Karal Ann Marling
Karal Ann Marling is an American cultural historian and writer. A professor emerita of the University of Minnesota, she is an American studies scholar with a special focus on the visual arts. The New York Times described her as a "keen-eyed critic of American popular culture." One book reviewer described her as a stylistic and intellectual heir to both Erma Bombeck and Tom Wolfe.
Originally from the East Coast, she earned a Ph.D. at Bryn Mawr College before she came to Minnesota in 1977 to teach. She has since become an acknowledged expert on her adopted home state, including on the cultural significance of state fairs and shopping malls.
Marling has written 19 full-length non-fiction books.
Selected works
Wall-to-wall America: a cultural history of post-office murals in the Great DepressionDesigning Disney's theme parks: the architecture of reassuranceDesigns on the heart: the homemade art of Grandma MosesGraceland: going home with ElvisAs Seen on TV: The Visual Culture of Everyday Life in the 1950sMerry Christmas: Celebrating America's greatest holidayDebutante: rites and regalia of American debdomNorman Rockwell : America's most beloved painterIce: great moments in the history of hard, cold waterMinnesota, hail to thee!: a sesquicentennial history- ''Blue Ribbon: A Social and Pictorial History of the Minnesota State Fair''