{"pk":62355,"title":"Western Parks and the American Character","subtitle":null,"abstract":"In his 1984 keynote address at the Parks in the West Conference, historian William E. Brown explores how myth, landscape, and the evolving American character intersect in the context of western parks and preserved lands. Drawing inspiration from Joseph Campbell's notion that mythologies evolve with landscapes and technologies, Brown reflects on the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a foundational American myth rooted in untouched wilderness and the yearning for Eden. He contrasts their awe and discovery with the stark changes wrought by industrialization, which have altered and erased much of the natural and cultural landscape they once traversed. Brown argues that western parks now serve as sanctuaries for these diminishing myths and experiences, offering spiritual and psychological refuge from modern life. He questions whether the American character—shaped by frontier experiences and mythic landscapes—can endure in a world that increasingly constrains it. Affirming his romantic longing for myth and wildness, Brown defends the importance of preserving both land and the cultural identity it sustains.","language":"eng","license":{"name":"","short_name":"","text":null,"url":""},"keywords":[],"section":"Article","is_remote":true,"remote_url":"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4fz6t17x","frozenauthors":[{"first_name":"William","middle_name":"E.","last_name":"Brown","name_suffix":"","institution":"","department":""}],"date_submitted":null,"date_accepted":null,"date_published":"1984-01-01T21:00:00+03:00","render_galley":null,"galleys":[{"label":"PDF","type":"pdf","path":"https://journalpub.escholarship.org/gwf/article/62355/galley/48192/download/"}]}