When the interstate highway program connected America’s cities; it also divided them; cutting through and destroying countless communities. Affluent and predominantly white residents fought back in a much heralded “freeway revolt;†saving such historic neighborhoods as Greenwich Village and New Orleans’s French Quarter. This book tells of the other revolt; a movement of creative opposition; commemoration; and preservation staged on behalf of the mostly minority urban neighborhoods that lacked the political and economic power to resist the onslaught of highway construction.Within the context of the larger historical forces of the 1960s and 1970s; Eric Avila maps the creative strategies devised by urban communities to document and protest the damage that highways wrought. The works of Chicanas and other women of color—from the commemorative poetry of Patricia Preciado Martin and Lorna Dee Cervantes to the fiction of Helena Maria Viramontes to the underpass murals of Judy Baca—expose highway construction as not only a racist but also a sexist enterprise. In colorful paintings; East Los Angeles artists such as David Botello; Carlos Almaraz; and Frank Romero satirize; criticize; and aestheticize the structure of the freeway. Local artists paint murals on the concrete piers of a highway interchange in San Diego’s Chicano Park. The Rondo Days Festival in St. Paul; Minnesota; and the Black Archives; History; and Research Foundation in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami preserve and celebrate the memories of historic African American communities lost to the freeway.Bringing such efforts to the fore in the story of the freeway revolt; The Folklore of the Freeway moves beyond a simplistic narrative of victimization. Losers; perhaps; in their fight against the freeway; the diverse communities at the center of the book nonetheless generate powerful cultural forces that shape our understanding of the urban landscape and influence the shifting priorities of contemporary urban policy.
#169625 in eBooks 2014-11-11 2014-11-11File Name: B00KEPLBRC
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. like there are secrets that should only be told in ...By SCTwo friends; two mothers; two houses.One photographer; one writer.One street.One year.One family.Susan Conley (writer) Laura Lewis (photographer) spontaneously came up with this creative concept of documenting a years worth of their familys memories. Every week; a photo was taken by one and captioned by the other.The writing is lyrical; capturing thoughts and musings of the mothers or the children. The fitting accompaniment to the photography.The photographs have this dreamlike quality; like there are secrets that should only be told in a whisper. Capturing simple; daily moments of these families. They transported me back to my own carefree childhood days.When nothing mattered.When everything mattered.Stop.Slow down.And enjoy the small things in life.Review copy supplied by publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a rating and/or review.(image 1)I know all about imaginary friends.But Piggy is different.You see I am Piggy and Piggy is me.Irsquo;m not sure how to spell doppelganger; but my brother said it means double.So this is Piggy.My good shadow.My eyes and nose and lips.My heartbeat.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Absolutely DelightfulBy BadgerBadgerBadgerSometimes; when a book only has a handful of reviews; all glowing; and most are not by "verified purchasers;" I worry that the authors in-group (not necessarily friends; but existing fans) wrote all the reviews.... Let me reassure you that I have absolutely no connection to these authors; and I still found it a Five Star; tell-everyone-you-know-shes-GOT-to-get-it; absolute delight of a book.I stumbled across one of Winky Lewiss portraits on a photography site (Lenscratch) a few months back. It was arresting; in a way that called to me. There were dozens of other perfectly lovely pictures in that photo roundup; but Ms Lewiss was the only one that sent me running off to learn more about the photographer. I saw this book and liked the story behind the project; so I took a chance and pre-ordered.For me; the biggest surprise was how much I loved the writing; even more than the photographs. I am a picky; picky reader; but I was blown away by how succinctly and beautifully the writer captures truths about both childhood and parenthood. Im tracking down her other writings and recommending this one to everyone I know. Including YOU; dear browser of . No book is right for everyone; but this is one of those small delights that certainly comes close. Would also make a treasured gift for the mothers in your life.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Innocence Captured in Image and WordBy Desiree Van TilFortunately; you dont have to choose what makes this book so extraordinary: the arresting; timeless imagery that magically captures innocence; discovery; family dynamics; that tinge of danger of the unknown... or the evocative and gorgeous accompanying words that both conjure and distill the essence of childhood; and every parents wish to hold onto those ephemeral moments forever. A special; beautiful; inspiring book to come back to again and again.
