DOCSLIB.ORG

Department of English and American Studies 2015

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Department of English and American Studies 2015 Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Denis Cisár The Narrative Structure, Corruption and Social Class in the First Series of 'The Wire' Master ’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: Stephen Paul Hardy, Ph.D. 2015 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature I would like to thank my supervisor, Stephen Paul Hardy, Ph.D., for his guidance, valuable advice and especially his patience with me. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.Introduction..........................................................................................................5 2.Narrative Structureof The Wire .........................................................................13 2.1.Scene,BasicUnitofAnalysis ...................................................................14 2.2.SerialContinualityandCharacterDevelopment ......................................29 2.3.TheCityofBaltimore ...............................................................................32 2.3.NarrativeStyle ..........................................................................................43 3.TheCorruptionandHierarchyin The Wire .......................................................50 4.Conclusion.........................................................................................................65 5.WorksCited .......................................................................................................67 6.EnglishRésumé .................................................................................................71 7.CzechRésumé ....................................................................................................72 1. Introduction Itismorethantenyears since theHBO presenteditscriticallyacclaimed televisionshow The Wire .At presenttheshowhasareputationamongstthefictional televisionnarratives,it isrankedas thefirst inthe userrankingsinthe listoftelevision seriesontheIMDb.com,theinternationalmoviedatabase.Becauseofits complex narrative structure andincapabilitytoaccept the stereotypicalformsofstorytelling,the showgraduallygainsthe popularityamongthegeneralviewers,whichitdeserves.The seriesmayatfirstglanceseemtobeatypical policedramashow,yetthe producerof theshowDavidSimoncreatedawebofBaltimorecharacters,settingsandinstitutions, whichdifferimmenselyfromthose presentedinconventional televisiondrama. Themainaimofthisthesisis todiscusstheissueofcorruptioninthecontextof HBO'stelevisiondrama series The Wire anditscomplexnarrative structure.This thesis willanalyse thefirstseriesoftheshow,whichdepicts thewar betweenthedrug businessandlawenforcement,situatedmainlyin(West)Baltimore.Theshowdepicts theflawedsysteminwhichinstitutionsdemonstrateabsolute poweroverthe individuals,whoareunablenomatterhowhardtheytry,toaffectorchangethesystem. SimoninhisinterviewforRafaelAlvarez's The Wire: Truth be Told explainsthat: The Wire depicts aworldinwhichcapitalhas triumphed completely,labourhas beenmarginalizedandmoniedinterests have pruchasedenoughpoliticalinfrastructureto prevent reform. Itis aworldinwhichtherulesandvaluesofthefreemarketand maximizedprofithave beenmistakenforasocialframework,a worldwhereinstitutions themselvesare paramountandeveryday humanbeingsmatterless.(Alvarez 30) 5 Theshowitselfiscyclicalinnatureandcomparedtoconventional television showsdoesnotofferaclosure,notinparticular episodesor asawhole.Theshowends withmanyarrests,yet thesituationonthestreets doesnotchangeandneitherdoesthe corrupt systemoflawenforcementthatis presentedintheshow.Thearrestsdonot changethe situationofthedrugbusinessingeneral,because asonedrugdealeris arrested,another takeshis place immediately,inacapitalist traditiontofillthevoidon themarketandproduce capital.Whattheshowdoes,is presentationofflawsofthe capitalistsociety,reflectedintheorganizationsandinstitutionsoflawenforcementand drugtradeinametropolitancity,suchasBaltimore. The Wire doesnot produceasolutionorthe type ofchangethesystemneeds, whatitdoes isthatitcriticallypresentsthese issuesandemphasizes theneedforthe changeinthesystemeventhoughitdoesnot producea proposalonhowtochangeit. Theshowisfar