Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-186) and index.

"Dust Bowl, USA is a critical examination of the myths and memories that grew out of the hard times in the Great Plains. Across the nation, newspapers, magazines, books, films, and songs produced imagery of blight for local and mass audiences. As modern technology, irrigation projects, and government programs were extended on a wider scale during the "dirty thirties," the saga of the frontier continued to unfold through accounts of dust, drought, and depression." "By examining the social construction of legends, lore, allegories, and ideologies. Brad Lookingbill provides a revelatory insight into the history of the cultural narratives that have come to define an era."--BOOK JACKET.