The Wig: A Harebrained History

(Hardback)

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Description

A witty, eloquent, and curious history of the wig

Whether in a court room or a dressing room, wigs come in many forms and represent many things: from power, to sexuality, to parody, to health, to self-identity, to disguise. Wigs are present at parties and in chemotherapy rooms, in pop music and contemporary art. In this witty and eloquent book, Luigi Amara reflects on the curious history of the wig and along the way takes a sideways look at Western civilisation.

Amara illuminates how the wig has starred throughout history, from ancient Egypt to the court of Louis XIV, and from British courtrooms to drag shows today. Containing many striking and unusual images, The Wig will appeal to all those interested in the history of fashion as well as philosophy, art, culture, and aesthetics.

Reviews

"A witty and encyclopedic work. . . . Should be part of the collection of any enthusiast of the essay genre." -- Ignacio M. Sanchez Prado * Los Angeles Review of Books * "[Explores] the wig's silly, sexy, and serious strains in a collection of fanciful short essays. . . . It's clear that for Amara, the wig is an excuse to ponder, wander, and lose himself to flights of fancy." -- Lauren Moya Ford * Hyperallergic * "The reader may find that all objects, when inspected in this way, display a wider cultural resonance. The real question, then, is whether that resonance is as important as the writer believes. Amara makes some ambitious claims... An interesting and enjoyable study." * Times Literary Supplement * "With the precision of a Renaissance collector, Amara has written a book as wonderful and impressive as the old cabinets of curiosities. From Andy Warhol to Andre Agassi, the collection exposed in The Wig makes us smile and laugh with amazement, while we reflect on how shaky identity is." -- Carlos Fonseca, Trinity College, Cambridge, author of "Natural History" "A clever and illuminating take on the world of wigs. A book every hairdresser should have in their collection." -- Isaac Davidson, hairstylist, wig designer, founder of Wigbar "In this smart and humorous account of the history of the wig, Amara proves he's not afraid of frivolity, using it to dig deep into the history of our ideas and costumes." -- Juan Pablo Villalobos, author of "I Don't Expect Anyone to Believe Me" and "Down the Rabbit Hole"

Author Bio

Luigi Amara is the author of many poetry collections, essays, and children's books, including Nu)n(ca, winner of the International Poetry Prize in Spanish, and The School of Boredom. He lives in Mexico City. Christina MacSweeney is an award-winning literary translator specializing in Latin American fiction.