Petrocultures

Sheena Wilson is associate professor of English and cultural studies at the University of Alberta.Adam Carlson is a PhD candidate in English and film studies at the University of Alberta.Imre Szeman is Canada Research Chair in Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta.

"Offering a diverse collection of historical, geographical, and literary scholarship, Petrocultures expands the reach of the Energy Humanities and helps to solidify Canadian leadership in this interdisciplinary venture. The collection represents a major contribution to research on the cultural dimensions of the extractive economies of fossil fuel." Stephanie LeMenager, University of Oregon "This comprehensive collection opens the lid on a barrel of oil and analyzes it from nearly every angle possible: as an infrastructural network, a complicated material substance, an aesthetic, and a philosophical problem. A valuable text featuring the best from the burgeoning field of the energy humanities." Matthew T Huber, Maxwell School of Syracuse University "Today, oil is everywhere. Yet, we will have to start leaving more of it in the ground if we are going to do what is right for ourselves, our futures, and our environments. Petrocultures helps to make visible how oil has shaped our lives, economies, and cultures, and it also presents visions of alternatives that would transition us away from the burning of fossil fuels. It is an invaluable collection, and it is a welcome extension of the ongoing conversation about how to understand and reshape our energy cultures." Daniel Worden, Rochester Institute of Technology, coeditor of Oil Culture"This interdisciplinary collection of papers includes diverse styles of argumentation: cultural studies, including the visual arts (e.g., Burtynsky's photography and films); pulp fiction; poetry; a radio play; song lyrics; children's videos; and literary criticism and social science analysis. A valuable introduction to the new field of energy humanities." CHOICE