Fall Forum - The Perfect Fence: Untangling the Meanings of Barbed Wire

Please join us for our Annual Fall Forum focused on The Perfect Fence: Untangling the Meanings of Barbed Wire, with authors Lyn Ellen Bennett and Scott Abbott—event scheduled for October 3 at Westminster University, Gore Auditorium.

In The Perfect Fence, Bennett and Abbott explore the multiple uses and meanings of barbed wire, a technological innovation that contributes to America’s shift from a pastoral ideal to an industrial one. They survey the vigorous public debate over the benign or “infernal” fence, investigate legislative attempts to ban or regulate wire fences as a result of public outcry, and demonstrate how the industry responded to ameliorate the image of its barbed product. (Texas A&M U Press)

Lyn Ellen Bennett is professor of history at Utah Valley University. Her research focuses on the American West, gender, and material culture studies. Scott Abbott is a professor of humanities, philosophy, and integrated studies at Utah Valley University. He is the author of five books, most recently, Immortal for Quite Some Time: Fraternal Meditations.

Reception at 6 PM
Program at 7 PM