Words of the Prophets: Graffiti as Political Protest in Greece, Italy, Poland, and the United States

(Paperback)

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Description

Words of the Prophets treats graffiti as a form of political prophecy.

Whether we consider austerity in Thessaloniki, Camorra infiltration in Naples, the fall of Communism in Gdansk, or the rise of gang warfare in Chicago, graffiti is a form of democratic self-expression that dates back to Periclean Athens and the Book of Daniel. Words of the Prophets offers close readings of 400 original photographs taken between 2014 and 2021 in Philadelphia, Venice, Milan, Florence, Syracuse, and Warsaw, alongside literary works by Pawel Huelle, films by Andrezj Wajda, Antonio Capua, and music videos by Natasha Bedingfield and Beyonc.

A third of the book is dedicated to interviews with Krik Kong, Iwona Zajac, Ponchee.193, Jay Pop, Ser, Simoni Fontana, and Mattia Campo DallOrto.

Author Bio

Jonathan Gross is a Professor at DePaul University. He has published monographs on Lord Byron, Anne Damer, and edited the letters of Lady Melbourne and Thomas Jefferson. His editions of the Sylph, Belmour, and Emma, or the Unfortunate Attachment highlight the achievements of women writers.