
| Title | Creator | Publisher | Series | Price | ||
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| Cold Heat #5/6 | Ben Jones, Frank Santoro | PictureBox | Cold Heat |
$18.88 ($20.00 list) OUT OF STOCK! |
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It's been well over a year since the last issue of Cold Heat appeared, but we're here to tell you that this is one comic book that was worth the wait!! It's a 48 page double issue printed in the trademarked Cold Heat two-color process employing magenta and blue. It's comics at their most adventurous and risk-taking, produced by creators who have the experience, skill and training to get to the other side, and, crucially, to take the reader there along with them -- but you'll have to pay close attention and hold on tight as it's quite a trip! A key to understanding this work is that its true subject is the relationship between the perception of reality and the representation of reality, between the signifier and the signified; how the representation of reality creates a feedback loop which transforms reality in the process. And there is a special focus on the relationship between subjectivity and perception; particularly on how emotional and chemically altered states of mind alter the perception of events, which then, in turn, alters their representation, and, finally, is capable of altering their actual outcome as well. This is a task to which comics are ideally suited and which Frank Santoro has been in the vanguard of exploring. With this issue he has pushed the furthest yet into this unmapped and only dimly comprehended artistic territory. Yes, this is one pricey comic book, but the economics of today's comic book market have forced the publisher into a corner and so this edition is being produced in an extremely small quantity for the True Believers. | |||||
| Glömp X | Tommi Musteri, Amanda Vähämäki, Jelle Hugaerts | Huuda Huuda | Glömp |
$39.95 OUT OF STOCK! |
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Straight outta Finland, and now in stock and available for shipping here in the USA. This is a full color 200+ page hardcover collection of comics that were on display in an accompanying exhibition and that were originally produced, to varying degrees, in three dimensions. It comes complete with an audio CD that includes an "exclusive soundtrack" composed by Fricara Pacchu, Amon Düde & The Hoop, Kiiskinen and Nuslux. It's definitely a bit of a cop out to describe Glomp is as "the Finnish Kramers Ergot," but we're going to throw that out there just to help give those who have never heard of it some sort of idea of where to place it in the comics continuum. The best way to get a better idea is to check out this preview page. This is the tenth volume of Glömp, and the last to be edited by Tommi Masturi. The anthology has been presenting adventurous comics for 12 years now, publishing over 1500 pages of work in the process. This time around their goal seems to have been to push comics off the page and into the world of three-dimensions and this book is the 2-D record of that attempt. This volume starts off with a helpful and well thought out introduction by Jelle Hugaerts that traces the history of comics anthologies, situates anthologies within the history of comics, and analyzes what works and what doesn't in making a successful anthology. Here's the contributor list: the amazing Amanda Vähämäki, Anna Sailamaa, Hanneriina Moisseinen, Jan Anderzén, Jarno Ltva-Nikkola, Pauliina Mäkelä, Roope Eronen, Jyrki Heikkinen, Aapo Rapi & Songa Salomäki, Ami Aho, Kaaatri Sipiläinen, Tommi Musturi, Janne Tervamäki, Reijo Kärkkäinen, and Anna Sailamaa. | |||||
| Sermons #1 | Kevin Huizenga | Self-published |
$1.00 ($1.00 list) |
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Comics, sketches, notes, etc. drawn in church. | |||||
| Sermons #2 | Kevin Huizenga | Self-published |
$3.00 ($3.00 list) |
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More comics, sketches, notes, etc. drawn in church. | |||||
| New Construction #1 | Kevin Huizenga | Self-published |
$2.00 ($2.00 list) |
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The comics creative process examined, deconstructed and reconstituted; sort of. | |||||
| New Construction #2 | Kevin Huizenga, Dan Zettwoch, Ted May | Self-published |
$3.00 ($3.00 list) |
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The St. Louis comics gang gets together to show us how it's done in this compendium that puts key aspects of their working processes on display. Of special interest to current comics practitioners. | |||||
| A Drifting Life | Yoshihiro Tatsumi | Drawn and Quarterly |
$25.00 ($29.95 list) |
