State of Mind: Texas Literature and Culture by Tom Pilkington (review)

Book Reviews 481 m e r e ly t h e m e a n d se t t in g ; it is a c t u a lly a “ lo a d e d p sy c h o se x u a l sy m ­ b o l ” ( 1 2 6 ) . A n d w h e n L e n a L in g a r d sa y s o f t h e p r a ir ie “ It a i n ’t m in e ,” sh e is e x p l o i t in g a n d c r it iq u in g t h o se “ A m e r ic a n e x p r e ssiv e t r a d it io n s t h a t fo r g e sy m b o lic lin k s b e t w e e n w o m e n ’s b o d ie s a n d fr o n t ie r l a n d ­ sc a p e s ” ( 1 2 6 ) . L in d e m a n n h e r se l f a d m it s t h a t su c h a n a n a ly sis m a y a p p e a r t o b e “ a p a r a n o id fe m in ist a lle g o r y o n t h e e v ils o f m a le a u t h o r ­ it y ” ( 1 2 7 ) . O f c o u r se , t h a t ’s ju st w h a t it is. So m e r e a d e r s m ay e n t h u sia st ic a ll y e n d o r se t h e id e a s e x p r e sse d in t h is v o lu m e . O t h e r s w ill w o n d e r w h a t e v e r h a p p e n e d t o a g r e a t w o r k o f a r t t h a t g r a c e fu lly e u lo g iz e d a n in d o m it a b le p io n e e r w o m a n . State of M i n d : T exas Literatu re an d Cu ltu re. By T o m P i lk i n g t o n . C o lle g e S t a t i o n : T e x a s A & M U n iv e r sit y P r e ss, 1 9 9 8 . 1 92 p a g e s, $ 2 4 - 9 5 . R e v ie w e d b y C i n d y W a l l a c e L e T o u r n e a u U n iv e r sit y , D a lla s A sse r t in g t h a t T e x a s h a s “g e n e r a t e d it s o w n lit e r a r y t r a d it io n ” d is­ t in c t fr o m t h e r e g io n a l lit e r a t u r e s su r r o u n d in g it , T o m P ilk in g t o n t ie s h is a r g u m e n t la r g e ly t o t h e st r e n g t h a n d p o p u la r it y o f T e x a s as a m y t h o...