LIT 499-06 Jess Wilton
Inside the Creative Industries
From the rise of a national print culture in the wake of the Civil War, to Hollywood’s enthusiastic production of pro-WWII propaganda, American creative industries have a rich history of national influence. This course offers a “behind-the-scenes” exploration of Hollywood, Broadway, Madison Avenue, and Rockefeller Plaza from the late nineteenth century to the present. We will discuss cultural theory, media studies, fiction, drama, film, and digital culture, in order to contribute to ongoing conversations about the role of creative industries in our lives. Our questions will be diverse in focus: To what degree can creativity flourish in these industries? How greatly do they influence audiences’ perceptions on controversial issues such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and nation? In the wake of globalization, is there such a thing as “American” culture industries anymore? Texts will range from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Love of the Last Tycoon and Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s to 30 Rock and La La Land.”