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OK, this is the one you've been waiting for! Eleven years in the making, a whopping 840 pages in length, A Drifting Life is the graphic memoir of one of the all-time manga greats. Over the last several years, Drawn and Quarterly has been assiduously releasing Tatsumi's classic gekiga, in which he pioneered a street savvy, morally ambiguous form of comics that thrived on grittier material and was more ambivalent about the post-war boom in Japan. A Drifting Life chronicles the years 1945 through 1960, during which the author -- who was born in 1935 -- came of age, discovered his artistic talent and entered the competitive (and combative) world of manga. Personally compelling, narratively engaging, artistically challenging, A Drifiting Life also provides an informative look at the manga industry during the critical post-WWII years. Not to be missed. Be sure to take a look at this PDF preview. retail price - $29.95 copacetic price - $25.00 | |||||
| The Bun Field | Amanda Vähämäki | Drawn and Quarterly |
$8.88 ($12.95 list) |
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We susupect that in Finland, when it rains it pours. The old adage holds true in the case of the introduction of Ms. Vähämäki's work to the USA. Six months ago, nothing, now the work of this Finnish artist extraordinaire can be found in Souvlaki Circus, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase 5, Glomp X, The Comics Journal 296, and now in this delicate tale, deftly drawn in pencil. Somewhat reminiscent of Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro, The Bun Field captures the magic of those childhood years in which the projections of personal fantasy freely intermingle with the necessities of reality, and creates a zesty stew of emotions and visions. Get a taste with this PDF preview. | |||||
| Cecil and Jordan | Gabrielle Bell | Drawn and Quarterly |
$17.77 ($19.95 list) |
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The follow up to last year's Lucky, Cecil and Jordan is the second hardcover collection of Ms. Bell's acutely observed and finely rendered slice-of-life comics. Amazingly, this 148 page hardcover volume printed in full color, three-color, two-color, and black and white is priced the same as last year's 111 pager that was limited to black and white only. And that's just the surface reality. More importantly, the work itself clearly demonstrates Bell's continuing growth as both an artist and storyteller, demonstrating ample lucidity in both form and content. Almost all the work collected here has seen print in one place or anohter – Bell's own (now discontinued) title, Lucky, MOME, D & Q Showcase, Kramers Ergot, and several one off anthologies – so hardcore fans may have already encountered much of this material. Only the collection closer, "Helpless," appears here for the first time. That said, the material here marks Gabrielle Bell as Adrian Tomine's heir apparent at D & Q, and is recommended to all who enjoy insighitful tales of coming of age in America. Take a moment to read this PDF Preview. | |||||
| The Beats: A Graphic History | Harvey Pekar , Ed Piskor | Henry Holt |
$20.00 ($22.00 list) |
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by Harvey Pekar & Ed Piskor with Paul Beuhle, Trina Robbins, Peter Kuper, Mary Fleener, Summer McClinton, et al The dynamic duo of historical comics, Harvey Pekar and Ed Piskor, are back with The Beats: A Graphic History. Yes, of course, the unholy trinity of Kerouac, Burroughs and Ginsberg are here, front and center, but this anthological history of the beats ranges far and wide to include the likes of Michael McClure, Robert Duncan, LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka, Charles Olsen, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Diane di Prima, and many others. While the focus is on the 1950s we are taken back to the early days of the principal actors and up to the present with the reverberations of their work, actions and lives. It's hard to overstate the impact that these figures had on American culture. They were the prime movers in consciously breaking out of the conformity that the pressures of the Great Depression and the Second World War placed on Americans, of valuing the rights of the individual over the security of the nation, of the personal over the (re)public, and so inititated the frontline of the biggest battle of the culture wars that continue to rage to this day. Anyone interested in getting an easily assimilable introduction to the major players in this important cultural movement need look no further. The authors neglected to provide any sort of bibliography to help readers move on to the literature itself, so we'll help out by hooking you up with The Beat Page, the best spot on the web from which to start delving into this movement. | |||||
| The Complete Humbug | Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Jack Davis, Al Jaffee and more ... | Fantagraphics |
