I have read or listened to The Great Gatsby hundreds of times and spent my career as a cultural historian, but the idea for this book took root in early 2007 in a seminar on Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald directed by Phillip Sipiora. Gatsby: The Cultural History of the Great American Novel has been percolating in my mind ever since and the hoopla surrounding the new film adaptation for the last several years made it time for the book to be written. It might seem odd to thank Fitzgerald for writing this book, but to me it would be strange not to, since the creation of this book marked a turning point in his life and, we would later surmise, for the nation, too.
Researching Gatsby, I have incurred many debts. Many educators spoke with me about the novel and film and their joy in teaching it to high school and college students. I would like to thank Quincey Upshaw, who provided wonderful insight from a high school teacher’s perspective, and graciously allowed me to read several papers and assignments of her former students. I would also like to thank Denise Douglas of Greenfield High School (Tennessee). Denise not only gave me her thoughts on Gatsby, but her students participated in my research, answering questions about the novel and 2013 film. Thanks to the young people who took part: Taylor Alderson, Colten McAlister, Logan Galey, Jeremy Lannom, Jessica Witherington, Savannah Ricketts, Lauren Rush, Austin Pence, McCall Scates, Brody Stanford, Kayla Totty, Kalee Kesterson, Tiffani-Amber Whitworth, Kendal Cook, Ashton Pence, Leasha Allen, Alison Williams, Brittany Ricketts, Ashley Cooper, Bethany Cole, Holley Carpenter, Brittany Roney, Matthew Sawyers, Jeffrey Johnson, Jason Fortner, Russell Williams, Jessica Boettner, and several others who chose to remain anonymous. Their insights were invaluable in representing how high school students interpret the novel and film.
I feel fortunate to have a fantastic group of mentors and friends who I can turn to when writing a book takes on the guise of an emotional roller coaster. Thanking them here is a drop in the bucket compared to what they provide. Phillip Sipiora, Don Greiner, Gary Hoppenstand, Lawrence Mazzeno, and Keith Booker are wonderful scholarly role models and guides. Thanks to Jim West, Don Greiner, Phil Sipiora, and Morris Dickstein for early words of encouragement on this project. Other friends offered cheer along the way, including Chris Burtch, Larry Leslie, Kelli Burns, Thomas Heinrich, Gene Sasso, Bill Sledzik, George Cheney, Josef Benson, Ashley Donnelly, and Tom and Kristine Brown. I have been lucky to have many fantastic mentors, whom I would like to thank: Lawrence S. Kaplan, James A. Kehl, Sydney Snyder, Richard Immerman, Peter Magnani, and Anne Beirne. Thanks to my popular culture scholarly teammates: Brendan Riley, Brian Cogan, and Leigh Edwards! I would like to thank my new Thiel College friends, particularly Troy VanAken and Lynn Franken, as well as my colleagues in the Department of Communication and other members of the Thiel family.
From the moment Stephen Ryan and I talked about creating the “Contemporary American Literature” series for Scarecrow Press, I knew we were onto something extraordinary. As the first book in the new series, I hope that Gatsby: The Cultural History of the Great American Novel demonstrates the kind of interdisciplinary, exciting work that we want to publish. Thanks to Stephen and everyone at Scarecrow/Rowman & Littlefield for their work on this book, especially the design team that created the outstanding cover.
My family is incredibly supportive and kind, considering that writing books necessitates long hours of writing and thinking time. Thanks to my parents, Jon and Linda Bowen, for everything they do to make our lives infinitely better. My daughter Kassie thinks I should have written “The Great Catsby,” based on her love of cats and other animals. Her smile and bright eyes bring love and laughter into every moment. My wife Kathy is my pillar of strength and soul mate.