Following its meteoric rise, the Emmy award-winning series Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020) has become a cultural force with its catchphrases and meme-able moments. In Class, Identity, and Finding the Right Wine in Schitt’s Creek: A Place To Love, contributors focus on three central themes explored in the series: love, place, and identity. While considering the intersections of these themes, chapters analyze the representation of class, sexuality, community, self-growth, fashion, and fans, putting the show in dialogue with classic literature from Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens, as well as contextualizing it alongside its television peers and predecessors. The book argues that Schitt’s Creek, at its core, derives its power and impact from telling the story of a family whose members reconnect with each other while discovering their own individual selfhoods in the process. Employing philosophical and psychological interpretations, engaging with fan studies, trauma theory, and place studies, and applying feminist and queer readings, chapters offer a variety of lenses through which to read the show. Ultimately, the book argues that Schitt’s Creek’s inclusive ideologies and strongly formed characters encourage a process of self-growth and acceptance with an emotional and intellectual depth that recognizes the value of self and community.
Contributions by:
Max Romanowski,
Nikki Anderson
Edited by:
James Deys,
Kellie Deys,
Nikki Anderson
Imprint: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 237mm,
Width: 161mm,
Spine: 17mm
Weight: 426g
ISBN: 9781666927597
ISBN 10: 1666927597
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 15 May 2024
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Introduction James Deys and Kellie Deys Chapter 1: “Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose”: Schitt’s Creek as an Aseasonal Christmas Show Max Romanowski Chapter 2: Queer Creek: Celebration, Inclusion, and Representation of the LGBTQ+ Community Nikki Anderson Chapter 3: Roses Blooming: Schitt’s Creek and Developing Self-Love Kellie Deys Chapter 4: “A Wealthy Family Who Lost Everything”: What Schitt’s Creek Says About Class and Culture in the 21st Century Erin Giannini Chapter 5: Schitt's Creek as Rural Fantasy: A Transformative Place to Love James Deys Chapter 6: Far From the Madding Crowd: Modernity, Community, and the Rural Imagination in Schitt’s Creek Rebecca Mills Chapter 7: “Walk[ing] Through Life in Really Nice Shoes”: Alexis Rose’s Fashion as Crisis Ordinary and Extreme Domesticity in Schitt’s Creek Christina Xan Chapter 8: Smiling No Matter What: Analyzing the Suppressed Rage of Jocelyn Schitt in Schitt’s Creek Judith Clemens-Smucker Chapter 9: “Um, Yes. Love That Journey For Me.”: Schitt’s Creek Fans and the Stories They Tell Through Fan Art Hannah Sophie Schiffner
James Deys is associate professor of English at Nichols College. Kellie Deys is professor of English at Nichols College. Nikki Anderson is assistant professor of English at Nichols College.
Reviews for Class, Identity, and Finding the Right Wine in Schitt’s Creek: A Place to Love
"""This edited collection is full of theoretically sophisticated articles while still being accessible enough for intelligent undergraduates. I teach a first-year writing course in which my students write mini academic journal articles, and I can see my students using many of the chapters here. They would find the articles on place particularly interesting and useful in thinking about how to incorporate the ideas into their own projects. They would also find the chapters on social class, fashion, and audience reception in part 3 particularly useful for their projects, but would benefit from all of the chapters. I personally particularly enjoyed Erin Giannini's chapter on class and culture, but so many others surprised and often delighted me with their insights into a show I only vaguely knew about (but now look forward to binge-watching!). I will enjoy talking with my students about the book!"" --Karen Honeycutt, Keene State College"
