Wilde in America : Oscar Wilde and the invention of modern celebrity
Friedman, David M., 1949-2015
Books
On 3rd January 1882, Oscar Wilde, a twenty-seven-year-old 'genius' - by his own reckoning - arrived in New York. The Dublin-born Oxford man had made a spectacle of himself in London with his fashion sense, acerbic wit, and passion for art and design, and was hired to go to America to lecture on interior decorating. But Wilde had his own business plan: he would promote himself. And he did, creating a template for fame creation that still works today. Wilde presented himself as a 'star', taking the stage in satin breeches and a velvet coat with lace trim as he sang the praises of sconces, embroidered pillows and himself. An enchanting tale of travel and transformation, comedy and capitalism, this book teaches us about our present as well as our past.
Main title:
Wilde in America : Oscar Wilde and the invention of modern celebrity / David M. Friedman.
Author:
Imprint:
New York : W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.
Collation:
320 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:
9780393063172 (hbk)
Dewey class:
828.809
Language:
English
BRN:
1088905