Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Nike Missile Fail: When Elk City And Clinton Almost Went Nuclear, Landry Brewer

Faculty Articles & Research

The Cold War entered an intense new phase in August of 1949 when the Soviet Union successfully detonated its first atomic bomb, and the United States lost the nuclear hegemony that it had enjoyed since the end of World War II in 1945...

Negative Estrangement: Fantasy And Race In The Drow And Drizzt Do’Urden, Steven Holmes

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay introduces the concept of negative estrangement to help understand current cultural interventions into the norms of depicting fantasy races. First, this essay builds on Shklovsky’s concept of estrangement to describe the literary practice of negative estrangement, wherein artists craft “more evil” foes based on hybridized amalgamations of stereotypes to create antipathy toward a subject, be it monster or fantasy race. This practice is sometimes used in service of confronting the issue of race and racism, despite seeming to reify or rearticulate racist stereotypes.

This essay builds on Tolkien’s argument in favor of creating “more evil” foes to exemplify …

Stafford Collection Review, The Conservation Center, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Library Grants

This report evaluating the Thomas P. Stafford Collection has been made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Mythos Series (Mythos: The Greek Myths Reimagined, Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined, And Troy: The Greek Myths Reimagined) By Stephen Fry, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Articles & Research

Book review of Stephen Fry's Mythos series, reviewed by Phillip Fitzsimmons.

The Felix Culpa In Tolkien's Legendarium: A Catalyst For Character And Reader Transformation, Nathan C J Hood

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Examines the role of the felix culpa, or ‘happy fault’, in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. The article argues that this motif, originating within the Christian theological tradition, was adapted by Tolkien into the guiding structure of Middle-earth’s grand narrative. It shows the importance of the felix culpa in Tolkien’s secondary world by analysing the trope’s role in the Ainulindale and The Silmarillion. It then moves to consider the ways in which the presence of happy faults in The Lord of the Rings has a transformative impact upon the morality and spirituality of its characters and readers.

Discovering Dune: Essays On Frank Herbert’S Epic Saga., Edited By Dominic J. Nardi And N. Trevor Brierly, G. Connor Salter

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

G. Connor Salter reviews Discovering Dune: Essays on Frank Herbert’s Epic Saga, edited by Dominic J. Nardi and N. Trevor Brierly, considering its new contributions to studies of Frank Herbert's work. Essays included fit into four categories (Politics and Power, History and Religion, Biology and Ecology, and Philosophy, Choice and Ethics) and range from Herbert's use of ecology in Dune to how game theory may help explain certain characters' apparent ability to see the future. Discovering Dune also includes an appendix which contains the only up-to-date bibliography of Herbert's work (primary and secondary sources).

The Gallant Edith Bratt: J.R.R. Tolkien’S Inspiration By Nancy Bunting And Seamus Hamill-Keays, María Fernández Portaencasa

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

No abstract provided.

Delving Too Greedily: Analyzing Prejudice Against Tolkien's Dwarves As Historical Bias, Mitchell T. Dennis, Kenton Sena

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Tolkien's writings are imbued with the perspectives of their narrators and within them, the narrators' biases. This is most evident in the bias against the dwarves, particularly in the third age. Dismissing testimonials from neutral sources and dwarves alike, scholars have continuously inaccurately treated the anti-dwarf bias as a criticism of the Dwarves’ relationship with nature. The criticisms levelled by scholars have led to the dwarves being dismissed as particularly environmentally destructive, a direct contradiction to how the dwarves interact with natural spaces and how they construct their own. Consequently, a more nuanced reading of the dwarves lends itself to …

Is Superman Circumcised? The Complete Jewish History Of The World’S Greatest Hero By Roy Schwartz, Gabriel C. Salter

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

In Is Superman Circumcised?, Russell Schwartz provides a historical overview of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's creation of the comic book character Superman, arguing that Siegel and Shuster's backgrounds in Jewish immigrants gives a particularly Jewish subtext to their character. Schwartz builds on this argument with a larger historical overview of American comic book publishing, showing how Judaism and Jewish-American immigrant experiences have informed that industry from its earliest days.

The Nurse Of Elfland: Lizzie Endicott And C.S. Lewis, Reggie Weems

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

In Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis introduced Lizzie Endicott as the first of two "other blessings" in his childhood, even before his introduction of Warnie. But apart from his abbreviated 136-word biography, very little is known about the nurse who introduced Lewis to faery tales. Based on the Lewis Family Papers, genealogical research, and personal interviews with Lizzie’s relatives, this article introduces Lizzie to the world of Lewismania. It also suggests various ways in which Lizzie influenced the man and the author that C.S. Lewis became, as well as the mythical worlds he created and Lewis’s anonymous tributes to …

Tellers Of Dark Fairy Tales: Common Themes In The Works Of C.S. Lewis And Terence Fisher, Gabriel C. Salter

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This article explores connections between C.S. Lewis and filmmaker Terence Fisher, notably how their works explore themes like the charm of evil, white magic’s dubious nature, and myth hinting at divine truths. By viewing these themes, Fisher and Lewis’s common views on fairy tales, and how feedback informed their work, scholars discover nuance in the perceived “Inklings versus secular British culture” dichotomy.

