Acting up : free speech, pragmatism, and American performance in the late 20th century / Stephen Nunns.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nunns, Stephen, 1963-

Series:

Law and society (New York, N.Y.)

Law and society : recent scholarship

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Freedom of speech--United States.

Freedom of speech.

Performing arts--Law and legislation--United States.

Performing arts.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (312 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

El Paso : LFB Scholarly Pub Llc, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Nunns examines how free speech became a centerpiece of American identity during the 20th century and how ideas of freedom of expression came to a head during the "Culture Wars" in the 1980's and '90s. He explores four case histories: performance artist Karen Finley and her court case revolving around public funding for the arts; the lawsuits involving the film I am Curious (Yellow); the controversy surrounding a community's performance of Angels in America; and the racist songwriting of David Allen Coe.

Contents:

CONTENTS; Introduction; Part One; Chapter One: Re-Thinking the Roots: Origins of the Culture Wars; Chapter Two: A Problem with Theory: The Paradox of Free Speech; Chapter Three: Pragmatisms; Chapter Four: To Work is to Function: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Legal Pragmatism, and Free Speech; Part Two; Chapter Five: The Constitutionalization of the American Avant-Garde: Karen Finley and the NEA; Chapter Six: Curiouser and Curiouser: I Am Curious (Yellow) and the American Courts; Chapter Seven: Is Charlotte Burning? Pragmatism and Politics in a Southern City

Chapter Eight: If That Ain't Country: Race and the Music of David Allan Coe Conclusion; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781593326715

1593326718

OCLC:

818818936