beyondtheconventionalshowsinwhichaheroappearsfromoutof nowhereandrises abovethecorruptedforcesoftheworldhelives in.Itisquite the opposite as HelenaSheehanandShaemusSweeneywrite intheirstudy The Wire and the World: narrative and metanarrative : The Wire is notadramaaboutindividualsrisingaboveinstitutionstotriumph andachieve redemptionandcatharsis.Itisadrama wherethoseinstitutionsthwart the ambitionsandaspirationsofthosetheypurportedlyexisttoserve.Itis a dramawhere individuals withhubris enoughtochallengethisdynamicareinvariablymocked, marginalisedorcrushed byforcesindifferenttotheirefforts ortotheirfates.Itis a dramawheretruthandjusticeareoftendefeatedasdeceitandinjustice arerewarded. (Sheehan4) Oneofthemainargumentsthatthisthesis presentsis that theshow makesuseof theserialformat,whichwill bediscussedinthesecondchapter,inorder topresent 6 complexandrealisticdevelopmentsofcharacters,without producingaclosureto particularepisodesor theseriesasa whole,asis typicalforconventional contemporary televisionshows.Thethesisalsoarguesthatone ofthemost distinctive waystheflaws andcorruptionofthesystemaredepictedintheshow,isintheestablishmentof parallels betweendifferentsettings andcharactersoftheshow.These parallelswhich arereflectedthrough,sceneswhichserveas a basicunitofanalysisfor thisthesis,are oneofthemostoutspokencharacteristicsofthe show,whichcreatesademandonthe viewertobefar moreengagedwiththeshowanditscomplexdevelopment,thanitis withanyconventionaltelevisionseries. These parallelscenesarecharacteristicinconnectiontodifferentcharacters,that maynotevenknoweachother,as theymayhavenevermet.Theshow putsthese charactersintocontrast,bypresentingtheminscenesthatreflect eachotherinitsmotifs suchas; raisingquestionsofsocialdistance,race,corruption,flawedsystemandits hierarchyandother.Thankstothese reflectivescenestheshow producersareableto connectcharacters,whichareisolatedfromeachother bythe barriers andboundaries of thecity. Inorder toproperlydiscussandanalysethese circumstancesitis essentialfor thisthesisto buildaframeworkfor furtheranalysis.Todothis,the thesiswilldiscuss thenarrativestructureof theshowthroughgradualanalysisof itsmostdistinctive and originaltoolsofnarration.Thethesiswillgiveenoughspacetodiscuss thenarrative structureoftheshowanditsfeatures inthesecondchapter. Itis thenarrative structurethatmakestheshowcomplex,asopposedto conventionalcontemporarytelevisionshows.The basicunit ofanalysisoftheshowwill bethescene.Oneofthedistinctivetelevisionfeaturesofthe showis presentationof 7 messagesandideas inparallelscenes,amodelof narrative strategy,thathas been mentionedearlier. Amongotherimportant aimsofthisthesis,isalsotoemphasizethe importance ofthecity,asanelementthatarches overthewholestoryandisaconnectinglink betweenthe characterswhichwouldotherwise,duetosocial borders be isolatedfrom eachother.Thecharactersmayatfirstglancehavenothingincommonbuttheyare oftenlinkedthroughsimilarconditions,motifs,settingandstoriesgeneratedbythe producersoftheshow,whicharealwaysconnectedthroughthecityscape.Thecity's differentdistrictsandparts,are presentedintheshowagainst eachother,withtheir distinctiveaspects,contrastingeachotherandcreatingparallels,yettogethertheycreate acompactframe forthewholeshow. Thereferencesandlinks betweendifferent charactersmaybe presentedinthe showinaverysubtleway,whichcreatesademandontheviewertopayattentionto detailandbecomeverymuchengagedwiththe show.Theshow'snarrativecomplexity makesitveryhardfora causalviewertoenjoyit. Amongotherfeaturesofnarrative strategydiscussedinthiswork,istheepisodic continualityoftheshow,whichadds tothecomplexityofcharacters presentedbythe show.Thankstothe continualformatoftheshow,the producersareabletocreate complexcharacters,whichmaybeat the beginningpresentedinacertainway,while throughout theseries,developandsurprisetheviewer byhowdifferenttheyappear in theend.Onesuchcharacter isLester Freamon,whojoinsthe detailledbyLieutenant Danielsandplaysnoimportantrole inthe beginningoftheseries.It comesasasurprise thatFreamonisactuallya“natural police”asBunkreferstohimandbecomesan indispensablememberoftheunit.Thiskindofcomplexcharacterdevelopment resemblesthekindofdevelopmentcharactersgothroughinnovelsandthereforethe 8 showis bymanyreferredtoasavisualnovel,rather thana televisiondramashow.This continualityenables the producers todepict thecharacters andeventsagainsteachother, creatingthe parallels,thatthis thesis considerstobethecornerstoneforthesocial critiqueofthecapitalist institutionsthatcaremuchmoreabouttheirownprofitthanthe “warondrugs”whichisintheshow presentedaswaronthe underclass.AsDaniels correctlystatesintheninthepisode: ”youstarttofollowthe money...andyoudon't knowwherethefuckit'sgoingtotakeyou.