The Oxford Handbook of Country Music

Travis D. Stimeling is Associate Professor of Musicology and Director of the Bluegrass and Old-Time Bands at West Virginia University. He is the author or editor of several books, including Songwriting in Contemporary West Virginia: Profiles and Reflections (2018), Fifty Cents and a Box Top: The Creative Life of Nashville Session Musician Charlie McCoy (2017), The Oxford Handbook of Country Music (2017), The Country Music Reader (OUP, 2015), Cosmic Cowboys and New Hicks: The Countercultural Sounds of Austin's Progressive Country Music Scene (OUP, 2011), and Nashville Cats: Record Production in Music City (OUP, May 2020). He served as a Senior Editor for The Grove Dictionary of American Music, 2nd ed. (OUP, 2013), and he currently serves as the book review editor for the Journal of the Society for American Music and as series editor for West Virginia University Press's Sounding Appalachia series. He also serves on the board of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.

• CONTRIBUTORS INTRODUCTION: Situating Country Music Studies Travis D. Stimeling Chapter 1: "Come Hither to Go Yonder": The Folklorist's Zigzag Path to Country Music StudiesErika Brady Chapter 2: The "Southernness" of Country Music Patrick Huber Chapter 3: The Country Music Association, The Country Music Foundation, and Country Music's HistoryDiane Pecknold Chapter 4: Country Music as Cultural Practice Clifford R. Murphy Chapter 5: Geography and Country Music: Constructing "Geo-Cultural" IdentitiesJada Watson Chapter 6: On the Notion of "Old-Time" in Country Music Greg Reish Chapter 7: Country Music and Recording Practice Travis D. Stimeling Chapter 8: The Singing Voice in Country Music Stephanie Vander Wel Chapter 9: This Machine Plays Country Music: Invention, Innovation, and the Pedal Steel GuitarTim Sterner Miller Chapter 10: Country Music and the Recording Industry Charles L. Hughes Chapter 11: Country Radio: The Dialectic of Format and GenreEric Weisbard Chapter 12: Country Music and TelevisionTracey E.W. Laird Chapter 13: Country Music and FilmBarry Mazor Chapter 14: The Sociology of Country MusicRichard Lloyd Chapter 15: Class in Country MusicLeigh H. Edwards Chapter 16: Race in Country Music ScholarshipOlivia Carter Mather Chapter 17: Gendered Stages: Country Music, Authenticity, and the Performance of GenderKristine M. McCusker Chapter 18: Sexuality in Country MusicPamela Fox Chapter 19: On the Sacred in Country MusicStephen Shearon Chapter 20: Goin' Hillbilly Nuts: Fashion Culture and Visual Style in Country MusicCaroline Gnagy Chapter 21: Whither the Two-Step: Country Dance Re-Writes Its Musical LineageJocelyn R. Neal Chapter 22: "These Are My People": The Politics of Country MusicJason Mellard Chapter 23: Country Music and Fan CultureJonathan Wynn Chapter 24: What's International About International Country Music?: Country Music and National Identity around the WorldNathan D. Gibson INDEX

It might seem surprising that a book on country music is now part of the scholarly 'Oxford Handbooks' series. However, the nature of this book demonstrates that it clearly belongs there. Potential readers might not know what to expect from such a title, but they will find that it provides an informative literature review summarizing the state of research for country music. In his introduction, Stimeling (West Virginia Univ.) states that more thorough research has been done about the early history of country music and that scholarly coverage of its more recent history is marginal compared to that done on rock, pop, and jazz. Stimeling has assembled essays from an impressive group of scholars not only in music but also in fields such as history and folklore. They provide thought-provoking material, much of which has insightful an interdisciplinary perspective. This book is a welcome contribution to serious research on country music.