Reading Ray: Reflections on Ray B. Browne's Writings and Reviews

Abstract

Writing about Ray B. Browne is a labor of love. Ray said things that others were reluctant to say and wrote about odd topics, such as wallpaper, of little interest to the conventional academic. He had a major impact on innumerable lives and careers; for those who knew him well, he was a mentor, a colleague, and, for some, a hero. He spearheaded a new area of study, and his contributions to popular and American culture studies are legendary. Many who met Ray for the first time saw him as larger than life. He wrote or edited over seventy books, some of the most important of which are reassessed in this issue's book review section. He also persistently challenged graduate students and junior faculty to publish, present their scholarship, and ultimately become involved in the Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association. It was imperative to him that these organizations continue to evolve and thrive, and it is to his credit and tireless efforts that the PCA/ACA is still alive and well today with over three thousand members, representing many academic disciplines. As a former president of the PCA/ACA, I made two promises to Ray that were crucial for him: (1) that the two associations would continue to operate in the spirit in which they had been created- as a forum for scholars who didn't quite fit into other professional societies (Ray always did preach inclusivity rather than exclusivity), and (2) that the PCA/ACA would contribute to the Ray and Pat Browne Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green State University on a regular basis. I keep both of these promises. After Ray retired from his longtime position as founding editor of The Journal of Popular Culture and The Journal of American Culture, he continued on as book review editor of the latter. A prolific scholar, he not only oversaw a stable of reviewers but also contributed more than four hundred reviews himself. Although not exhaustive, a list of his reviews from March 2003 (26:1) through March 2010 (33:1), compiled by Camille McCutcheon, follows this essay. These reviews tell the story of a decade's worth of scholarship in American culture. It was not uncommon to read an assessment from Ray on almost any aspect of popular culture. He tried to include reviews (by himself or others) of every book that he received. This was particularly beneficial for teachers and scholars in that it enabled them to rapidly access new works in their fields and discover alternative texts for both undergraduate and graduate courses. Some of Ray's most unforgettable contributions from 2003 include reviews of books about Memorial Day, the Circus Age, and the Great Chicago Fire, as well as a portrait of Amazing Grace, America's most beloved song. In 2004, Ray penned analyses of publications about The West Wing and the American presidency, medieval food, and the Hardy Boys. …