Re: Visiting the mall

Check out Margaret Crawford's essay in Michael Sorkin (Ed.) _Variations on
a Theme Park_. It provides a nice history about shopping malls more
generally. I'd also second the previous suggestion of Benjamin's _Arcades
Project_. Finally, you might see if you can chase down the film _Synthetic
Pleasures_. It's a documentary about virtual life, broadly speaking
(theme parks, plastic surgery, computer worlds, virtual reality). I often
show this film in conjunction with Crawford's essay and have found it to
be an excellent tool to facilitate larger discussions about the role of
the shopping mall in contemporary society. Take care.

Daniel
______________
Daniel Makagon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communication and Cultural Studies
Department of Humanities
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI  49931
(906) 487-3093
http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~dmakagon