modernity in american fiction from 1880 to 1950. Lieberman is assistant professor of english at the university of north florida, where she specializes in american literature and culture. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 at. Why technology will not solve our criminal justice.
Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952, this transition from whether to how changed the way americans perceived the issue of capital punishment. Power lines examines a series of moments of technical change when electricity accrued new social meaning, plotting both power lines and the power. Electricity, landscape, and the american mind by daniel l. Its not too often that superacademic science and technology studies books have gorgeous and arresting covers, but this one definitely does. Find contacts direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 inside technology. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 inside technology ebook. How electricity became a metaphor for modernity in the united states, inspiring authors from mark twain to ralph ellison. Lieberman is an assistant professor of english at the university of north florida unf, and author of power lines.
Nov 15, 2017 jennifer lieberman, assistant professor of english at the university of north florida, examines the role humanities play in technologic fields. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 by. My book begins by exploring why authors, like twain, who were primarily concerned with humanistic questions, would discuss electrification so intently. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952, power lines, jennifer l. Jennifer lieberman strategies for interdisciplinary. Model behavior is both spare and striking, which puts that little mouse on center stage. When and how governments power the lives of the poor nov 27 2018. How electricity became a metaphor for modernity in the united states. Electricity in everyday life, volumes i, ii, and iii by houston, edwin j. Dominic and cymene go into the vault to talk steam tunnels, heat wells, bland college town food and enrico fermis ghost. Teslas dinner party american experience official site. Power lines electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 jennifer l.
Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 2017. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 jul 14 2017. This book chronicles how electricity became a metaphor for modernity in the united states, inspiring authors from mark. Teslas dinner party american experience official site pbs. How electricity became a metaphor for modernity in the united. Jennifer l lieberman how electricity became a metaphor for modernity in the united states, inspiring authors from mark twain to ralph ellison. Drawing on science, technology, and society, american studies, and literary studies, this talklike the bookdemonstrates. It demonstrates that many americans invested in the belief that new devices would eventually improve democracy and equality, despite ample evidence to the contraryincluding, most. In this model interdisciplinary work, jennifer lieberman demonstrates how authors define technologies through a provocative communicative process that continues long after the initial act of invention. It demonstrates that many americans invested in the belief that new devices would eventually improve democracy and equality, despite ample evidence to the contraryincluding. Assistant professor of english, university of north florida.
Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952, is available from the mit press. Jennifer lieberman strategies for interdisciplinary writing. The shocking truth about mark twains fascination with. His mindset can be inferred from a wonderful letter that henry. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 is another one. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 mit press, 2017. Aug 23, 2017 these are a few of the questions that i address in my book, power lines.
Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952, which. Feb 08, 2018 additionally, she earned unfs presidential diversity and inclusion award in 2017. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 was published by the mit press in 2017 and won honorable mention for the michelle kendrick book prize from the society for literature, science, and the arts. Jennifer lieberman power lines and the power of lines. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 mit press, 2017, lieberman will chronicle how electricity became a metaphor for modern american life in the late nineteenth century. Creative criticism unf digital humanities institute. In power lines, jennifer lieberman analyzes the way twain, ellison, and others following hawthornes lead used electricity as a metaphor for modernity. Power lines jennifer l lieberman bok 9780262036375.
Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 mit press. Power lines electricity in american life and letters, 1882. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952, which was published by mit press in july 2017. The result of his impressive attention to detail is a book that will enlighten any reader who is interested in technology, literature, and culture. This book chronicles how electricity became a metaphor for modernity in. Electrical power was a distinctive concept in american literary, cultural, and technological histories.
She is currently working on a new project about incarceration, technology, and literature that grows from her years of experience in prison education outreach. Writers from mark twain to ralph ellison grappled with the idea of electricity as both life force illumination and death spark electrocution. Additionally, she earned unfs presidential diversity and inclusion award in 2017. Formalism begat new criticism, which begat structuralism, which begat deconstructionism, and so on. These are a few of the questions that i address in my book, power lines. Electricity in american life 18821952 professor buzzkill. At the turn of the twentieth century, electricity emerged as a metaphor for modernity. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 was published by mit press in 2017. Bridging the realistic and the romantic, the historical and the fantastic, these stories guide us to ask new questions about our enduring fascination with electricity. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 inside. Electricity in american life and letters, 18821952 on facebook. Online shopping for energy physics from a great selection at books store. Power lines jennifer l lieberman bok 9780262036375 bokus.