Not Here, Not Now, Not That!
Protest over Art and Culture in America
In the late 1990s "Angels in America", Tony Kushner's epic play about homosexuality and AIDS in the Reagan era, toured the country, inspiring protests in a handful of cities while others received it warmly. Why do people fight over some works of art but not others? "Not Here, Not Now, Not That!" examines a wide range of controversies over films, books, paintings, sculptures, clothing, music, and television in dozens of cities across the country to find out what turns personal offense into public protest.
What Steven J. Tepper discovers is that these protests are always deeply rooted in local concerns. Furthermore, they are essential to the process of working out our differences in a civil society. To explore the local nature of public protests in detail, Tepper analyzes cases in seventy-one cities, including an in-depth look at Atlanta in the late 1990s, finding that debates there over memorials, public artworks, books, and parades served as a way for Atlantans to develop a vision of the future at a time of rapid growth and change.
Eschewing simplistic narratives that reduce public protests to political maneuvering, "Not Here, Not Now, Not That!" at last provides the social context necessary to fully understand this fascinating phenomenon.
Reviews
"Steven Tepper's 'Not Here, Not Now, Not That!' offers invaluable insights into how social change and uncertainty drive protests over art. With fresh data and perspectives, Tepper makes a compelling case that cultural conflicts are largely homegrown, tied to each community's shifting demographics and values. It's an eye-opening work" – Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center
"'Not Here, Not Now, Not That!' is an impressive achievement. Its rich analysis of data from media sources and surveys is by far the best evidence anywhere about the nature and extent of cultural conflicts involving the arts. The extensive city-by-city comparisons contribute importantly to our understanding of local variations and the effects of local conditions on these conflicts. I highly recommend this valuable and engaging book" – Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University