(“Game Day”)referringtothefactthatthe detailhasmadeaneconomicconnectionbetweenthedrugbusinessandsenatorClay Davis,whentheycaughthisaidewiththemoneyfromthe projects. Thethesisdiscusses theroleofthiscontinualitywithintheworksofscholars suchasJasonMittel,a professorofAmericanstudiesandfilmandmediacultureat MiddleburyCollege,witha backgroundinresearchofhistoryoftelevision,mediaand culture.Heistheauthor oftwobooks, Genre and Television and Television and American Culture. This thesisuses Mittel'sfindingsonnarrative complexityof televisionshowstoitsadvantage indiscussingtheoriginalityoftheshowasopposedto conventionaltelevisionshows.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • As Writers of Film and Television and Members of the Writers Guild Of
    July 20, 2021 As writers of film and television and members of the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West, we understand the critical importance of a union contract. We are proud to stand in support of the editorial staff at MSNBC who have chosen to organize with the Writers Guild of America, East. We welcome you to the Guild and the labor movement. We encourage everyone to vote YES in the upcoming election so you can get to the bargaining table to have a say in your future. We work in scripted television and film, including many projects produced by NBC Universal. Through our union membership we have been able to negotiate fair compensation, excellent benefits, and basic fairness at work—all of which are enshrined in our union contract. We are ready to support you in your effort to do the same. We’re all in this together. Vote Union YES! In solidarity and support, Megan Abbott (THE DEUCE) John Aboud (HOME ECONOMICS) Daniel Abraham (THE EXPANSE) David Abramowitz (CAGNEY AND LACEY; HIGHLANDER; DAUGHTER OF THE STREETS) Jay Abramowitz (FULL HOUSE; MR. BELVEDERE; THE PARKERS) Gayle Abrams (FASIER; GILMORE GIRLS; 8 SIMPLE RULES) Kristen Acimovic (THE OPPOSITION WITH JORDAN KLEEPER) Peter Ackerman (THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T SAY PAST MIDNIGHT; ICE AGE; THE AMERICANS) Joan Ackermann (ARLISS) 1 Ilunga Adell (SANFORD & SON; WATCH YOUR MOUTH; MY BROTHER & ME) Dayo Adesokan (SUPERSTORE; YOUNG & HUNGRY; DOWNWARD DOG) Jonathan Adler (THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON) Erik Agard (THE CHASE) Zaike Airey (SWEET TOOTH) Rory Albanese (THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART; THE NIGHTLY SHOW WITH LARRY WILMORE) Chris Albers (LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN; BORGIA) Lisa Albert (MAD MEN; HALT AND CATCH FIRE; UNREAL) Jerome Albrecht (THE LOVE BOAT) Georgianna Aldaco (MIRACLE WORKERS) Robert Alden (STREETWALKIN') Richard Alfieri (SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS) Stephanie Allain (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE) A.C.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wire the Complete Guide
    The Wire The Complete Guide PDF generated using the open source mwlib toolkit. See http://code.pediapress.com/ for more information. PDF generated at: Tue, 29 Jan 2013 02:03:03 UTC Contents Articles Overview 1 The Wire 1 David Simon 24 Writers and directors 36 Awards and nominations 38 Seasons and episodes 42 List of The Wire episodes 42 Season 1 46 Season 2 54 Season 3 61 Season 4 70 Season 5 79 Characters 86 List of The Wire characters 86 Police 95 Police of The Wire 95 Jimmy McNulty 118 Kima Greggs 124 Bunk Moreland 128 Lester Freamon 131 Herc Hauk 135 Roland Pryzbylewski 138 Ellis Carver 141 Leander Sydnor 145 Beadie Russell 147 Cedric Daniels 150 William Rawls 156 Ervin Burrell 160 Stanislaus Valchek 165 Jay Landsman 168 Law enforcement 172 Law enforcement characters of The Wire 172 Rhonda Pearlman 178 Maurice Levy 181 Street-level characters 184 Street-level characters of The Wire 184 Omar Little 190 Bubbles 196 Dennis "Cutty" Wise 199 Stringer Bell 202 Avon