Popular Culture Review 30.2
case with the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site . Out of 257 reviews examined , only a handful of posts even hinted that the reviewer had any thorough familiarity with any of Sandburg texts and not a single one indicated that a specific literary work had influenced their visit to the site . Given the stark difference in findings between this study and Herbert ’ s , further research is suggested . Perhaps writing style , use of specific geographic features in a text , the number of times the story has been recreated in popular culture , or other aspects of a literary work or an author who penned it play a role in the number and type of tourists a literary site attracts , and the level of visitors ’ knowledge . Some scholars have even questioned whether literary genre plays any role in the sites ’ popularity ( Herbert ; Lowe ). Perhaps there is something about the author himself that influences visitors . What is it about Sandburg that has allowed him to be forgotten by popular culture when images of Hemingway , Twain , Fitzgerald , and even Sandburg ’ s contemporaries like Capote , Welty , London , and Sinclair persist ? This is important for sites and destinations looking to capitalize on their links to famous authors or specific literary works . To attract tourists , provide the type of experiences they expect , and to profit from themed events , festivals , and souvenirs , literary places must know what visitors are looking for during their visit . A more thorough understanding of the economic impacts of literary tourism would also be helpful to both scholars and destinations with literary links .
To visitors , the site itself seems to both reinforce and conflict with their image of Sandburg and his values . Of the few reviewers who indicated a familiarity with Sandburg ’ s works , several believed the home and site was a proper memorial ; reflective of the author ’ s mostly socialist values�primarily seen as humble in contrast to the opulence of the nearby Bilt-
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