Ars Americana, Ars Politica: Partisan Expression in Contemporary American Literature and Culture

As partisan attacks have become increasingly bitter in American politics, contemporary culture has found ways to channel this outrage into the outrageous, responding with comedy and satire from both sides of the political spectrum. Ars Americana, Ars Politica cross-examines American politics, culture, and history by examining Irving Wallace’s The Man, Richard Condon’s Death of a Politician, P.J. O’Rourke’s Parliament of Whores, Warren Beatty’s film Bulworth, and Michael Moore’s Stupid White Men to show how these popular artists have used soap-box partisanship and box-office artertainment to affect history.