Barksdale 206 Marlo Stanfield 212 Proposition Joe 218 Spiros Vondas 222 The Greek 224 Chris Partlow 226 Snoop (The Wire) 230 Wee-Bey Brice 232 Bodie Broadus 235 Poot Carr 239 D'Angelo Barksdale 242 Cheese Wagstaff 245 Wallace 247 Docks 249 Characters from the docks of The Wire 249 Frank Sobotka 254 Nick Sobotka 256 Ziggy Sobotka 258 Sergei Malatov 261 Politicians 263 Politicians of The Wire 263 Tommy Carcetti 271 Clarence Royce 275 Clay Davis 279 Norman Wilson 282 School 284 School system of The Wire 284 Howard "Bunny" Colvin 290 Michael Lee 293 Duquan "Dukie" Weems 296 Namond Brice 298 Randy Wagstaff 301 Journalists 304 Journalists of The Wire 304 Augustus Haynes 309 Scott Templeton 312 Alma Gutierrez 315 Miscellany 317 And All the Pieces Matter — Five Years of Music from The Wire 317 References Article Sources and Contributors 320 Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 324 Article Licenses License 325 1 Overview The Wire The Wire Second season intertitle Genre Crime drama Format Serial drama Created by David Simon Starring Dominic West John Doman Idris Elba Frankie Faison Larry Gilliard, Jr.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    2013 WRITING BOOK (VOL 10) - 12-2012_WRITING BOOK 2004 2/4/13 6:04 AM Page 91 The Hook behind the Rapper: The Tension in a Diegetic Rhetoric of Music in The Wire Sam Borowik Pennsylvania State University, Berks The Wire, often considered one of the best shows on television, utilizes long-form storytelling tech - niques to great success. Scholars have often looked at the show from the perspective of cultural the - ory and rhetoric, often considering both at the same time. However, one rhetorical element of the show is often overlooked: its music. This is not surprising, since the show primarily utilizes diegetic music—that is, the music is part of the narrative and not used as a direct emotional manipulator or hailing device, which is often the case in other TV shows. In this essay, I argue that music is an important rhetorical device in the show, one that displays a tension between its use as a purely diegetic sonic prop and its function as a device that draws the audience into a deeper, subtler rhet - oric occurring between characters. The Wire, a show that first aired in 2002, followed the wave of long-form storytelling in American television that began in the 2000s. HBO, which aired The Wire, led this wave, with shows like Oz, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and Deadwood . The show received numerous accolades despite its not-quite-stellar ratings—though after its cancellation, HBO’s DVD sales were high (Mittell, “All in the Game”). It was, and still is, frequently called “the best show on television.” 1 As a long-form TV narrative, the show is quite complex.
    [Show full text]
  • Crime, Class, and Labour in David Simon's Baltimore
    "From here to the rest of the world": Crime, class, and labour in David Simon's Baltimore. Sheamus Sweeney B.A. (Hons), M.A. (Hons) This thesis is submitted to Dublin City University for the award of Ph.D in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. August 2013 School of Communications Supervisors: Prof. Helena Sheehan and Dr. Pat Brereton I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of Ph.D is entirely my own work, and that I have exercised reasonable care to ensure that the work is original, and does not to the best of my knowledge breach any law of copyright, and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed: ___________________________________ (Candidate) ID No.: _55139426____ Date: _______________ TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Literature review and methodology 17 Chapter One: Stand around and watch: David Simon and the 42 "cop shop" narrative. Chapter Two: "Let the roughness show": From death on the 64 streets to a half-life on screen. Chapter Three: "Don't give the viewer the satisfaction": 86 Investigating the social order in Homicide. Chapter Four: Wasteland of the free: Images of labour in the 122 alternative economy. Chapter Five: The Wire: Introducing the other America. 157 Chapter Six: Baltimore Utopia? The limits of reform in the 186 war on labour and the war on drugs. Chapter Seven: There is no alternative: Unencumbered capitalism 216 and the war on drugs.