Kansas And The Cold War, Landry Brewer

Faculty Articles & Research

Because of its part in the nation's nuclear arsenal, in a movie depicting nuclear war, and in providing an American President, Kansas's Cold War rol was among the nations most important.

Fantastic Creatures In Mythology And Folklore: From Medieval Times To Present Day By Juliette Wood, Tiffany Brooke Martin

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

No abstract provided.

Maurice Halperin: From Sooner Subversive To Soviet Spy, Landry Brewer

Faculty Articles & Research

Maurice Halperin was a University of Oklahoma (OU) professor in the late 1930s and early 1940s when the state’s governor and legislature began actively pursuing Communists in higher education. After Halperin fell under suspicion, he left the university for a job with the federal government’s wartime intelligence agency. Still under a cloud of suspicion, Halperin eventually fled the country, never to return. Shortly after the Cold War ended, evidence emerged verifying the allegations made by his accusers that, during the 1930s, Maurice Halperin was a covert Oklahoma Communist who later betrayed his country by committing espionage for the Soviet Union.

Game Of Thrones Versus History: Written In Blood. Brian Pavlac, Joseph Young

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

No abstract provided.

Foreword, Jur Editorial Staff

SWOSU Journal of Undergraduate Research

The SWOSU Journal of Undergraduate Research (SWOSU JUR), a journal developed and run by SWOSU students and faculty, is pleased to present its inaugural issue. The mission of the SWOSU JUR is to showcase the diverse research activities happening at our institution, and we hope to achieve this goal in the following ways: promote a collaborative atmosphere that encourages research and scholarly activities; foster mentor/mentee relationships between faculty and students; publicize original intellectual and creative contributions by students and faculty; and provide opportunities to engage in all aspects of research and scholarly activities.

Selected Poems, Sandra Pratt

SWOSU Journal of Undergraduate Research

Selected Poems by Sandra Pratt includes:

Drowning Doll

Making Out Words

O Poseidon

The Legend Of The Miskito Indians: A Literary Translation Project, Alyssa Friesen

SWOSU Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project began in the spring of 2014 for the class of Intermediate Spanish Composition and Grammar. In class the object was to read this particular legend, but I decided to take that a step further and do a translation of it in order for me to better understand it. This is a literary translation, which is the most difficult type of translation which is why I used certain theories of translation to help get an accurate translation for the textbook Introduction to Spanish Translation by Jack Child. By applying these methods of translation, I was able to get an …

Eroticism Or Neo-Platonism?: The Case In The Sonnet “Detente Sombra De Mi Bien Esquivo,” By Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz, Juan Manuel Ramirez Velazquez

SWOSU Journal of Undergraduate Research

This essay is an in depth analysis of the poem “Detente sombra de mi bien esquivo “, by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the most important poet of the Spanish American Baroque period. This sonnet has been traditionally interpreted as a love poem, more specifically from the Neo Platonic traditions of the European Renaissance. Some scholars have also proposed an analysis of the poem based on the mysticism. In my analysis, I propose a new interpretation based on the eroticism tradition and style. This tradition can also be found in the poetry written in Spain by other authors that …

Art, Music, And Poetry: Artistic Documentation During The Holocaust, Lauren Beauregard

SWOSU Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to Theodor Adorno, “to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.”¹ Of course, poetry was written during the Holocaust as well as after. More accurately, Nina Apfelbaum argued that “reading the memoirs, diaries and works of fiction written by Holocaust survivors provides another dimension to an understanding of the Holocaust.”² During the Holocaust, Jewish artists used their abilities to create works as a way to both document their everyday lives as well as to reclaim humanity in the German concentration camps.

The Missiles Of Oklahoma: Southwest Oklahoma's Role In The American Cold War Nuclear Arsenal, 1960-65, Landry Brewer

Faculty Articles & Research

To counter the Soviet Union’s Cold War nuclear threat, the United States government enhanced its offensive nuclear capability in the 1950s by creating intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the Soviet Union. The first American ICBM was the Atlas missile. Southwest Oklahoma near Altus Air Force Base (AFB) played a crucial role in the nation’s nuclear arsenal from 1960 through 1965 by building several missile launch sites that housed Atlas F missiles. The state was rewarded with jobs, massive amounts of federal dollars spent here, and the satisfaction of deterring Soviet aggression while defending the nation against possible attack.

Oklahoma Missile Site: Aiming For The Historic Marker, Landry Brewer

Faculty Articles & Research

Goal: Place a historic marker at the site near Willow, Oklahoma, that housed an Atlas F intercontinental Ballistic Missile 1962-1965.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University issued a press release about my historic marker fundraising endeavor and partnership with the Old Greer County Museum. In addition to the story being broadcast by local radio stations and printed by local newspapers. KFOR NewsChannel 4 in Oklahoma City broadcast a segment during a Wednesday evening newscast that was rebroadcast multiple times through the following weekend. Also, the Old Greer County Museum included the release in its emailed newsletter, and one of the newsletter's readers …

09. Sociology, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

08. Political Science, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

07. History, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

05. Geography, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

02. English, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

01. Communication, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

01. Communication, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

05. Geography, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.