Woody Guthrie, Race, and the Politics of Protest Music — A Conversation with Gustavus Stadler

Gus Stadler Flyer

Join writer and professor Gustavus Stadler (Haverford) in conversation with BSAW Co-Directors Professor Daphne A. Brooks and Professor Brian Kane on Woody Guthrie, race, protest music, and Stadler’s forthcoming book, Woody Guthrie: An Intimate Life (Beacon Press, 2020).

FRIDAY | OCTOBER 2 | 2PM-3PM (EST)
Zoom link: https://yale.zoom.us/j/96488706909

Recommended Reading: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/09/04/fascist-storm-troopers-racist-police-violence-in-1940s-america/

About Woody Guthrie: An Intimate Life and Prof. Stadler:

“Part biography, part cultural history of the Left, Woody Guthrie offers a stunning revelation about America’s quintessential folk legend, who serves as a guiding light for leftist movements today. In his close relationship with dancer Marjorie Mazia, Guthrie discovered a restorative way of thinking about the body, which provided a salve for the trauma of his childhood and the slowly debilitating effects of Huntington’s disease. Rejecting bodily shame and embracing the power of sexuality, he came to believe that intimacy was the linchpin for political struggle. By closely connecting to others, society could combat the customary emotional states of capitalist cultures: loneliness and isolation. Using intimacy as one’s weapon, Guthrie believed we could fight fascism’s seductive call.”

A New York CIty native and present-day Philly Pride proponent, Gustavus Stadler is Professor of English at Haverford College, where his teaching critically engages sexuality, race, sound cultures, and the history of the U. S. Left. His latest book, Woody Guthrie: An Intimate Life (Beacon Press Books, 2020) retells the legendary folksinger’s life through the lenses of sexuality, disability, race, and the politics of intimacy. His writing on 19th and 20th century American literature and culture has appeared in numerous popular and scholarly venues, including Al JazeeraPublic Booksavidly.comSocial TextSounding Out!,American Literature, and GLQ. He is also the author of Troubling Minds: The Cultural Politics of Genius in the U. S. 1840-1890 (U of Minnesota Press, 2006).

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For more information email amy.depoy@yale.edu