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The [http://www.hup.harvard.edu/ Harvard University Press] recently published Lisa Goff's new book [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674660455/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0674660455&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=RR5HRZ5DCO5A4GCO Shantytown, USA: Forgotten Landscapes of the Working Poor]. There's a chance that one of your American ancestors lived in an American shantytown. While we may not realize it now, shantytowns were a common feature of 19th century America. Goff's book explores not only how shantytowns became a prominent feature of America's towns and cities, but why middle class Americans eventually turned on them and their residents.

Lisa Goff is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia in the English Department and American Studies Program. She is also the director of the Institute for Public History. Before becoming a professor, Goff had a distinguished career as a business journalist. She was the Managing Editor for ''Crain's New York Business'' and wrote for numerous publications including ''Preservation'', ''Progressive Architecture'', ''Reader's Digest'', ''Working Women'' and ''Good Housekeeping''.

Here is our interview with Professor Goff.

'''What did you learn during your research that surprised you the most?'''

Squatting wasn’t the norm in the 19th century—many if not most shantytown dwellers paid ground rent for the land where their shanties sat. There are numerous accounts of shanty dwellers going to court to fight eviction, and winning because they had legitimate claims to the property.

Undergraduates will appreciate the narrative drive of the book, and graduate students will find the in-depth treatment of place, space, and material culture engaging. While especially appropriate for inter-disciplinary classes like American Studies, Shantytown USA will also serve students of American history, American literature, material culture, urban history, vernacular landscapes, urban planning, media studies, and the visual arts.

[[Category:Interviews]][[Category:United States History]] [[Category:British History]] [[Category:Military History]][[Category:Colonial American History]]

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