What is pretentiousness? Why do we disdain it? And more controversially: why is it vital for a thriving culture? In this brilliant, passionate essay, Dan Fox argues that it has always been an essential mechanism of the arts, from the most widely successful pop music and fashion to the more challenging realms of literature and visual arts. Pretentiousness: Why it Matters analyzes the uses and misuses of the term, drawing its connections to theater, politics, and class, defending critical imagination against ready-made accusations of elitism or mere phobia of the new and the different. This book is a timely defense of pretentiousness as a necessity for innovation and diversity in our culture.

Pages: 176, Dimensions: 11.4x11.4cm