Mormons and Popular Culture
The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon
by J. Michael Hunter, Editor
December 2012, 577pp, 6 1/8x9 1/4
2 volumes, Praeger

Hardcover: 978-0-313-39167-5
$138, £107, 120€, A190
eBook Available: 978-0-313-39168-2
Please contact your preferred eBook vendor for pricing.

Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Mouse, and the Sundance Film Festival. The invention of television and stereophonic sound, and the development of computer-generated imagery. Stephanie Meyer’s popular Twilight series, and bestselling science fiction and fantasy books. These are just a few of the topics in popular culture with strong connections to Mormon individuals.

Many people are unaware of how influential Mormons have been on American popular culture. This book parts the curtain and looks behind the scenes at the little-known but important influence Mormons have had on popular culture in the United States and beyond.

Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon provides an unprecedented, comprehensive treatment of Mormons and popular culture. Authored by a Mormon studies librarian and author of numerous writings regarding Mormon folklore, culture, and history, this book provides students, scholars, and interested readers with an introduction and wide-ranging overview of the topic that can serve as a key reference book on the topic.

The work contains fascinating coverage on the most influential Mormon actors, musicians, fashion designers, writers, artists, media personalities, and athletes. Some topics—such as the Mormon influence at Disney, and how Mormon inventors have assisted in transforming American popular culture through the inventions of television, stereophonic sound, video games, and computer-generated animation—represent largely unknown information. The broad overview of Mormons and American popular culture offered can be used as a launching pad for further investigation; researchers will find the references within the book’s well-documented chapters helpful.

J. Michael Hunter is Mormon studies librarian and chair of the Religion/Family History Department at the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT. He is a former librarian at the historical department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT. His published works include Mormon Myth-ellaneous, a book about Mormon folklore and urban legends, as well as numerous articles concerning Mormon culture and history. He holds master's degrees in library and information science and in public administration from Brigham Young University and a master of arts degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Reviews

"Overall, this collection is a much-needed addition to a surprising paucity of texts on Mormons and popular culture. . . . [T]his collection provides an accessible, well-sourced research tool for both the general public and the serious scholar."—ARBAonline, January 1, 2015
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