Wow! eBook
The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: A History of America's Great Lyricists 2nd Edition
Author(s): Philip Furia (Author), Laurie J. Patterson (Author)
- Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
- Publication Date: 25 Oct. 2022
- Edition: 2nd
- Language: English
- Print length: 736 pages
- ISBN-10: 0190906472
- ISBN-13: 9780190906474
Book Description
Furia and Patterson continue the tradition of great perception and understanding established in the first edition as they explore the deft rhymes, inventive imagery, and witty solutions these songwriters used to breathe new life into rigidly established genres. They devote full chapters to such greats as Irving Berlin, Lorenz Hart, Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Oscar Hammerstain II, Howard Dietz, E.Y. Harburg, Dorothy Fields, Leo Robin, and Johnny Mercer. They also offer a comprehensive survey of other lyricists who wrote for the sheet-music industry, Broadway, Hollywood, and Harlem nightclub revues. This was the era that produced
The New Yorker, Don Marquis, Dorothy Parker, and E.B. White--and the book places Tin Pan Alley lyrics firmly in this fascinating historical context. In these pages, the lyrics emerge as an important element of American modernism, as the lyricists, like the great modernist poets, took the American vernacular and made it sing.Editorial Reviews
Review
Sophisticated, literate....A welcome addition to the sparse lyrics-as-literature shelf. ―
Kirkus ReviewsWell-written and interesting....A good history of American popular culture. ―
ChoiceFuria not only pays tribute to the great lyricists but does it with a joy and flair that ingratiates itself to the reader page upon page....Overall, pleasure reading and then some. ―
West Coast Review of BooksThe author's love and enthusiasm for his subject, and also the fact that you can't help humming while reading, make this the rare book of literary criticism that is downright enjoyable. ―
BooklistApparently all the younger lyricists of the present day freely acknowledge that they are not as gifted as Ira Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, and other early masters of the art form. Along comes Mr. Furia's admirable study to provide more than ample documentation. It goes without saying that any professional or would-be lyricist ought to eagerly devour every page, but even those who pay more disinterested attention to the popular arts will be fascinated by this insightful analysis. ―
Steve AllenA lovingly conceived, scholarly, and entertaining tribute to the great popular wordsmiths of this century. It is well researched and contains much fascinating information. I recommend it. ―
Michael FeinsteinThe first scholarly study of the lyrics of Tin Pan Alley, placing these texts in the sweep of American literature, analyzing not only their overall poetic style but individual variations as well....Invaluable. ―
Charles Hamm, Dartmouth College
