Winner; Lois P. Rudnick Book Prize presented by the New England American Studies AssociationAcross the twentieth century; national controversies involving Asian Americans have drawn attention to such seemingly unremarkable activities as eating rice; greeting customers; and studying for exams. While public debates about Asian Americans have invoked quotidian practices to support inconsistent claims about racial difference; diverse aesthetic projects have tested these claims by experimenting with the relationships among habit; body; and identity. In The Racial Mundane; Ju Yon Kim argues that the ambiguous relationship between behavioral tendencies and the body has sustained paradoxical characterizations of Asian Americans as ideal and impossible Americans. The bodyrsquo;s uncertain attachment to its routine motions promises alternately to materialize racial distinctions and to dissolve them. Kimrsquo;s study focuses on works of theater; fiction; and film that explore the interface between racialized bodies and everyday enactments to reveal new and latent affiliations. The various modes of performance developed in these works not only encourage audiences to see habitual behaviors differently; but also reveal the stakes of noticing such behaviors at all. Integrating studies of race; performance; and the everyday; The Racial Mundane invites readers to reflect on how and to what effect perfunctory behaviors become objects of public scrutiny.
#3667563 in eBooks 2015-03-18File Name: B00USN7VN8
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Very detailed; colorful; must for any Jim Henson fanBy KennyAs a fan of the blog "Jims Red Book;" Ive always wanted to see it turn into an actual book. My prayers have been answered. The book features notes from Jim Hensons journal that he compiled from 1954 to 1988. The real joy is seeing rarely seen photos and material from The Jim Henson Company Archives.Despite the major Muppet brands being owned by three companies (Henson; Disney; Sesame Workshop); it is wonderful that they cooperated to give Muppet fans a detailed and comprehensive look behind-the-scenes at all the Muppet productions; with thoughts from Jim himself. Complete with sketches and exciting photos of Henson characters and staff; Imagination Illustrated is a real treat. Any real Muppet/Jim Henson fan will want this book. My only complaint is that the Henson Archives is probably so vast; not everything could fit into this book. I propose a sequel.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Well worth the timeBy Arthur DaigleThe book contains a lot of interesting information about Jim Hensons early career that most people are too young to have seen firsthand. This includes early television shows and his work in commercials. There is also plenty of concept art used to develop characters and sets. I would have liked to see more details on certain subjects; but given how long and varied Jim Hensons career was that would be impractical.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great ReadBy Ms. Cs ClassI bought this for a student who loves Jim Henson. He cant put it down! The pages are full of beautiful; full-color photographs. The text gives you a glimpse into the fine minds at the Jim Henson studio. Appropriate for late elementary through high school students.
