Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

History of Modern SC Maps State's Changing Cultural and Political Landscape

Two-time South Carolina Journalist of Year Jack Bass and his fellow award-winning historian W. Scott Poole have authored a new concise history of South Carolina with a strong emphasis on the social, economic and political transformations from the late twentieth century to the present day. The Palmetto State: The Making of Modern South Carolina (hardcover, $24.95) will be published on March 12 and will be available through local booksellers and directly from the publisher, the University of South Carolina Press (800-768-2500).

The Palmetto State chronicles the legacies of luminary figures like Strom Thurmond, Ernest F. Hollings, James F. Byrnes, Robert McNair, Matthew J. Perry Jr., I. DeQuincey Newman, Harvey Gantt, Modjeska Monieth Simkins and others in a briskly paced narrative as Bass and Poole survey the roots of the defining moments of recent decades. The impact of two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights era and other major historical moments are all deftly explored. Throughout the volume, the authors discuss how tensions of race, religion and economics are always central to any major shift in our history.

An insightful reminder of our complex recent past and an inviting perspective on the promising moment in history on which we are now poised, The Palmetto State is a welcome addition to any South Carolina bookshelf and makes for ideal reading for newcomers and natives eager to learn more about their home and its heritage.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

First "full-figured" model wins

The first "full-figured" model, Whitney, wins America's Next Top Model. The Tyra Banks show that airs on CW ended its tenth season tonight.

The show seems superficial on its face but has proven to me to be an interesting look at our culture. A look behind the scenes of print and TV ads. Also, as an artist, I enjoy seeing the subtle moves and gestures that models use to signal different emotions in audiences. In a way, it examines body language, which constitutes more than 50 percent of human communication.

With that in mind, you might want to check out a few episodes. Reruns often air on MTV in blocks. Maybe some TV producers don't mind giving us something to think about ... as long as its buried in pretty package.

--LCR

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