    [Show full text]
  • Drug Markets, Fringe Markets, and the Lessons of Hamsterdam Lance Mcmillian
    Washington and Lee Law Review Volume 69 | Issue 2 Article 11 Spring 3-1-2012 Drug Markets, Fringe Markets, and the Lessons of Hamsterdam Lance McMillian Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr Part of the Commercial Law Commons Recommended Citation Lance McMillian, Drug Markets, Fringe Markets, and the Lessons of Hamsterdam, 69 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 849 (2012), https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr/vol69/iss2/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington and Lee Law Review at Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington and Lee Law Review by an authorized editor of Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Drug Markets, Fringe Markets, and the Lessons of Hamsterdam Lance McMillian* Abstract The Wire is the greatest television series of all-time. Not only that, it is the most important. One of the most memorable story arcs from The Wire’s five seasons is the rise and fall of Hamsterdam—a quasi-legalized drug zone in West Baltimore. Stories are powerful teaching tools because they marry information and context. By seeing how the application of law affects characters we know and care about, we become more attune to the potential effects of legal decisions in the real world. The story of Hamsterdam—which is essentially an attempt to transform a black market into a fringe market—presents just such an opportunity. When considering the various dimensions of the fringe economy, life in Hamsterdam imparts three critical insights: (1) Markets arise wherever there exists market demand.
    [Show full text]
  • [0LDR]⋙ the Wire: Truth Be Told by Rafael Alvarez #RGBYNV20IAZ #Free Read Online
    The Wire: Truth Be Told Rafael Alvarez Click here if your download doesn"t start automatically The Wire: Truth Be Told Rafael Alvarez The Wire: Truth Be Told Rafael Alvarez Welcome to the critically acclaimed HBO drama series The Wire, hailed as "the best show on television, period" by the San Francisco Chronicle. The New York Times calls it "a vital part of the television landscape...unvarnished realism." Time declares that The Wire, "like its underfunded, workaday cops, just plugged away until it outshone everything else on TV." The Wire stands not only as riveting drama but also as a sociopolitical treatise with ambitions beyond any television serial. The failure of the drug war, the betrayal of the working class, the bureaucratization of the culture and the cost to individual dignity -- such are the themes of the drama's first two seasons. And with every new episode of season three and beyond, another layer of modern urban life will be revealed. Gritty, densely layered, and realistic, The Wire is series television at its very best, told from the point of view of the Baltimore police, their targets, and many of those caught in the middle. Rafael Alvarez -- a reporter, essayist, and staff writer for the show -- brings the reader inside, detailing many of the real-life incidents and personalities that have inspired the show's storylines and characters, providing the reader with insights into the city of Baltimore -- itself an undeniable character in the series. Packed with photographs and featuring an introduction by series creator and executive producer David Simon, as well as essays by acclaimed authors George Pelecanos, Laura Lippman, and Anthony Walton, here is an invaluable resource for both fans of the show and viewers who have yet to discover The Wire.
    [Show full text]
  • I:\28531 Ind Law Rev 46-2\46Masthead.Wpd
    THE WIRE AND ALTERNATIVE STORIES OF LAW AND INEQUALITY ROBERT C. POWER* INTRODUCTION The Wire was a dramatic television series that examined the connections among crime, law enforcement, government, and business in contemporary Baltimore, Maryland.1 It was among the most critically praised television series of all time2 and continues to garner substantial academic attention in the form of scholarly articles,3 academic conferences,4 and university courses.5 One aspect * Professor, Widener University School of Law. A.B., Brown University; J.D., Northwestern University Law School. Professor Power thanks Alexander Meiklejohn and John Dernbach for their comments on an earlier draft of this Article. He also thanks Lucas Csovelak, Andrea Nappi, Gabor Ovari, Ed Sonnenberg, and Brent Johnson for research assistance. 1. Substantial information about the series is available at HBO.COM, http://www.hbo.com/ the-wire/episodes#/the-wire/index.html [hereinafter Wire HBO site]. This site contains detailed summaries of each episode. Subsequent references to specific episodes in this Article refer to the season, followed by the number of the episode counting from the beginning of season one, and then the name of the episode. For example, the first episode of season four, which introduces the four boys who serve as protagonists in season four, is The Wire: Boys of Summer (HBO television broadcast Sept. 10, 2006) [hereinafter Episode 4-38, Boys of Summer]. Additional information is available at The Wire, IMDB.COM, http://www.imdb.com/ title/tt0306414/ (last visited Mar. 26, 2013) [hereinafter Wire IMDB site]. Several books contain essays and other commentaries about the series.
