During the five decades between 1910 and 1960, American society underwent tumultuous and far-reaching transformations. As the United States emerged as an international power of economic, industrial, and military might, Americans also witnessed two world wars and the Great Depression. Urbanization and new technologies altered all aspects of modern life, and an increasingly diverse population clamored for the opportunities promised by the American dream. In response to these dramatic changes, many American artists rejected or reformulated artistic traditions and sought new ways to portray contemporary life. Published in conjunction with a traveling exhibition of works from the world-renowned collection of the Brooklyn Museum, American Moderns, 1910 1960: From O'Keeffe to Rockwell explores the myriad ways in which American artists engaged modernity. Featured are 53 paintings and 4 sculptures, ranging widely in subject matter and style, by such artists as Marsden Hartley, Stuart Davis, Arthur Dove, and Max Weber, leaders of American modernism; Precisionists George Ault and Francis Criss; Social Realists Reginald Marsh and Raphael Soyer; and the folk-art icon Grandma Moses. The book's introduction sets the stage for six thematic sections, each with an introductory essay Cubist Experiments, The Still Life Revisited, Nature Essentialized, Modern Structures, Engaging Characters, and Americana tracing the period's dominant artistic developments. Interpretive text for each object and reproductions of comparative works provide further insight into how these artists shaped modern art.

This book presents an audacious account of the ways in which the arts in the Americas were modernized during the first half of the 20th century. Rather than viewing modernization as a steady progression from one "ism" to another, Edward Sullivan adopts a comparative approach, drawing his examples from North America, the Caribbean, Central, and South America. By considering the Americas in this hemispheric sense he is able to tease out many stories of art and focus on the ways in which artists from different regions not only adapted and experimented with visual expression, but also absorbed trans-national as well as international influences. He shows how this rich diversity is most evident in the various forms of abstract art that emerged throughout the Americas and which in turn had an impact on art throughout the world.

American Moderns on Paper presents a selection of approximately 100 of the finest watercolors, pastels, and drawings by leading American modernists from the Wadsworth Atheneum's renowned collection of American art. Works by Sloan, O'Keeffe, Hopper, Marin, Dalí, and Wyeth, among many others, serve as notable examples of the various styles and subjects pursued by artists in America from 1910 to 1960. The catalogue entries are accompanied by artist biographies. Organized chronologically, and generously illustrated throughout, the catalogue is introduced by two essays exploring the historical significance of the collection and the importance to American modernists of working on paper, rather than canvas. Providing a rich history of the collection, the volume illuminates not only its historic roots, but also the concurrent national evolution of interest in watercolor and drawings. Published in association with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Exhibition Schedule: Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX (2/27/10-5/30/10) Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME (6/22/10-9/12/10) Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT (10/2/10-1/2/11)

This book uses the long and profitable career of Cecil B. DeMille to track the evolution of Classical Hollywood and its influence on emerging mass commercial culture in the US. DeMille’s success rested on how well his films presumed a broad consensus in the American public—expressed through consumer hedonism, faith, and an “exceptional” national history—which merged seamlessly with the efficient production methods developed by the largest integrated studios. DeMille’s sudden mid-career shift away from spectator perversity to corporate propagandist permanently tarnished the director’s historical standing among scholars, yet should not overshadow the profound links between his success and the rise and fall of mid-century mass culture.

Winner of the Modernist Studies Association (MSA) Edited Volume Prize Bringing together works by writers from sub-Saharan Africa, Turkey, central Europe, the Muslim world, Asia, South America and Australia – many translated into English for the first time – this is the first collection of statements on modernism by writers, artists and practitioners from across the world. Annotated throughout, the texts are supported by critical essays from leading modernist scholars exploring major issues in the contemporary study of global modernism. Global Modernists on Modernism is an essential resource for students and scholars of modernism and world literature and one that opens up a dazzling new array of perspectives on the field.

The Restless City: A Short History of New York from Colonial Times to the Present is a short, lively history of the world’s most exciting and diverse metropolis. It shows how New York’s perpetual struggles for power, wealth, and status exemplify the vigor, creativity, resilience, and influence of the nation’s premier urban center. The updated second edition includes nineteen images and brings the story right up through the mayoral election of 2009. In these pages are the stories of a broad cross-section of people and events that shaped the city, including mayors and moguls, women and workers, and policemen and poets. Joanne Reitano shows how New York has invigorated the American dream by confronting the fundamental economic, political, and social challenges that face every city. Energized by change, enriched by immigrants, and enlivened by provocative leaders, New York City’s restlessness has always been its greatest asset.