Weird City
Encyclopedia
Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas is a non-fiction scholarly text by Joshua Long published in 2010 by University of Texas Press
. The book uses the "Keep Austin Weird
" movement as a central focus to discuss the social, cultural and economic changes occurring in Austin, Texas
at the beginning of the 21st century. Largely written from a human geography
perspective, Weird City is intended to show the relationship between sense of place
and urban economies, the environment, and the urban cultural landscape.
According to Long, Weird City is a scholarly text written for a mainstream audience including citizens of Austin and other "weird" cities, as well as students of geography, sociology
, anthropology
and urban studies.
Joshua Long is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Southwestern University
.
Mentioned in an American Quarterly review of three 2010 UT Press publications on Austin, Andrew Busch notes the following:
However, Busch also criticizes Long both for an elitist form of "Austin Exceptionalism" and for not fully addressing social justice issues affecting minority populations in Austin:
Overall, Weird City has experienced a very positive reception. In 2010 the book was nominated for the National Council on Public History Book Award.
University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texana, anthropology, U.S...
. The book uses the "Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. The phrase has long been believed to have been coined in 2000 by Red Wassenich, who says he made the comment after giving a pledge to an Austin radio station...
" movement as a central focus to discuss the social, cultural and economic changes occurring in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
at the beginning of the 21st century. Largely written from a human geography
Human geography
Human geography is one of the two major sub-fields of the discipline of geography. Human geography is the study of the world, its people, communities, and cultures. Human geography differs from physical geography mainly in that it has a greater focus on studying human activities and is more...
perspective, Weird City is intended to show the relationship between sense of place
Sense of place
The term sense of place has been defined and used in many different ways by many different people. To some, it is a characteristic that some geographic places have and some do not, while to others it is a feeling or perception held by people...
and urban economies, the environment, and the urban cultural landscape.
According to Long, Weird City is a scholarly text written for a mainstream audience including citizens of Austin and other "weird" cities, as well as students of geography, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and urban studies.
Joshua Long is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Southwestern University
Southwestern University
Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
.
Critical Reception
Weird City has received a welcome reception from local Austin media, including articles featured in the Austin Chronicle and the Austin American Statesman. Scholarly critical reception has also been positive. In a review published in the American Journal of Sociology, Richard Lloyd writes:- Long, an Austin native, pulls off the neat trick of persuasively earning insider status while also achieving critical distance sufficient to identify the many contradictions and inconsistencies contained within local discourses of “creative resistance.” Austin itself is, of course, great material, with a lineup of local characters, icons, and landmarks that persuasively earn its claims to weirdness. Long, an exceptional writer, brings the richness of the milieu and passions of recent controversies vividly to life. The book is thus both an excellent depiction of Austin and its recent history, and an exceptional addition to the growing scholarship on the “creative cities” phenomenon.
Mentioned in an American Quarterly review of three 2010 UT Press publications on Austin, Andrew Busch notes the following:
- Weird City is notable for its ability to illustrate the relationship between sense of place and resistance lucidly; residents who fought to preserve local businesses, for example, and avoid “Houstonization” consciously created meaning for Austin. In an increasingly competitive environment, successful cities must be acutely aware of how they are viewed by potential residents, businesses, and other sources of capital. In Austin, as elsewhere, creating social movements and local culture that are perceived as authentic is paramount to this success, which Long recognizes.
However, Busch also criticizes Long both for an elitist form of "Austin Exceptionalism" and for not fully addressing social justice issues affecting minority populations in Austin:
- Long, for example, avoids analysis of gentrification on Austin’s east side, the historically African American and Latino neighborhoods, even though displacement has been acute there for a decade: he focuses instead on middle-class gentrification in predominantly white contemporary South Austin.
Overall, Weird City has experienced a very positive reception. In 2010 the book was nominated for the National Council on Public History Book Award.
Interviews and reviews
- Dunbar, Wells. "Viva la Resistance." Austin Chronicle, June 4, 2010.
- Dunbar, Wells. The Daily Hustle: 6/3/10. Austin Chronicle, June 3, 2010.
- Ergenbright, Kate. "Austin Expansion Inspires Book." The Daily Texan, July 18, 2010.
- Kobierowski, David. "http://www.austinpost.org/content/the-legend-keep-austin-weird." Austin Post, April 23, 2011.
- NPR: State of the Re:Union "Austin: Growing Pains"
- Tanney, Katherine. "Is Austin still that weird? Maybe for now..." Austin American Statesman, August 7, 2010.
- Wesley, Peter. "Joshua Long's Weird City and the Future of ATX." BookPeople Blog. July 12, 2010.