Congratulations to Asst. Prof. Alina Dana Weber

Congratulations to Asst. Prof. Alina Dana Weber on the publication of her book "Blood Brothers and Peace Pipes. Performing the Wild West in German Festivals" with University of Wisconsin Press! Through the work of popular nineteenth-century novelist Karl May, generations of readers in Germany were introduced to a romantic perception of the Wild West as a land populated with frontier settlers and indigenous peoples. Several German communities continue to hold annual theatrical events that celebrate the American Wild West depicted in May's stories. Based on interviews with organizers, actors, and attendees at such festivals with diverse contexts, "Blood Brothers and Peace Pipes" meticulously documents the history of these celebrations. A. Dana Weber combines sophisticated consideration of contemporary theory with in-depth fieldwork to find meaning in the plays and dramatic projections. By exploring the complex worlds of those embedded in this festival world, she examines what the portrayal of Native American characters on stage tells us about cultural sensitivities in present-day Germany, speaking to the broader legacies of reenactment and appropriation. "Blood Brothers and Peace Pipes"  is "an ambitious study combining cultural theory with sensitive fieldwork" (Peter Tokofsky).