$50.00 ($60.00 list) |
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What can we say about a book like this one? It's all here, the entire run of Humbug, the hidden tributary of so much in contemporary comics. If there is a hidden link in the overall understanding of the history of the development of the comic book form, this might just be it. Humbug is the talismanic work that links that links the early pioneer days (1935-1955), The Genesis, of comic books -- aka The Golden Age -- with the Underground comix scene of the 1960s, The Exodus; that links, in other words, "the greatest generation" with their children, "the baby boomers." Created by Harvey Kurtzman along with fellow Mad Magazine refugees, Will Elder, Arnold Roth, Al Jaffee and Jack Davis, who were frustrated with the commercial limitations and wanted to strike out and capture the zeitgeist in their own fashion unfettered by the commercial considerations of profit-driven publishers. And thus, alas, the seeds of its demise were sewn with those of its creation: it's artistic success predicated upon its commercial failure. At last, the entire run of 11 issues of Humbug is being reprinted in a deluxe, two-volume slip-cased edition, much of it reproduced from the original art! This release is a long-awaited landmark comics publishing event. | |||||
| The Wolverton Bible | Basil Wolverton | Fantagraphics |
$22.22 ($24.99 list) |
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While, from a historical perspective this release is not of the magnitude of the aforementioned Humbug collection, from a purely artistic point of view it might just give it a run for its money. Compiled and edited by Wolverton’s son, Monte, this 304-page hardcover volume provides excellent quality reproductions of the detailed pen & ink work that represents Wolverton's final, and most sustained, body of work. The drawings are arranged as closely as possible according to Wolverton's original conception and, unlike most (all?) previous editions presenting this work, each is accompanied by the original caption written by Wolverton. The Wolverton Bible is printed on flat, bright white stock, and -- for the first time ever under one cover -- includes all of Wolverton’s artwork for the Worldwide Church of God corporation, all of which was produced between 1953 and 1974. This volume comprises over 550 works illustrating select Old Testament narratives, as well as 20 apocalyptic illustrations inspired by the Book of Revelations, and dozens of cartoons and humorous illustrations for various Worldwide Church publications, most notably The Plain Truth. Recording artist and noted EC authority Grant Geissman provides an insightful foreword, while Monte Wolverton delivers commentary and background in the introduction and in each section. Basil Wolverton is one of comics' true originals and we are grateful to have this opportunity to experience these amazing works. An added bonus to this book being released now is that it gives us a chnace to take in Wolverton's treatment of the Book Of Genesis shortly before R.Crumb's forthcoming treatment, given that Wolverton was one of Crumb's early influences. | |||||
| Monologues For Calculating the Density of Black Holes | Anders Nilsen | Fantagraphics |
$17.77 ($22.99 list) |
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400 pages of stream of consciousness cartoon monologues (that have a tendency to lapse into obliquely Socratic dialogues every now and then). This work, while challenging its readers to think while they read, is not without a sense of humor -- bleak though it may be. It's definitely a tough sell, unless, of course, you're already sold. Adherents to reader receptivity theory, in which the reader is, at least, an equal partner with the writer in forging a work's meaning, significance and value, will celebrate this release as these monologues are really more appropriately considered dialogues with the reader. So, put on your inter-comics receivo-trans and start cracking that code. | |||||
| MOME #14 | Emile Bravo, Gilbert Shelton, John Vermilyea, Ben Jones and more ... | Fantagraphics | MOME |
$13.50 ($14.95 list) |
