Ebook: Acting Up : Free Speech, Pragmatism, and American Performance in the Late 20th Century

Nunns examines how free speech became a centerpiece of American identity during the 20th century and how ideas of freedom of expression came to a head during the “Culture Wars” in the 1980s and ’90s. He explores four case histories: performance artist Karen Finley and her court case revolving around public funding for the arts; the lawsuits involving the film I am Curious (Yellow); the controversy surrounding a community’s performance of Angels in America; and the racist songwriting of David Allen Coe.