The Everest effect : nature, culture, ideology

183 Pages·01.562 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Mazzolini

THE
EVEREST
EFFECT
RHETORIC, CULTURE, AND SOCIAL CRITIQUE
Series Editor
John Louis Lucaites
Editorial Board
Jeffrey A. Bennett
Barbara Biesecker
Carole Blair
Joshua Gunn
Robert Hariman
Debra Hawhee
Claire Sisco King
Steven Mailloux
Raymie E. McKerrow
Toby Miller
Phaedra C. Pezzullo
Austin Sarat
Janet Staiger
Barbie Zelizer
THE
EVEREST
EFFECT
Nature, Culture, Ideology
ELIZABETH MAZZOLINI
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALAB AMA PRESS
Tuscaloosa
The University of Ala bama Press
Tuscaloosa, Ala bama 35487–0380
uapress.ua.edu
Copyright © 2015 by the University of Ala bama Press
All rights reserved.
Inquiries about reproducing material from this work should be addressed to the
University of Ala bama Press.
Typeface: Granjon
Manufactured in the United States of America
Cover design: Erin Bradley Dangar / Dangar Design
∞
The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of
Ameri can National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48–1984.
Cataloging- in- Publication data is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978- 0- 8173- 1893- 2
E- ISBN: 978- 0- 8173- 8912- 3
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction: Extremity and Ambivalence 1
1. Breathless Subjects: Authenticity and Oxygen 20
2. Exaggerated Energy: Utility and Food 41
3. Heightened Stakes: Individuality and Communication 64
4. Sublime- o- Rama: Extremity and IMAX 85
5. Redefining Access: Ability and Money 109
Conclusion: The Power of the Example 133
Notes 141
Bibliography 149
Index 157

Acknowledgments
My biggest debt of gratitude regarding this book is owed to both Jeff Nealon
and Rich Doyle, without whose influence and capacities as teachers, men-
tors, and friends I could not have conceived of this project, let alone written it.
Although this debt is split between two people, there is plenty to go around.
The book also benefited from the valuable time and thoughts of many
people. At Penn State Megan Brown, Dan Conway, Jeremiah Dyehouse,
Valerie Hanson, Janet Holtman, Amitava Kumar, Melissa Littlefield, Janet
Lyon, Ryan Netzley, Jenny Rice, Marika Siegel, Jillian Smith, Susan Squier,
and Shannon Walter all provided valuable feedback. At Rochester Institute
of Technology I had engaged readers in Doris Borelli, Lisa Hermsen, Melissa
Nicolas, Laura Shackelford, and Katie Terezakis. At Virginia Tech I found
an especially helpful writing group just in the nick of time with Elizabeth
Austin and Liesl Allingham. Bernice Hausman’s expert mentoring has been
invaluable. My collaborations with Stephanie Foote have been enormously en-
riching in a number of registers. I am very lucky to know Devon Johnson and
to have been able to draw on her work ethic and intelligence to help me com-
plete the manuscript. Social support can be just as intellectually nurturing
as writing advice, and I received social support in abundance from many of
the above people, as well as from Marco Abel, Danna Agmon, Hester Blum,
Tony Ceraso, Brooke Conti, Jodi Dean, Jonathan Eburne, Leisha Jones, Jeff
Karnicky, Erika Meitner, John Muckelbauer, Phil Olson, Jeremy Packer, Kelly
Pender, Katy Powell, Will Roberts, Emma Rose, Emily Satterwhite, Joe Scal-
lorns, Marla Scarola, Sarah Sharma, Dan Smith, and Matthew Vollmer. I will
always be indebted to readers at the University of Ala bama Press, whose con-
structive input on an early version of the manuscript sharpened my thinking
viii / Acknowledgments
and focused my writing. Material support from the College of Liberal Arts
and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech came in very useful, to say the least.
Dan Waterman ushered this book and me through the publication process
nimbly, and I will always be especially grateful to him.
A version of chapter 1 previously appeared in Theory and Event, and a ver-
sion of chapter 2 previously appeared in Cultural Critique. I am grateful to
the editors of those journals and the readers of my articles for their comments,
which allowed me to improve the articles and also the chapters subsequently
based on them.
I am grateful to my family for their curiosity and support regarding this
project. My ongoing conversation with Debbie Hawhee deserves mention here
because it sustains me with insight and hilarity regarding all things personal
and professional. And my greatest and most joyfully shouldered burden of
debt is to Chad Lavin, who makes possible everything I do. This book is
dedicated to him, and to Walter, who I hope never, ever, ever climbs Mount
Everest.
THE
EVEREST
EFFECT