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Another fine issue from the recently reenergized MOME. This issue's standout feature is Lilli Carré's, full-color, 32-page piece (graphic novella?), "The Carnival," that is a dream-like meditation on the desires that flow just below the surface of the quotidian, desires that are constantly struggling to break through, and yet seem always to be mysteriously held back by... what exactly? "The Carnival" doesn't pretend to give you the answers, but it will help put you in a place where you might find some on your own. The highlight for us here at Copacetic is an all-new Cold Heat tale by Frank Santoro, Ben Jones and John Vermilyea (who also turns in a solo piece here that has to be one of the most pithy portrayals of the American Way ever penned). And there's plenty more including the continuation of Gilbert Shelton's multi-part saga which reveals -- among other things -- that he, along with fellow underground comix grandmaster, R. Crumb, is a lifelong Carl Barks fan. Emile Bravo provides a deeply sarcastic satire of American Politics; Ray Fenwick, Laura Park, Dash Shaw, Sara Edward-Corbett, Olivier Schrauwen, Josh Simmons and Conor O'Keefe are all on hand, and are joined by newcomers (to American Comics) Hernán Migoya & Juaco Vizuente; and the entire issue is punctuated by a series of one-pages by Derek Van Gieson. | |||||
| The Comics Journal #296 | Lynda Barry, Amanda Vähämäki, David Hajdu, Dash Shaw and more ... | Fantagraphics | The Comics Journal |
$10.77 ($11.99 list) |
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The Comics Journal #296 Yes, another year has past and it's time once again for the Best of the Year Issue. Best picks from comics luminaries Kim Deitch, Lynda Barry, Anders Nilsen, John Porcellino and many others complement the Best of 2008 master list compiled out of the all picks. This issues also features a great bunch of interviews: Lynda Barry, Dash Shaw, Frank Quitely, David Hajdu and Mike Luckovich. R.C. Harvey will fill you in on some great comics that made 2008 "a very good year." There's nice full clor preview of the first book of C. Tyler's forthcoming book, You'll Never Know. And then there's a whopping 35 page comics section of fine Finnish comics, including an eleven-pager by the one and only Amanda Vähämäki that should whet your appetite for her soon to be released collection, The Bun Field, as well as reminding you that, if you haven't already, you need to get your hands on a copy of Drawn and Quarterly Showcase 5. | |||||
| Beanworld: Wahoolazuma! | Larry Marder | Dark Horse | Beanworld |
$17.77 ($19.95 list) |
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Good grief! Can it really be true that Beanworld is now 25 years old? Say it isn't so! Here in Larry Marder's lively hands, the art and craft of comics is reduced to its bare essentials: signs and symbols. Visually simple but deceptively deep, this is a work that works simultaneously on multiple levels and that has, as the back cover blurb succinctly states, "captivated readers from grade school to grad school." | |||||
| Sam's Strip: The Comic About Comics | Mort Walker, Jerry Dumas | Fantagraphics |
$20.00 ($22.99 list) |
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This 190 page horizontally formatted volume rescues from obscurity a comic strip that is after the heart of the long suffering fans of the daily newspaper comic strip. Originally published from 1961 through 1963, Sam's Strip takes the standard form of the three - four panel gag strip, but it adds to this another layer. This layer consists of references to the medium of comics, both the content -- primarily that of the characters that populate the strips which fill our daily papers and takes the form of walk-on appearances by the likes of Dick Tracy, Charlie Brown, Jiggs, The Yellow Kid and many others -- and the form -- in the taking apart of the mechanics of comics communication. While this sort of thing is relatively commonplace in the comics pages of today, and has, of course, a precursor in Harvey Kurtzman & Co's work in the original Mad that predates Sam's Strip by a full decade, this work was unique in the funny pages of it's day, and it is collected in its entirety here. Take a sneak peek, by downloading a hefty 30-strip preview here . | |||||
| The Complete Peanuts, Volume 11: 1971 - 1972 | Charles Schulz | Fantagraphics | The Complete Peanuts |
$25.00 ($28.95 list) |
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introduction by Kristin Chenoweth – And while we're on the subject of classic comics strips, what better time to remind everyone that the latest volume in the ongoing series collecting the complete Peanuts is now on our shelves. Sister Sally takes center stage as Peanuts enters its third decade and takes us into the early days of the 1970s. | |||||
| Kaspar | Diane Obomsawin | Drawn and Quarterly |
$11.75 ($12.95 list) |
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A nutty, minimalist comics retelling of the key points in the life of the legendary Kaspar Hauser that "draws on Hauser's own writings and contemporary accounts." Take a look and see what you make of it. | |||||
| Nicolas | Pascal Girard | Drawn and Quarterly | Petites Livres |
$8.95 ($9.95 list) |
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The latest in D & Q's "petites livres" series of small art books, this one is made up of a "series of short autobiographical vignettes that take place after the childhood death of Pascal's younger brother." The work here is sort of a cross between Jeffrey Brown and Glenn Dakin. See if you agree. | |||||
