Overview

Hailed as one of the best books of 2009 by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, this vibrant portrait of 1930s culture masterfully explores the anxiety and hope, the despair and surprising optimism of distressed Americans during the Great Depression. Morris Dickstein, whom Norman Mailer called ""one of our best and most distinguished critics of American literature,"" has brought together a staggering range of material, from epic Dust Bowl migrations to zany screwball comedies, elegant dance musicals, wildly popular swing bands, and streamlined art deco designs. Exploding the myth that Depression culture was merely escapist, Dickstein concentrates on the dynamic energy of the arts and the resulting lift they gave to the nation's morale. A fresh and exhilarating analysis of one of America's most remarkable artistic periods, Dancing in the Dark is a monumental critique.

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9781441762528

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Reviews

""Dancing in the Dark is a fine, high-minded survey of the decade's cultural history."" -- ""New York Times Book Review"" ""A smart, ambitious piece of work, the product of prodigious research and careful thought, and those who read it will come away with a clearer understanding of an important but widely misunderstood period in the country's cultural life."" -- ""Washington Post"" ""A thrill to read. As a work of cultural history, it's the equivalent of a Fred and Ginger dance number."" -- ""NPR"" ""An exhaustive and invigorating overview of the films, songs, books, plays, buildings, and design that emerged from America's darkest economic decade."" -- ""Dallas Morning News"" ""The definitive book about Depression culture for our time."" -- ""San Francisco Chronicle"" ""The gloom of the Depression fed a brilliant cultural efflorescence that's trenchantly explored here...Dickstein's fluent, erudite, intriguing meditations turn up many resonances...The result is a fascinating portrait of a distant era that still speaks compellingly to our own."" -- ""Publishers Weekly (starred review)""

Author Information

Morris Dickstein is a literary and cultural critic and distinguished professor of English at the CUNY Graduate Center and the author of Gates of Eden and Leopards in the Temple, among other works. He lives in New York City. Malcolm Hillgartner has narrated over 175 audiobooks. He was named an AudioFile Best Voice of 2013. His work ranges from children's titles such as On the Blue Comet (AudioFile Best of 2011, Earphones), and Neal Stevenson's sci-fi epic REAMDE (Audible.com Best of 2011) to the biographies Kissinger (AudioFile Best of 2013, Earphones) and Cheever (AudioFile Best of 2009, Earphones). He is also an accomplished actor, writer, and musician. With his wife and partner, Jahnna Beecham, he has written over 130 books for teens and young readers, as well as the musicals Chaps! and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Musical, which have been produced in the U.S. and Canada.

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