    [Show full text]
  • February 26, 2021 Amazon Warehouse Workers in Bessemer
    February 26, 2021 Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama are voting to form a union with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). We are the writers of feature films and television series. All of our work is done under union contracts whether it appears on Amazon Prime, a different streaming service, or a television network. Unions protect workers with essential rights and benefits. Most importantly, a union gives employees a seat at the table to negotiate fair pay, scheduling and more workplace policies. Amazon accepts unions for entertainment workers, and we believe warehouse workers deserve the same respect in the workplace. We strongly urge all Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer to VOTE UNION YES. In solidarity and support, Megan Abbott (DARE ME) Chris Abbott (LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE; CAGNEY AND LACEY; MAGNUM, PI; HIGH SIERRA SEARCH AND RESCUE; DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN; LEGACY; DIAGNOSIS, MURDER; BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) Melanie Abdoun (BLACK MOVIE AWARDS; BET ABFF HONORS) John Aboud (HOME ECONOMICS; CLOSE ENOUGH; A FUTILE AND STUPID GESTURE; CHILDRENS HOSPITAL; PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR; LEVERAGE) Jay Abramowitz (FULL HOUSE; GROWING PAINS; THE HOGAN FAMILY; THE PARKERS) David Abramowitz (HIGHLANDER; MACGYVER; CAGNEY AND LACEY; BUCK JAMES; JAKE AND THE FAT MAN; SPENSER FOR HIRE) Gayle Abrams (FRASIER; GILMORE GIRLS) 1 of 72 Jessica Abrams (WATCH OVER ME; PROFILER; KNOCKING ON DOORS) Kristen Acimovic (THE OPPOSITION WITH JORDAN KLEPPER) Nick Adams (NEW GIRL; BOJACK HORSEMAN; BLACKISH)
    [Show full text]
  • “Love Letters to Baltimore”: Civic Memory, Citizenship, and Urban Community Narrative
    45 “Love Letters to Baltimore”: Civic Memory, Citizenship, and Urban Community Narrative Stacy Spaulding Towson University, U.S.A. Newspaper columns offer a unique perspective on civic life, as this exami- nation of the work of two Baltimore newsmen reveals. ––––––––––––––––– My affair with the city of Baltimore became out-in-the-open, I don’t care who knows about it LOVE in the autumn of 1977, when, at the tender age of 19, I began writing about my hometown for publication. In the decades since, as AC/DC so gently put it, “I’ve been around the world. I’ve seen a million girls.” Yet to this day, a half-step slower and thirty years wiser, my obsession with and devotion to the Jewel of the Pa- tapsco remains the longest intimate relationship of my life. My beloved— Crabtown in all its shame and glory—is the hard-headed, kind-hearted lover with whom I am in a constant state of reconciliation. It’s the romance that has survived all others. ‘Til death, my sad and gorgeous baby, do us part. — Rafael Alvarez, A Love Letter to Baltimore1 ust as it is important to recognize the “different national manifestations”2 Jof literary journalism, this study argues for investigation of the little-noted regional varieties as well. This paper focuses on the five published books by former Baltimore Sun journalists Michael Olesker and Rafael Alvarez, three Literary Journalism Studies Vol. 4, No. 2, Fall 2012 46 Literary Journalism Studies of which are compilations of their newspaper work. In works such as Journeys to the Heart of Baltimore and Hometown Boy, these writers document city life, history, culture, and identity.
