Week 2 Flashcards
When did the English Civil War begin and why did it begin?
1642; began with the end of Charles the 1st, monarchy was dead and the puritans rose to power
When did the Puritans close theatres and why were they closed?
1649; The Puritans believed art undermined authority, theatres were referred to as “red light districts” where criminal activity and prostitution occured
When was the Restoration and what happened?
1660; theatres were restored and was wilder than ever, the amateur press emerges
What was the “Licensing of the Press Act” and when was it established?
1661; It attempted to rein in the rowdy public and prevent rebellious writing (it was moderately successful for 25 years)
What was London’s Grub Street?
An area populated by low end publishers, booksellers; it was associated with “ditches” that people dumped their bodily waste in
What is “Grub Street” a synonym for?
Bad writing
Who was Edmund Curll?
- A publisher who published anything he could find and that cost him very little
- He stole a lot of material from Jonathan Swift
- Wrote hack biographies on notable people that had died (“FAKE NEWS”)
- Inspired “Curlicism”: literary indecency
True or False: The Parisian version of “Grub Street” was active leading up to the French Revolution in 1789 and played an instrumental role in it?
True
What was the French publication of choice?
The “Libelle” – meaning “small book” which became associated with defaming pre-Revolutionary figures such as the church, aristocrats, political figures
How did America produce highways in the Eisenhower age?
20% of highways had to be straight and flat so that they could land planes if they needed to (America as one large airforce)
Who were some of the post-WW2 “Beat” writers?
- William S. Burroughs “Naked Lunch”
- Jack Kerouac “On the Road” (he coined the term “the BEAT generation in 1948)
- Allen Ginsberg “Howl”
What genre of music did the literary generation identify with?
Bebop - An African-American heavy genre of jazz that was based on improvisation
What did Norman Maylor write about?
Hipsters (which he called “psychopathic brilliance”) and conforming vs. radicalism
What events launched zines?
- General literacy increases
- Mass production
- Individuals with specific tastes lose their voice/are not being represented
- The APA
What does “Bohemia” mean?
A 19th century term to describe people with unconventional lifestyles (artists, musicians, writers)
