In Memoriam: David E. Whisnant
We are saddened to learn of the passing of David E. Whisnant (July 16, 1938 – December 10, 2024).
The following is taken from David’s spouse and fellow UNC Press author Anne Whisnant‘s in memoriam post, which details the varied accomplishments he achieved throughout his life and career.
We offer our deepest condolences to David’s family, friends, and colleagues.
David E. Whisnant spent more than fifty years doing research, writing and teaching at the University of Illinois, the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and in other contexts. He is the author, co-author or editor of eight books and scores of articles and reviews on traditional and vernacular culture, documentary film, traditional music, the politics of culture and cultural policy, the history of the Appalachian region, Latin American history and culture, the history and politics of planned economic development, and the history of the U.S. National Parks. His work has appeared in many venues and formats, both print and digital. He has also been a consultant, researcher and writer for many local, state, regional and national projects and organizations within the private, public, and non-profit sectors. He has lectured widely in the U.S. and abroad, and has served on numerous academic and agency boards.
Those questions drove what became his most widely read and influential work, All That Is Native and Fine: The Politics of Culture in an American Region (UNC Press, 1983; 25th anniversary edition, 2009). All That Is Native and Fine was the winner of the 1984 Elsie Crews Parsons Prize from the American Folklore Society, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
UNC Press also published Whisnant’s 1995 book, Rascally Signs in Sacred Places: The Politics of Culture in Nicaragua. CHOICE called it “outstandingly crafted and exhaustively researched.”