Lupacks write of America's King Arthur

A lan Lupack, curator of the Robbins Library, and his wife, Barbara Tepa Lupack, have published the first full-length study focusing exclusively on American reinterpretations of Arthurian lore. From the stage to the schoolyard, from books to computer games, King Arthur in America traces how Americans have translated the legends of Camelot from their own perspective.

America's fascination with Arthur and its peculiar twists on the traditional British legends, the Lupack book shows, reach back to the 19th century. Mark Twain's time-traveling Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court opened up new treatment of the Camelot chronicles.

By changing the story, Lupack explained, "Twain provided a model for playing with Arthurian legends." Later writers and filmmakers would tailor those legends to reflect their own times and concerns.

Likewise, Arthur and his knights have even been made into moral role models for American youth. During the late 19th century, boys' clubs called the "Knights of King Arthur" were created and they spread across the country, inspiring a movement in public schools called the "Knighthood of Youth." Girls' groups--the "Queens of Avalon"--also sprang up during this time.

Americans continue to love Arthur, according to Lupack, because he "offers ideals and honor, things people are looking for in every age." The legends also reflect life, he added. "You have an ideal you're striving for but cannot attain because you're distracted by the things that happen."

Lupack, an internationally known Arthurian scholar, also is one of the organizers of an international conference, "Camelot 2000: A Millennial Conference on the Arthurian Legends," which will be held next year at the University.