Created by George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward and sung by generations of black performers; Porgy and Bess has been both embraced and reviled since its debut in 1935. In this comprehensive account; Ellen Noonan examines the operas long history of invention and reinvention as a barometer of twentieth-century American expectations about race; culture; and the struggle for equality. In its surprising endurance lies a myriad of local; national; and international stories.For black performers and commentators; Porgy and Bess was a nexus for debates about cultural representation and racial uplift. White producers; critics; and even audiences spun revealing racial narratives around the show; initially in an attempt to demonstrate its authenticity and later to keep it from becoming discredited or irrelevant. Expertly weaving together the wide-ranging debates over the original novel; Porgy; and its adaptations on stage and film with a history of its intimate ties to Charleston; The Strange Career of "Porgy and Bess" uncovers the complexities behind one of our nations most long-lived cultural touchstones.
#1623501 in eBooks 2012-12-10 2012-12-10File Name: B00AAJ9EQM
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The book documents a drive through Satilde;o Paulos unofficial ring ...By CustomerThe book documents a drive through Satilde;o Paulos unofficial ring road with special focus on the housing initiatives around Satilde;o Paulos periphery. When appropriate; references are made to the politics and economics of Satilde;o Paulo and Brazil as a whole. As the ring road passes through; the author points out the history and the defining elements of a number of housing estates. Starting with efforts of wealthy plantation owners to house their workers; to post WWII modernist efforts to house an increasing population; gated communities where residents leave their social responsibility at the gates before making their way to the city and ending at the current state of exploding favelas and the governments laissez-faire attitude towards the housing market.Yet; the most interesting thing about the book is the journey itself; being stuck in Satilde;o Paulo traffic; passing by decaying billboards and stopping for Brazilian street food. The book makes a lot of references to Satilde;o Paulos pop culture which seems to be experiencing a surge; moving from the underground to the mainstream and is making its statements all over the city. The drive took place in 2014 and thus the observations are very recent and fresh. The text appeals to me because of two reasons. First; it does not try to make a statement or a conclusion about the current situation of housing in Satilde;o Paulo but rather aims to give an unbiased insight into the city. It does not rely on statistics to make its point but rather on first hand observations. First hand observations are what I lack now and are why I value the text.