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Memphis and the Paradox of Place: Globalization in the American South

Online ISBN:
9781469605548
Print ISBN:
9780807832998
Publisher:
University of North Carolina Press
Book

Memphis and the Paradox of Place: Globalization in the American South

Published online:
24 July 2014
Published in print:
1 September 2009
Online ISBN:
9781469605548
Print ISBN:
9780807832998
Publisher:
University of North Carolina Press

Abstract

Celebrated as the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock and roll, Memphis, Tennessee, is where Elvis Presley, B. B. King, Johnny Cash, and other musical legends got their starts. It is also a place of conflict and tragedy—the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 assassination—and a city typically marginalized by scholars and underestimated by its own residents. Using this iconic southern city as a case study, this book explores the significance of place in a globalizing age. Challenging the view that globalization renders place generic or insignificant, this book argues that cultural and economic distinctiveness persists in part because of global processes, not in spite of them. The book weaves its analysis into stories about the history and global impact of blues music, the social and racial complexities of Cotton Carnival, and the global rise of FedEx, headquartered in Memphis. It portrays Memphis as a site of cultural creativity and global industry—a city whose traditions, complex past, and specific character have had an influence on culture worldwide.

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