Publics and Counterpublics
- 334 pages
- 12 hours of reading
An investigation of how the idea of a public as a central fiction of modern life informs our literature, politics, and culture.
Michael Warner Books
Michael Warner is a distinguished scholar whose work critically examines the intricate relationship between literature, politics, and the public sphere. He delves into how public identities and modes of communication are constructed, maintained, and transformed across historical and social contexts. Warner's analyses often focus on queer theory and the critique of normative social structures, revealing the power dynamics that shape our understanding of what is considered public or normal. His approach is theoretical and incisive, challenging readers to reconsider the very foundations of public discourse and identity.
Michael Warner, one of our most brilliant social critics, argues that gay marriage and other moves toward normalcy are bad not just for the gays but for everyone. In place of sexual status quo, Warner offers a vision of true sexual autonomy that will forever change the way we think about sex, shame, and identity.
The English Literatures of America redefines colonial American literatures, sweeping from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to the West Indies and Guiana. The book begins with the first colonization of the Americas and stretches beyond the Revolution to the early national period. Many texts are collected here for the first time; others are recognized masterpieces of the canon--both British and American--that can now be read in their Atlantic context. By emphasizing the culture of empire and by representing a transatlantic dialogue, The English Literatures of America allows a new way to understand colonial literature both in the United States and abroad.