In 1864; Union soldier Charles George described a charge into battle by General Phil Sheridan: "Such a picture of earnestness and determination I never saw as he showed as he came in sight of the battle field . . . What a scene for a painter!" These words proved prophetic; as Sheridan’s desperate ride provided the subject for numerous paintings and etchings as well as songs and poetry. George was not alone in thinking of art in the midst of combat; the significance of the issues under contention; the brutal intensity of the fighting; and the staggering number of casualties combined to form a tragedy so profound that some could not help but view it through an aesthetic lens; to see the war as a concert of death. It is hardly surprising that art influenced the perception and interpretation of the war given the intrinsic role that the arts played in the lives of antebellum Americans. Nor is it surprising that literature; music; and the visual arts were permanently altered by such an emotional and material catastrophe. In The Arts and Culture of the American Civil War; an interdisciplinary team of scholars explores the way the arts – theatre; music; fiction; poetry; painting; architecture; and dance – were influenced by the war as well as the unique ways that art functioned during and immediately following the war. Included are discussions of familiar topics (such as Ambrose Bierce; Peter Rothermel; and minstrelsy) with less-studied subjects (soldiers and dance; epistolary songs). The collection as a whole sheds light on the role of race; class; and gender in the production and consumption of the arts for soldiers and civilians at this time; it also draws attention to the ways that art shaped – and was shaped by – veterans long after the war.
#817743 in Books 2016-04-25 2016-04-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .93 x 5.90l; .0 #File Name: 1469626268372 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Long Past Slavery -- Well worth reading!By paloma3Long Past Slavery is a superb addition to scholarship on the FDR/Depression-era Federal Writers' Project; African-American history; and interviews with ex-slaves. Beyond the ex-slave narratives; Stewart covers many fascinating subjects in this well-researched and documented study; including Zora Neale Hurston; folklorist John Lomax; the black employees of the state-directed FWP offices; and the influential white employees intent on memorializing the bygone South. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the legacy of slavery and the history of race-relations in America.3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Open this book; it will open your mind.By lkhLong Past Slavery by Catherine A. StewartThis book is about Franklin Roosevelt / Great Depression era government funded writing projects that employed a shifting committee of people spread across the nation and organized by state. The zeitgeist of the era pressures the dynamic of people who are players in a process of representing history and culture. It’s a drama that unfolds over a period of years; leaving behind a rich archive—an archive that Stewart mines. Rather than a straightforward chronology; the history is presented in chapter topics orchestrating information. There is a symphonic structure to this book in which actors and events are recycled in themes with different emphasis. One of the government writing projects was documenting emotionally charged history by compiling and editing the narratives of ex slaves. Stewart deftly describes how the ex slaves viewed their stories as a commodity; and how they carefully craft narratives with messages that fly under the radar of interviewers with Confederate sympathies. Another project was the creation of guidebooks for each state; this involved a frequently resented and resisted push to include a capsule of information regarding each state’s Negro population and a perspective on their culture. Stewart documents struggles between highlighting the Negro as responsible citizen vs exotic creature. Individuals and factions attempted to steer the projects in opposed and tangential directions. The process was political and generated controversy: whose vision? whose decision? who gets a piece of the financial pie and how big? Discrimination permeated the process. Stewart documents the influence of familiar and less familiar individuals who shaped this unusual undertaking. Administrators are a significant part of the story; bosses oversaw a slew of semi-autonomous fiefdoms and a headstrong crowd with views that regularly clashed. Stewart examines many key historical figures: two that stood out to me were John Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston. Stewart acknowledges John Lomax’s involvement had a large role in popularizing folk music; but he is discredited for selective choices that commercially presented and distorted that material. His motives are unveiled as selfish both in terms of self-aggrandizement and financial self-enrichment at the expense of the folk who made the music. Information provided about Zora Neale Hurston humanizes and helps explain this iconic figure. Stewart presents a portrait of Hurston in snippets appearing throughout the book that woven together amaze and endear. It is a demanding read; but you come out feeling changed. Your history has been revised.4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Smart People Will Appreciate This BookBy GmanTThis is the kind of book anyone should read if she or he is interested in learning more of our collective American history. Stewart has taken information stuck in archives and brought it back into the light of day. If you want to understand race issues better...if you want to see where we've been and where we are going; read this book. You will be better for it.
