David Lynch and the American West
Essays on Regionalism and Indigeneity in Twin Peaks and the Films
Edited by Rob E. King, Christine Self and Robert G. Weaver
Average rating:
0 | rating | ![]() |
0 | rating | ![]() |
0 | rating | ![]() |
0 | rating | ![]() |
Your rating: -
Book Presentation:
This collection convenes diverse analyses of David Lynch’s newly conceived, dreamlike neo-noir representations of the American West, a first in studies of regionalism and indigeneity in his films. Twelve essays and three interviews address Lynch’s image of the American West and its impact on the genre. Fans and scholars of David Lynch’s work will find a study of his interpretations of the West as place and myth, spanning from his first feature film, Eraserhead (1977), through the third season of Twin Peaks in 2017. Symbols of the West in Lynch’s work can be as obvious as an Odessa, Texas street sign or as subtle as the visual themes rooted in indigenous artistry. Explorations of cowboy masculinity, violence, modern frontier narratives and representations of indigeneity are all included in this collection.
About the authors:
Rob E. King is an associate librarian at Texas Tech University’s Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library and a doctoral student in English at Texas Tech University. He has contributed to 25YL, Blue Rose Magazine, Twin Peaks Unwrapped podcast and published in New American Notes Online and the West Texas Historical Review.
Christine Self, Ph.D. has worked in higher education for nearly 20 years. Her research interests include family involvement in higher education, the experiences of women in higher education, women’s and gender studies, and sexual violence prevention in higher education. She lives in Lubbock, Texas and serves as the director for Family Outreach and Engagement at Texas Tech University, Parent & Family Relations.
Robert G. Weaver is the manuscript archivist within Texas Tech University’s Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, where he coordinates making both physical and digital archival collections available. He served as editor of the West Texas Historical Review for the West Texas Historical Association.
Press Reviews:
• "An excellent contribution to the study of the western genre, notions of the border and frontier, and the role of the indigenous in Lynch’s oeuvre."— Stacy Rusnak, professor of film, Georgia Gwinnett College
• "A strong contribution to the field…. This is the first book to both identify and deeply explore the signature importance of the American West to Lynch’s oeuvre."—Sara L. Spurgeon, professor of American literature, Texas Tech University
• "Fascinating."—Roundup Magazine
See the publisher website: McFarland & Co
See the complete filmography of David Lynch on the website: IMDB ...
> On a related topic:
The Oneiric in the Films of David Lynch (2026)
A Phenomenological Approach
Subject: Director > David Lynch
David Lynch's American Dreamscape (2025)
Music, Literature, Cinema
by Mike Miley
Subject: Director > David Lynch
Networked David Lynch (2023)
Critical Perspectives on Cinematic Transmediality
Dir. Marcel Hartwig, Andreas Rauscher and Peter Niedermuller
Subject: Director > David Lynch
Freud/Lynch (2022)
Behind the Curtain
Dir. Jamie Ruers and Stefan Marianski
Subject: Director > David Lynch