Unruly Voices: Essays on Democracy, Civility and the Human Imagination by Mark K

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A new collection by the author of The World We Want, with essays on civility, public space, Obama, procrastination, suicide.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

Accessible, entertaining, anecdotal. A good introduction to issues in contemporary civics as well as a measured and thoughtful response to major themes and figures in cultural studies.Civility in politics is a subject throughout, and analyses of both Obama's rhetoric and the use of lowest-common-denominator insults in public debate will be well-timed going into the 2012 election campaignNot just formal essays: some are dialogues, some personal meditations, some direct addresses to famous figures. Variety helps keep the collection entertaining.

Back Cover

"Mark Kingwell is a beautiful writer, a lucid thinker, and a patient teacher ... His insights are intellectual anchors in a fast-changing world." - Naomi KleinMark Kingwell's first book, A Civil Tongue, predicted with remarkable accuracy the shout-doctrine style decline in political debate. Since then Kingwell has been urging readers to consider how bad public behaviour can make it harder to imagine the society we want. Now, with these 17 new essays, where cultural theorists share pages with poets, zombies, and presidents, Kingwell argues for a sympathetic democracy to counter the strangeness of the modern world.

Author Biography

Mark Kingwell is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, a contributing editor for Harper's Magazine, and has written for publications ranging from Adbusters and the New York Times to the Journal of Philosophy and Auto Racing Digest. Among his twelve books of political and cultural theory are the Canadian best-sellers Better Living, The World We Want, and Concrete Reveries. In order to secure financing for their continued indulgence he has also written about his various hobbies, including fishing, baseball, cocktails, and contemporary art.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Empathy and the End of The End of Democracy1. The Shout Doctrine2. "Fuck You" and Other Salutations: Incivility as Collective Action Problem3. Masters of Chancery: The Gift of Public Space4. All Show: Justice and the City5. The American Gigantic6. The Tomist: Francis Fukuyama's Infinite Regression7. Ways of Not Seeing: on Deyan Sudjic's The Language of Things8. The Philosopher President Sets Forth: A Monologue9. Intellectuals and Democracy10. What Are Intellectuals For? A Modest Proposal in Dialogue Form11. The Work Idea: Wage Slavery, Bullshit, and the Good Infinite12. Throwing Dice: Luck of the Draw and the Democratic Ideal13. As It Were: On the Metaphysics Ethics of Fiction [n.b.: the word "Metaphysics" appears with a strikethrough]14. Language Speaks Us: Sophie's Tree and the Paradox of Self15. The Trick of It: Poetry and the Plane of Immanence16. Self-Slaughter, Poetry, and the Interfaith Blurb UniversePostscript: The (In)dividual, Beyond the Uncanny Valley

Review

"Examining such social and existential issues as the role of luck in accumulating political or other power and the way that "desirable objects" reinforce a sense of "class superiority," Kingwell ranges far and wide. He cites not only to such philosophers as Plato, Heidegger, and Rawls, but also to such writers as Melville and literary critics such as Northrop Frye, not to mention such cinematic cult classics as Beyond the Valley of the Dolls ... he is a perceptive and imaginative social critic."--Publishers Weekly "This broad-minded collection of essays carries its own anecdote. As Kingwell writes in his introduction, it is philosophy, along with poetry and art, that has the extraordinary power to 'expand our ethical imaginations.' A robust democracy will need both ground rules for civil discourse and citizens with imagination enough to understand the stakes of the game."--The Rumpus "Unruly Voices has insightful things to say about the corrupting influence of money on public discourse, including reference to the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial 2010 Citizens United ruling, which granted corporations the same right as people to free speech ... The scourge of incivility might not be new, but it is more pervasive. And, as Kingwell warns, the cost to coherent debate is great."--National Post (Canada) PRAISE FOR MARK KINGWELL "Illuminates on almost every page."--The Los Angeles Times "An original approach to where we are as a civilization."--The Washington Post "The writing is elegant, often poetic. It appeals to the thoughtful reader who thrives on insights into the way humans interact."--The Globe & Mail "Smoothly splicing together personal narrative, philosophical inquiry and historical analysis, frequent Harper's contributor [Mark] Kingwell ... wears his learning lightly."--Publishers' Weekly

Promotional

Marketing budget to comeNational review copy mailing, targeting the Times, Times Magazine, The New York Post, American Scholar, the Wilson Quarterly, Utne Reader and Bookforum (all places where the author has published)Will pursue op-ed pieces on civility and campaign politics closer to date of publicationPromotion/publicity to coincide with speaking engagementsGuest blogs and talks on politeness and public debate to coincide with presidential election campaignEssay from collection to run in Harper's in July 2012Pursuing David Brooks for blurbAdvertising with RTIR

Review Quote

PRAISE FOR MARK KINGWELL "Illuminates on almost every page."-- The Los Angeles Times "An original approach to where we are as a civilization."-- The Washington Post "The writing is elegant, often poetic. It appeals to the thoughtful reader who thrives on insights into the way humans interact."-- The Globe & Mail "Smoothly splicing together personal narrative, philosophical inquiry and historical analysis, frequent Harper's contributor [Mark] Kingwell ... wears his learning lightly."-- Publishers' Weekly

Competing Titles

The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits Emrys Westacott 9780691141992 26.95 Princeton UP 2011 Arguably: Essays Christopher Hitchens 9781455502776 30.00 Twelve 2011 Faking It William Ian Miller 9780521613705 22.00 Cambridge UP 2005

Description for Sales People

Accessible, entertaining, anecdotal. A good introduction to issues in contemporary civics as well as a measured and thoughtful response to major themes and figures in cultural studies. Civility in politics is a subject throughout, and analyses of both Obama's rhetoric and the use of lowest-common-denominator insults in public debate will be well-timed going into the 2012 election campaign Not just formal essays: some are dialogues, some personal meditations, some direct addresses to famous figures. Variety helps keep the collection entertaining.

Details ISBN1926845846 Author Mark Kingwell Short Title UNRULY VOICES Publisher Biblioasis Language English ISBN-10 1926845846 ISBN-13 9781926845845 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY 306.2 Year 2012 Pages 300 Subtitle Essays on Democracy, Civility and the Human Imagination Imprint Biblioasis Place of Publication Emeryville Country of Publication Canada UK Release Date 2012-11-01 Publication Date 2012-11-01 Audience General AU Release Date 2013-01-21 Illustrations Illustrations We've got this

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