Elmer Mccurdy - The Life and Afterlife of an American Outlaw

"Svenvold offers sharp reflections on the cult of the outlaw and the charms of hucksterism, while staying keenly attuned to the wonderful strangeness of a culture that could transform a corpse into a celebrity."- "The New Yorker"

About the author

Mark Svenvold has published two poetry collections. Soul Data, his second collection, won a Discovery/The Nation award in poetry. His nonfiction has appeared in Harper's Bazaar and elsewhere. He lives in New York City.

Summary

Born 1880. Died 1911. Buried 1977. These are the misadventures of America's most fascinating dead outlaw.

When Elmer McCurdy was shot dead by an Oklahoma sheriff and his posse after a short spree of bungled robberies, he was not laid to rest. Leaning in a corner for a nickel-a-look at the Joseph Johnson Funeral Home, exhibited as a felled outlaw at the sideshows of the Great Patterson Carnival, propped up to illustrate the dangers of marijuana and other vices in Hollywood exploitation movies—Elmer McCurdy became big business. This is his story.

Product details

• Authors: Mark Svenvold
• Publisher: Perseus Books Uk
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 17.09.2003
• EAN: 9780465083497
• ISBN: 978-0-465-08349-7
• No. of pages: 336
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous