Republic Of Outsiders: The Power of Amateurs, Dreamers and Rebels

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Description

Republic of Outsiders is a look at the growing number of American outsiders who disrupt the status quo: the outcasts who seek to redefine a wide variety of fields, from film and mental health to music and gender. These people range from professional and amateur filmmakers crowd-sourcing their work, to transgender and autistic activists, and Occupy Wall Street's 'alternative bankers'. They are the groups that have forged a new cultural practice Quart dubs 'identity innovation'; pushing the boundaries of who are they are and what they can achieve.

Reviews

A Publishers Weekly Best New Book for the Week of August 5, 2013

"It's difficult to pinpoint the historical moment when the strange becomes everyday. But in this book, Quart gives us a few glimpses of what those transitional moments might look like in her intimate portraits of people who live somewhere between the edge and the center of dominant culture."
The New York Times Book Review

"Alissa Quart's Republic of Outsiders should be considered a snapshot of American life at this point."
The Columbus Dispatch

"Quart astutely identifies a cultural phenomenon that includes everyone from songwriter Jill Sobule to antiestablishment schizophrenics, and her careful reporting and vividly rendered characters make the book a vital, engaging read."
Psychology Today

"Can you live the dream by working outside of the mainstream Quart explores how today's social rebels can and are making their dreams come true, while still making it on their terms."
Flavorwire

"An in-depth look at nonconformists flourishing in American society."
Shelf Awareness

"Even if you dont consider yourself an outsider or a rebel, Quart's book has several lessons for creative work, particularly when it comes to making art outside a heavily commercial system."
Fast Company

"We have met the revolution, and it is us. . . . a groundbreaking study of the increasing influence of cultural outsiders."
The Philadelphia Inquirer

"And that, in the end, is our highest callingto become more wholly ourselves. Reading this book is a strengthening exercise toward that goal."
Feministing

"Alissa Quart has given us a rare and fascinating glimpse into America's diverse and burgeoning creative subcultures. If theres a Republic of Outsiders, I want to apply for citizenship!
Barbara Ehrenreich

"Alissa Quart is one of the smartest cultural interpreters of her generation. In Republic of Outsiders, she mixes sharp-eyed analysis with an empathetic heart. The result is a great read, and a brand-new lens through which to view outsiders, insidersand ourselves."
Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Cant Stop Talking

"As a determined 'outsider' myself, I feel both exposed and vindicated by Alissa Quart. This is an essential account of how and why fringe activism has become central to our culture and politics in a digital age."
Douglas Rushkoff, author of Present Shock and Life Inc.

"A perceptive, analytical reporter. . . . Quart's profiles are thoroughly researched and admirably evenhanded. . . . . She effectively examines how outsider thinking can supplement, and in some cases supplant, mainstream methods."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A thought-provoking examination of counterculture through the eyes of those living life just outside the conventional box."
Kirkus

"The author strays far from the expected, including the producers of the indie-film triumph Beasts of the Southern Wild and Kickstarter phenom musician Amanda Palmer. Readers will be surprised to see thoughtful inclusions of the 'neurodiverse' (individuals diagnosed within the autism spectrum) and those defying standard classifications of serious mental illness and challenging our understanding of schizophrenia and bipolarity. . . . Lots of good food for thought and solid inspiration for those who feel stifled by traditional choices."
Booklist

Author Bio

Alissa Quart is the author of "Branded" and "Hothouse Kids." She is the senior editor of The Atavist, a nonfiction publisher for the e-reader, and an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Journalism School. She has written for the "New York Times Magazine," "The Atlantic," and many other places and writes a cultural column for "Columbia Journalism Review." She lives in New York.