Call for Book Chapter Proposals: "Frontier Mythology and Poverty, 1885 to 1923: Reading the Dark Side of the Progressive Era"

Frontier Mythology and Poverty, 1885 to 1923: Reading the Dark Side of the Progressive Era explores the complex relationship between the rise of frontier mythology and the acceptance of social inequality in America. This interdisciplinary collection explores how Western mythology, spread through popular media, may have eclipsed late 19th-century movements for equity, such as the Knights of Labor's efforts to promote racial and gender equality, alongside workers' rights.

During this era, the mythic identity of rugged individualism was gaining an unshakable hold on the American imagination through Dime and literary novels, advertising campaigns, and silent film westerns that served to authorize continued imbalance on multiple levels. As marked by the phenomenal success of the silent film The Covered Wagon (1923) which eulogized the pioneering spirit, a simplistic understanding of the American frontier as the defining feature of American identity was firmly in place by the end of this time. Also in place, was a broad acceptance of a permanent lower class as evidenced by the portrayal of the working poor in film alongside the public consensus, not to eradicate, but to clean up the slums.

In contrast to this understanding, the collection uncovers lesser-known counter-narratives that challenged the dominant frontier myth and may have promoted greater social equity. By juxtaposing these competing discourses, the book offers a nuanced view of how different cultural narratives shaped socioeconomic structures and mobility during this pivotal era.

By critically examining how mythologies of the West were both constructed and resisted during the Progressive Era, this work aims to understand its relationship to a national understanding of social hierarchies. Essays may explore how this mythology was invoked in discussions of gender, sexuality, race, and economic well-being. Alternatively, chapters may analyze cultural artifacts—such as books, plays, poetry, songs, and films—that challenged or critiqued these narratives, offering audiences a means of questioning frontier mythology from 1885 to 1923.

While I welcome essays on a wide range of topics, I am specifically needing essays on the following:

• Simon Pokagon
• Zitkala-Ša
• Helen Hunt Jackson
• Socialism
• Mormonism

The collection invites individual and co-authored pieces for chapters of 5000 to 8000 words. All submissions must be original contributions and may not be under consideration for possible publication elsewhere. All chapters will undergo peer review.

Please submit your 500-word proposal and a short author bio to Margie Judd via email at margieejudd@gmail.com.

Inquiries and Abstracts:

• Questions and preliminary discussions are welcome at any time
• Submission Deadline: February 25, 2025
• Acceptance Date: March 15, 2025
• Chapter submissions: September 1, 2025

About the editor: Margie Judd, PhD, is an adjunct instructor in Core Humanities at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her article, “Gunshots, Indian Scouts and Train Robberies: Frontier Mythology in William Dean Howells’ Hazard of New Fortunes appears in the August 2020 issue of Western American Literature.