UPEI’s Dr. Joshua MacFadyen to launch new book, December 3
Dr. Joshua MacFadyen, an associate professor in the Applied Communication, Leadership, and Culture program in UPEI’s Faculty of Arts, will launch his new book, Flax Americana: A History of the Fibre and Oil that Covered a Continent, on Monday, December 3 at 7:00 pm at Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown.
Flax Americana examines the story of flax, a plant that went in a few decades from a specialty fibre crop in the Great Lakes region to an oilseed empire that spanned continents and helped create urban industrial capitalism.
“Flax Americana touches on topics as diverse as Canadian Mennonites making homespun linen, escaped slaves and First Nations labourers participating in Ontario’s industrial transformation, and oilseed empires driving precarious agriculture into North and South American grasslands for the production of a luxury good—paint,” explained Dr. MacFadyen. “However, the book is really about what a deep dive into a single plant and the places that produced it can tell us about the emergence of commodity frontiers, industrial capitalism, and the modern world itself.”
Flax Americana: A History of the Fibre and Oil that Covered a Continent is published by McGill Queen’s University Press.
The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