| Baloney: A Tale in 3 Symphonic Acts | Pascal Blanchet | Drawn and Quarterly |
$15.25 ($16.95 list) |
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Fans of Blanchet's White Rapids will eat this one up, while those unfamiliar with Blanchet's design-heavy comics may find it tougher going. One thing's for certain, Blanchet's work stands apart from the crowd. His sweeping and bold design is likely to appeal to fans of RIchard McGuire (a likely influence) as well as Scott Morse. Definitely worth a look. | |||||
| The Complete Peanuts: Volume Four - 1957 to 1958 | Charles Schulz | Fantagraphics | The Complete Peanuts |
$25.00 ($28.95 list) |
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– introduction by Jonathan Franzen – The latest volume in this amazing series is now in stock! What can we say? This is the Golden Age of Peanuts where every strip is a mini-masterpiece; it simply doesn't get any better than this. You'll want to take your time and savor every single strip in this volume. As Jonathan Franzen astutely points out in his excellent introduction -- the best in the series so far -- this volume covers the period where Snoopy really starts to come into his own. (If you haven't already, we urge you to read Franzen's excellent piece on Peanuts that appeared in The New Yorker.) As with all previous volumes in this series, the reproduction quality of each individual strip is excellent as is the overall production of the book itself. A treasure! Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it. And receive the security of knowing that the soothing balm of Charles Schulz's Peanuts will always be there resting on your bookshelf whenever you need it. | |||||
| The Best of Gahan Wilson | Gahan Wilson | Underwood Books |
$13.50 ($15.00 list) |
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The title says it all on this one. The 144 page volume is nicely put together by Underwood Books, one of the great long-suffering publishers devoted to fine fantasy art. It is printed in B & W and color as the situation calls for, and is peppered throughout with running commentary by Mr. Wilson himself. And it's reasonably priced, too! | |||||
| The Little Man: Short Strips 1980 - 1995 | Chester Brown | Drawn and Quarterly |
$13.50 ($14.95 list) |
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There’s no one quite like Chester Brown. This is probably a good thing. Nevertheless, he is one of the handful of certifiable masters to have worked in comics during the last two decades; and while Dave Sim can take rightful credit for being, along with his estranged former spouse, Deni Loubert, the progenitor of the modern comics movement in Canada, it is Chester Brown that is the single most important figure to have emerged out of this movement thus far and it is Brown’s work that has had and will continue to have the greatest impact on both his compatriots and the medium as a whole. The Little Man is the best single-volume compendium of his work. Collecting work spread out over the span of the first fifteen years of Brown’s career, this pert little book packs a hefty punch. The bulk of the material is culled from Yummy Fur, the comics series which established Brown's reputation and with which he is still most closely associated in the comics world. Click on the image at left to read our full length reveiw. | |||||
| Title | Author | Publisher | Price | |||
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| The Way of Chuang Tzu | Thomas Merton, Chuang Tzu | Shambhala |
$11.75 ($16.95 list) |
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The writings of Chuang Tzu are the most rigorous classic articulations of Taoist thought, which had its beginnings with the Tao Te Ching, attributed to Lao Tzu. Taoism is, perhaps, the system of thought second only to Confucianism in defining the history and culture of Chinese civilization. In Merton's "readings" (which are his interpretations based on an assemblage of the then [1965] best available Western translations by China scholars), these brief but powerful texts become quite accessible to Western thought. Thomas Merton -- whose name at least should be familiar to Pittsburgh area residents through the work of the much lauded Thomas Merton Center -- was a Trappist monk and an important author in his own right, as his eloquent introduction to this volume makes abundantly clear. Merton's translation manages to successfully pull Chaung Tzu's thought through the difficult east/west mind-barrier and present contemporary American readers with 2500 year old writing that often seems uncannily appropriate to the tenor of our times. His introduction draws our