Cool. It was a new word and a new way to be, and in a single
generation, it became the supreme compliment of American culture.
The Origins of Cool in Postwar America uncovers the hidden history
of this concept and its new set of codes that came to define a
global attitude and style. As Joel Dinerstein reveals in this
dynamic book, cool began as a stylish defiance of racism, a
challenge to suppressed sexuality, a philosophy of individual
rebellion, and a youthful search for social change. Through
eye-opening portraits of iconic figures, Dinerstein illuminates the
cultural connections and artistic innovations among Lester Young,
Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra,
Jack Kerouac, Albert Camus, Marlon Brando, and James Dean, among
others. We eavesdrop on conversations among John-Paul Sartre,
Simone De Beauvoir, and Miles Davis, and on a forgotten debate
between Lorraine Hansberry and Norman Mailer over the "white negro"
and Black cool. We come to understand how the cool worlds of Beat
writers and Method actors emerged from the intersections of film
noir, jazz, and existentialism. Out of this mix, Dinerstein
sketches nuanced definitions of cool that unite concepts from
African-American and Euro-American culture: the stylish stoicism of
the ethical rebel loner; the relaxed intensity of the improvising
jazz musician; the effortless, physical grace of the Method actor.
To be cool is not to be hip and to be hot is definitely not to be
cool. This is the first work to trace the history of cool during
the Cold War by exploring the intersections of film noir, jazz,
existential literature, Method acting, blues, and rock-and-roll.
Dinerstein reveals that they came together to create something
completely new and that something is cool.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
bundle available
