The Wig

A Harebrained History

Luigi Amara, Christina Macsweeney

$34.99

Hardback

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English

Reaktion Books
01 December 2020

History of fashion

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.

By: Luigi Amara
Translated by: Christina Macsweeney
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 133mm,
ISBN: 9781789143461
ISBN 10: 1789143462
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 01 December 2020
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

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.

Reviews for The Wig: A Harebrained History

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 * 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