Noodlers in Missouri : fishing for identity in a rural subculture / Mary Grigsby.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Grigsby, Mary, 1952-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Catfishing--Missouri.

Catfishing.

Fishing--Social aspects--Missouri.

Fishing.

Fishing--Missouri--Psychological aspects.

Fishers--Missouri--Interviews.

Fishers.

Subculture--Missouri.

Subculture.

Identity (Psychology)--Missouri.

Identity (Psychology).

Missouri--Rural conditions.

Missouri.

Missouri--Social life and customs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (176 p.)

Place of Publication:

Kirksville, Mo. : Truman State University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this inside look at the folk tradition of hand-fishing, Mary Grigsby interviews thirty Missouri noodlers to examine this sport's appeal. The skill of catching spawning catfish with the bare hands is passed down through generations and builds a sense of community among participants despite -- or perhaps because of -- its illegality. Grigsby explores how the mostly rural, working-class noodlers create a sense of individual worth and a collective identity as they hold on to a way of life they fear may become lost. To add perspective to this male-dominated activity, she includes women's accounts of their involvement in these traditional practices. Giving voice to the noodlers themselves, Grigsby provides a fascinating view of Missouri's hand-fishing community.

Contents:

"You Touch the Fish" : Noodling as a Cultural Practice

A Special Breed of Men : Affirming a Worthy Identity through Noodling

Caring Women, Helpmates, Daddy's Girls, and Tomboys : Women and Noodling

Everyday Resistance and Political Action : Defining the Noodling Way of Life as Worthy

Eating Fried Catfish : Cultural Construction of a Way of Life

Afterword

Appendix: Theory, Methodology, and Literature Review.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-61248-062-4