Pulphead, English edition

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A sharp-eyed, humane exploration of America's cultural landscape by an award-winning literary nonfiction star. The author takes readers on an exhilarating journey through our popular, unpopular, and forgotten culture. Channeling the gonzo energy of Hunter S. Thompson and the wit of Joan Didion, he reveals how we truly live today with a laidback, erudite Southern charm. In Kentucky, he introduces Constantine Rafinesque, a nineteenth-century polymath who created a fantastical prehistory of the New World. The narrative then shifts to a Christian rock festival in the Ozarks and a visit to Florida, where alumni of MTV's Real World navigate their self-perpetuating minor celebrity economy. The author also explores the South's blues heritage, investigates the formative years of Michael Jackson and Axl Rose in Indiana, and examines the Gulf Coast's recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. Gradually, a unifying narrative emerges, offering a unique story about America that challenges conventional perspectives. This fun-house hall-of-mirrors tour reflects our identity in unexpected ways, provoking laughter and tears, and attesting to the power of the author's work.