attention to surprising parallels between these writings and those of the New Testament that, if more widely appreciated, could go a long way towards deepening the dialogue between east and west that, because of the spectacular growth of the Chinese economy and its integration into the global economy, becomes of more importance with each passing day. The Way of Chuang Tzu is a tastfully designed compact sturdy clothbound hardcover edition from the Shambala Library that is printed and bound in Germany, and comes with its own sewn in bookmark. A book that's suitable for a lifetime's worth of consultation that's built to last. We recently discovered a cache of these that we can offer at a great low price. Give the gift of eternal wisdom. We give his volume our highest recommendation. | |||||
| Encyclopedia Destructica: Volume Coatlicue 2 | Ed Steck, Karl Hendricks, Wayne Wise | Encyclopedia Destructica |
$10.00 ($10.00 list) |
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edited by Jerome Crooks Yes, believe it or not, it's yet another handmade-in-Pittsburgh comopendium of culture from the folks at E.D. This time around we have a fat post-bound volume with (approximately) 80 different covers -- collect them all! (or not) This book contains work by 29 (count 'em) writers and 18 artists. In our opinion, this is one of E.D.'s most solid outings. Editor Crooks has assembled some great local talent including Karl Hendricks, whose story, "Less Than Mick Jagger," has to be considered one of the collection stand-outs. Other contributors on board who should be familiar to many a Copacetic customer include writers Ed Steck and Wayne Wise, along with artists Tom Scioli and Nils Balls. This collection runs a whopping 241 pages, is chock-a-block with work by talented people some of whom many of you will doubtless know, is handmade here in Pittsburgh in a limited edition of between 200 and 300 copies (sorry, forgot the exact copy count...240?), and is bargain priced. How can you say no? | |||||
| Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's Humor Category | Charles Burns | McSweeney's |
$14.40 ($16.95 list) |
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Forty-nine humorous essays, all culled from the McSweeney's internet archives, are herein collected in this mid-size hardcover volume with a dustjacket illustrated by Charles Burns. Plus: thirty pages of lists! | |||||
| Terrible Honesty: Mongrel Manhattan in the 1920s | Ann Douglas | Noonday Press |
$12.00 ($15.00 list) |
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This volume comes as close as any one book can to first uncovering and then diagraming the myriad ways which, in New York City, during the 1920s, the United States of America created and then defined a new way of organizing the intellectual civilization that apprehends the reality of our world. Up until this point the reality of the west that the United States saw itself as a part of had been built up through a gradual accretion of intellectual developments over the centuries in the "old world"-- primarily, but certainly not exclusively, Europe. A definitive break was made in the wake of the First World War, after which, as this book demonstrates, the "new world" of the United States forged ahead on its own, and Manhattan was the crucible of this transformation. The foundation of the United States had been constructed out of those elements of what its founders and guides perceived as best in contemporary, Christian, and classical European civilization, with, naturally enough, a large bias towards its British component. At the conclusion of WWI, however, the US found itself ascendant if not actually dominant in the western world and while the center of political power in the US was, of course, Washington, the cultural capital was unquestionably Manhattan, and it was here that, emboldened by their nation’s nascent position of growing power, a new way of being was erected upon this foundation that was carved out of the essence of America. And within the cultural sphere at that particular historical juncture nothing was more essentially American than the African-American culture that had risen in Harlem. Douglas demonstrates time and time again in the pages of Terrible Honesty that a key element in distinguishing American culture from European was-- and by extension clearly continues to be-- America’s inclusion of its African cultural heritage, whether intentionally or, as was more likely-- at least at first-- unconsciously. And let's not forget the epochal ninety page bibliographical essay that concludes the volume. It puts the knowledge of the ages at your fingertips. Read this and you're good to go. Terrible Honesty is -- or at least so we argue -- one of the most significant books of cultural history of our times, don't miss it! | |||||