Now available in paperback, one of the best short books we have on the ideas of racial equality (George Bornstein, "Times Literary Supplement")In this assessment of Martin Luther King, Jr. s famous 1963 speech, Eric J. Sundquist explores its origins, its place in the long history of American debates about equality and race, and why it is now hailed as the most powerful American address of the twentieth century. The speech and all that surrounds itbackground and consequencesare brought magnificently to life. . . . Sundquist has written about race and ethnicity in American culture. In this book...
Now available in paperback, one of the best short books we have on the ideas of racial equality (George Bornstein, "Times Literary Supplement")In this...
A true icon of America at a turning point in its history, Gypsy Rose Lee was the first--and the only--stripper to become a household name, write novels, and win the adulation of intellectuals, bankers, socialites, and ordinary Americans. Her outrageous blend of funny-smart sex symbol with the aura of high culture--she boasted that she liked to read Great Books and listen to classical music while taking off her clothes on-stage--inspired a musical, memoirs, a portrait by Max Ernst, and a species of rose. Gypsy is the first book about Gypsy Rose Lee's life, fame, and place in America...
A true icon of America at a turning point in its history, Gypsy Rose Lee was the first--and the only--stripper to become a household name, write no...
First performed at the midpoint of the twentieth century, John Cage's 4'33", a composition conceived of without a single musical note, is among the most celebrated and ballyhooed cultural gestures in the history of modern music. A meditation on the act of listening and the nature of performance, Cage's controversial piece became the iconic statement of the meaning of silence in art and is a landmark work of American music.
In this book, Kyle Gann, one of the nation's leading music critics, explains 4'33" as a unique moment in American culture and musical...
First performed at the midpoint of the twentieth century, John Cage's 4'33", a composition conceived of without a single musical note, <...
Each year, more than two million visitors line up near Philadelphia's Independence Hall and wait to gaze upon a flawed mass of metal forged more than two and a half centuries ago. Since its original casting in England in 1751, the Liberty Bell has survived a precarious journey on the road to becoming a symbol of the American identity, and in this masterful work, Gary B. Nash reveals how and why this voiceless bell continues to speak such volumes about our nation. Drawing upon fascinating primary source documents, Nash's book continues a remarkable dialogue about a symbol of American...
Each year, more than two million visitors line up near Philadelphia's Independence Hall and wait to gaze upon a flawed mass of metal forged more than ...