    [Show full text]
  • November 4, 2020 As Members of the Writers Guild of America, East, We Are Proud to Stand with Our Comrades on the Staff of the C
    November 4, 2020 As members of the Writers Guild of America, East, we are proud to stand with our comrades on the staff of the Committee to Protect Journalists in their demand for a fair contract. The WGA East and CPJ share an institutional commitment to advocating for the safety, security, and freedom of writers. We therefore urge CPJ management to reinforce that commitment by agreeing to a union contract which: • fosters a more diverse, equitable, and sustainable workplace through increased salary minimums and fair across-the-board pay increases; and • demonstrates CPJ's recognition of—and investment in—their staff's work by codifying the organization's health and retirement benefits in the contract. After a year of negotiations,Deadline it's time for a contract at the Committee to Protect Journalists. In solidarity and support, Megan Abbott (THE DEUCE, DARE ME) Doug Abeles (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE; BUNK; WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE; EXPLORER TALK SHOW) Laura Adamczyk (THE AV CLUB/THE ONION) Carlin Adelson (CUDDLING WITH CARLIN) Jonathan Adler (THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON) Marisol Adler (FALLING WATER) Nick Adrian (OPTOMEN) Subhah Agarwal (THE JIM JEFFRIES SHOW) Rory Albanese (THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART; THE NIGHTLY SHOW WITH LARRY WILMORE) Jan Albert (CBS NEWS; NBC NEWS; ABC NEWS) Kathleen Alcott (AMERICA WAS HARD TO FIND) Georgianna Aldaco (MIRACLE WORKERS) Nathan Alexander (VALKYRIE) 1 Shant Alexander (VOX MEDIA) Kristin Alexandre (DEAD RECKONING; GREY LADY) Ozzie Alfonso (3-2-1 CONTACT; AMIGOS) Leo Allen (SATURDAY
    [Show full text]
  • Gender, Genre, and Seriality in the Wire and Weeds
    DEALING WITH DRUGS: GENDER, GENRE, AND SERIALITY IN THE WIRE AND WEEDS By AMY LONG A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2008 1 © 2008 Amy Long 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like especially to thank my director, Trysh Travis, for her guidance, encouragement, and support throughout the writing process and my time at the University of Florida as a whole. Additionally, my committee members, Florence Babb and Joseph Spillane, deserve thanks for their participation in the project and particularly for, respectively, allowing me to work out some of the ideas presented here in here in her seminar fall 2007, Sex Love & Globalization, and providing me with useful reference materials and guidance. I would also like to thank LaMonda Horton Stallings for giving me the opportunity to develop substantial portions of my chapter on The Wire in her fall 2007 seminar, Theoretical Approaches to Black Popular Culture. In her spring 2008 seminar, History of Masculinities, Louise Newman also provided me with valuable theoretical resources, particularly with regard to the thesis’ first chapter. Mallory Szymanski, my Women’s Studies colleague, deserves acknowledgement for her role in making the last two years enjoyable and productive, particularly during the thesis writing process. I would also like to thank my parents for their support in all my endeavors. Lastly, my sisters, Beverly and Cassie Long, and friends who are too numerous to name (but know who they are) deserve special acknowledgment for giving me much needed diversions and generally putting up with me during this busy time.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating Tragic Spectators: Rebellion and Ambiguity in World Tragedy
    CREATING TRAGIC SPECTATORS: REBELLION AND AMBIGUITY IN WORLD TRAGEDY by Christopher D. Love A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Comparative Literature) in The University of Michigan 2009 Doctoral Committee: Professor Vassilios Lambropoulos, Co-Chair Associate Professor Yopie Prins, Co-Chair Associate Professor Santiago Colas Associate Professor John A.Whittier-Ferguson 2009 Christopher Davis Love All Rights Reserved Acknowledgments Above all, I want to recognize the important—the vital—contributions that others have made to this dissertation. My first thanks go to Yopie Prins and Vassilis Lambropoulos who have shepherded this project from inception to end. Both have gone far beyond the call of duty in providing invaluable direction, advice, insight, inspiration, friendship and encouragement. I absolutely could not have done it without them. Vassilis at one point noted that Yopie was the Olympic decathlete of dissertation advisors, and I can attest that this is absolutely true. Thank you, thank you. I am grateful, too, to Santiago Colas and John Whittier-Ferguson, who have, throughout my studies and research at the University of Michigan, patiently and generously guided me through many a maze of my own making, always taking the time to foster ideas and provide direction. I am also indebted to my colleagues in Comparative Literature and Great Books, who provided me with fond memories of my time in Ann Arbor. I would like to thank H.D. Cameron for his constant support, advice and friendship. Thanks to my cohort—Mike Kicey, Adeline Koh, Liansu Meng and Nicholas Theisen—with whom I shared my graduate experience and who provided me with valuable advice, support and debate along the way.
    [Show full text]