Self-realization nation : how artists of the creative counterculture made a new America / John Kapusta

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kapusta, John, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Entertainers--United States--History--20th century.

Entertainers.

Self-realization.

Counterculture.

Performing arts--United States--History.

Performing arts.

United States.

Genre:

History

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 289 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2026]

Summary:

"The story of an unexpected group of performing artists who led one of the most influential artistic movements in contemporary American history. After World War II, personal fulfillment emerged as a defining American cultural ideal. Self-realization—the quest to become our authentic selves—remains a powerful part of American culture and arts today. In Self-Realization Nation, John Kapusta provides a lively cultural history of how an overlooked movement of musicians, dancers, and actors championed the ideal of self-realization. These performers, who spanned many backgrounds, identities, genres, and artistic styles, became what he calls the creative counterculture. Artists as varied as Sonny Rollins, John Cage, Anna Halprin, Alice and John Coltrane, and Pauline Oliveros shared an approach to creativity focused on letting go of limiting beliefs and subverting oppressive social norms. Through colorful vignettes, Kapusta reveals how these artists made their art and how their approach spread beyond the performing arts to influence such fields as psychology, education, and wellness. Ultimately, these creative counterculturists came to define a new vision of an America where everyone was free to be themselves, together"-- De Gruyter Brill

Contents:

Introduction : the creative counterculture

The American tradition of self-realization

Breakdown

The art of letting go

To find ourselves by finding others

Do your own tai chi

You don’t have to melt

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (De Gruyter Brill, viewed May 12, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Kapusta, John Self-realization nation

ISBN:

9780520427303

0520427300

OCLC:

1585500753

Publisher Number:

CIPO000365658

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license