In this Book
- Revelation Countdown
- Book
- 2015
- Published by: The University of Alabama Press
summary
Projects onto the open road not the nirvana of personal freedom, but rather a type of freedom more closely resembling loss of control
While in many ways reaffirming the mythic dimension of being on the road romanticized in American pop and fold culture, Revelation Countdown also subtly undermines that view. These stories project onto the open road not the nirvana of personal freedom, but rather a type of freedom more closely resembling loss of control. Being in constant motion and passing through new environments destabilizes life, casts it out of phase, heightens perception, and skews reactions. Every little problem is magnified to overwhelming dimension. Events segue from slow motion to fast forward. Background noises intrude, causing perpetual wee hour insomnia. Imagination flourishes, often as an enemy. People suddenly discover that they never really understood their travel companions. The formerly stable line of their lives veers off course. In such an atmosphere, the title Revelation Countdown, borrowed from a roadside sign in Tennessee, proves prophetic. It may not arrive at 7:30, but revelation will inevitably find the traveler.
While in many ways reaffirming the mythic dimension of being on the road romanticized in American pop and fold culture, Revelation Countdown also subtly undermines that view. These stories project onto the open road not the nirvana of personal freedom, but rather a type of freedom more closely resembling loss of control. Being in constant motion and passing through new environments destabilizes life, casts it out of phase, heightens perception, and skews reactions. Every little problem is magnified to overwhelming dimension. Events segue from slow motion to fast forward. Background noises intrude, causing perpetual wee hour insomnia. Imagination flourishes, often as an enemy. People suddenly discover that they never really understood their travel companions. The formerly stable line of their lives veers off course. In such an atmosphere, the title Revelation Countdown, borrowed from a roadside sign in Tennessee, proves prophetic. It may not arrive at 7:30, but revelation will inevitably find the traveler.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Acknowledgements
- p. 6
- Revelation Countdown
- pp. 31-48
- Not the End of the World
- pp. 73-84
- Receding Mirages
- pp. 85-98
- On the Circuit
- pp. 99-112
- BMW Conversation
- pp. 113-136
- Between Signs
- pp. 137-153
Additional Information
ISBN
9781573668224
Related ISBN(s)
9780932511737
MARC Record
OCLC
966768943
Pages
153
Launched on MUSE
2017-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
1993