Overview

Counterculture flourished nationwide in the 1960s and 1970s, and while the hippies of Haight–Ashbury occupied the public eye, further off the beaten path in the Arkansas Ozarks a faction of back to the landers were quietly creating their own counterculture haven. In Hipbillies, Jared Phillips collects oral histories and delves into archival resources to provide a fresh scholarly discussion of this group, which was defined by anticonsumerism and a desire for self-sufficiency outside of modern industry. While there were indeed clashes between long haired hippies and cantankerous locals, Phillips shows how the region has always been a refuge for those seeking a life off the beaten path, and as such, is perhaps one of the last bastions for the dream of self-sufficiency in American life. Hipbillies presents a region steeped in tradition coming to terms with the modern world.

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9781682260906

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Reviews

Hipbillies boldly challenges common stereotypes of the back to the landers who relocated to the Ozarks in the 1970s as clueless, deadbeat dropouts who never fit in with their local neighbors and failed miserably to establish sustainable communities and live 'naturally.' Instead, Jared Phillips persuasively argues that the back to the landers arrived with serious commitments to their ideals and, despite their setbacks and struggles, ultimately left their mark on the region's arts and crafts communities, solar energy advancements, organic farming and farmers' markets, environmental activism, and other legacies that can be seen in the Ozarks today. This is a fascinating read and an important contribution to recent Ozarks history. --Blake Perkins, author of Hillbilly Hellraisers: Federal Power and Populist Defiance in the Ozarks Jared Phillips has tackled an understudied, fascinating subject with depth and precision, providing insight into the Ozarks' back to the land movement that has heretofore not been revealed. A fun ride into the history of the counterculture movement in the heart of the backwoods. --Brian C. Campbell, Berry College, writer and producer of The Natural State of America

Jared Phillips has tackled an understudied, fascinating subject with depth and precision, providing insight into the Ozarks' back to the land movement that has heretofore not been revealed. A fun ride into the history of the counterculture movement in the heart of the backwoods. --Brian C. Campbell, Berry College, writer and producer of The Natural State of America Hipbillies boldly challenges common stereotypes of the back to the landers who relocated to the Ozarks in the 1970s as clueless, deadbeat dropouts who never fit in with their local neighbors and failed miserably to establish sustainable communities and live 'naturally.' Instead, Jared Phillips persuasively argues that the back to the landers arrived with serious commitments to their ideals and, despite their setbacks and struggles, ultimately left their mark on the region's arts and crafts communities, solar energy advancements, organic farming and farmers' markets, environmental activism, and other legacies that can be seen in the Ozarks today. This is a fascinating read and an important contribution to recent Ozarks history. --Blake Perkins, author of Hillbilly Hellraisers: Federal Power and Populist Defiance in the Ozarks

Author Information

Jared M. Phillips holds a doctorate in American history and is assistant professor of international studies at the University of Arkansas. He lives and works on a small farm outside of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.

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