Loose Canons: Notes on the Culture Wars - Hardcover

"In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Gates, probably the best known and most controversial proponent of African American studies, has gathered here a group of his essays on the timely topic of multiculturalism....An excellent addition to all academic libraries and a necessary purchase for any library interested in a serious discussion of multiculturalism."--Library Journal "Lucid, stimulating, and often entertaining. Gates is one of the very few contemporary critics whose work is actually fun to absorb."--Newsday "In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Loose Canons is an inside job, the work of a man who has mastered the arcane politics and encoded language of the canon makers; it's an arsenal of ideas in the cultural wars. But it is also the outpouring of a humane, witty, and truly civilized mind--and that's exactly why Loose Canons strikes so hard and true."--Los Angeles Times "In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Gates, probably the best known and most controversial proponent of African American studies, has gathered here a group of his essays on the timely topic of multiculturalism....An excellent addition to all academic libraries and a necessary purchase for any library interested in a serious discussion of multiculturalism."--Library Journal "Lucid, stimulating, and often entertaining. Gates is one of the very few contemporary critics whose work is actually fun to absorb."--Newsday "In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Loose Canons is an inside job, the work of a man who has mastered the arcane politics and encoded language of the canon makers; it's an arsenal of ideas in the cultural wars. But it is also the outpouring of a humane, witty, and truly civilized mind--and that's exactly why Loose Canons strikes so hard and true."--Los Angeles Times "In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Gates, probably the best known and most controversial proponent of African American studies, has gathered here a group of his essays on the timely topic of multiculturalism....An excellent addition to all academic libraries and a necessary purchase for any library interested in a serious discussion of multiculturalism."--Library Journal "Lucid, stimulating, and often entertaining. Gates is one of the very few contemporary critics whose work is actually fun to absorb."--Newsday "In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Loose Canons is an inside job, the work of a man who has mastered the arcane politics and encoded language of the canon makers; it's an arsenal of ideas in the cultural wars. But it is also the outpouring of a humane, witty, and truly civilized mind--and that's exactly why Loose Canons strikes so hard and true."--Los Angeles Times "In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Gates, probably the best known and most controversial proponent of African American studies, has gathered here a group of his essays on the timely topic of multiculturalism....An excellent addition to all academic libraries and a necessary purchase for any library interested in a serious discussion of multiculturalism."--Library Journal "Lucid, stimulating, and often entertaining. Gates is one of the very few contemporary critics whose work is actually fun to absorb."--Newsday "In these incisive and readable essays, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at once sympathetic, funny, and cautionary in making the case for cultural pluralism and the revision of the literary canon."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago "Loose Canons is an inside job, the work of a man who has mastered the arcane politics and encoded language of the canon makers; it's an arsenal of ideas in the cultural wars. But it is also the outpouring of a humane, witty, and truly civilized mind--and that's exactly why Loose Canons strikes so hard and true."--Los Angeles Times

A collection of the author's essays on the politics of multiculturalism and the importance of the black tradition in American culture. It includes discussion of the political, social and cultural dimensions of the "canon issue", and illustrates its ramifications.