Introduction

Follow the links below to explore historical and cultural contexts for these texts, and to begin the research and inquiry process related to these texts and the questions that might be raised about them.

• Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait (1884) (page 79)
• Billy Collins, "Embrace" (1988) (page 88)
• Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" (1975) (page 103)
• Susan Bordo "The Empire of Images in Our World of Bodies" (2003) (page 105-14)
• Jim Goldberg, images from Raised by Wolves (1995) (page 123)

• Reading Landscapes and Environments (page 177)
• Margaret Cezair-Thompson, "Geography Lessons" (1999) (page 207-10)
• Burning Spear, "My Island" (1997) (page 213-14)
• Bobby Troup, "Route 66" (page 227)

Martin Parr, from Bored Couples (1993) (page 255)
• Images of Child Labor (page 259)
• Examine the role of editing and narration in film (page 263)
• Susan Sontag, from Regarding the Pain of Others (2003) (page 270-77)

• Research GIS and other maps that change the territory (page 351)
• Elizabeth Bishop, "The Map" (1946) (page 354)
• Joan O'C. Hamilton, "A Sharper Picture of Health" (2003) (page 370-77)
• Julian Dibbell, "The Unreal Estate Boom" (2003) (page 388-97)

• Rob Walker, "The Guts of a New Machine" (2003) (page 445-56)
• Sharon Waxman, "A Prius-Hummer War Divides Oscarville" (page 466-9)
• Courtney Leigh Hyan, "My Life, My Cadillac Escalade EXT" (2004) (page 478-9)
• Linda Baker, Salon.com asks "Are you ready for some 'unswooshing'"? (2003) (page 490-7)

• Al Jourgensen, Punkvoter's Letters to Urban Outfitters (2004) (page 535-6)
• Are college students really apathetic? Research the arguments (page 543)
• Lauren Greenfield, Images from Girl Culture (2002) (page 556-7)
• Sue Luftschein, photos from the September 11 Digital Archive (2001) (page 576-80)