Lost (and Found) in Disneyland: WLA and Cultural Studies

C a l i f o r n i a D r e a m i n g 177 Blak e A llm e n d in ge r is fu ll P rofessor in th e D e p ar tm en t o f En glish at U C L A . H is r e cen t b ook s in clu d e T e n M o st W an t e d : T h e N e w W e st e rn L it e r at u re (R o u t le d ge 199 8) an d , w it h V aler ie M at su m o to , O v e r th e E d g e : R e m ap p in g th e A m e r ic an W e st (U n iv e r sit y o f C alifo r n ia P ress 1998). L O S T (A N D F O U N D ) IN D IS N E Y LA N D : W L A a n d C u l t u r a l S t u d ie s K r is t a C o m e r Author’s Note: H av in g ju st fin ish ed a b o o k ab o u t th e state o f ou r field an d h av in g litt le fr esh to ad d to th e fin e, r an gin g co m m e n ts o f th e H aslam s, I h o p e read ers w ill in d u lge m ore fan cifu l (th o u gh n o less seriou s) r eflection s o n ou r sch olar ly co m m u n ity — em b od ied m ost fo rm ally by th e W estern Lite r at u r e A sso c ia t io n . I h av e d ay d r eam ed ab o u t So u t h e r n C alifo r n ia an d th e an n u al e xp r essio n o f W LA as a co lle ctiv e body— th e co n fer en ce. I gladly ack n o w led ge in sp ir atio n al d eb ts to th is year’s u p co m in g “W est o f th e W est” m ee tin g in Sac r am e n t o . N o t e s t o w a r d a C o n f e r e n c e , Y e a r 2 0 0 X . S i t e : T h e D i s n e y l a n d H o t e l K id s fly fr ee t o D isn e y la n d o n So u t h w e st A ir lin e s w h e n fam ilie s st ay a t t h e D isn e y la n d H o t e l, ar r iv in g t h r o u gh , a m o n g o t h e r p lace s, t h e Jo h n W ay n e A ir p o r t . Fr o m t h e O ld W e st - st y le b aggage c laim ar e a, c o m p lim e n t a r y sh u t t le s t r a n sp o r t gu e st s t o t h e M a gic a l H o m e o f o n e o f A m e r ic a ’s a ll- t im e m o st p r o fit ab le in d u st r ie s an...