All Graceful Instruments: The Contexts of the Grateful Dead Phenomenon

by Nicholas G. Meriwether (Editor)

All Graceful The Contexts of the Grateful Dead Phenomenon gathers thirteen representative essays from a wide array of fields into an interdisciplinary anthology that reveals the depth and extent of this fascinating, variegated cultural phenomenon. Contributors use the techniques of literary criticism, musicology, sociology, philosophy, business theory, and more to explore the meaning and significance of the music of the Grateful Dead, the implications of their artistic and commercial success, and the social dimensions of their following, the Deadheads. For scholars and students of American history and culture, this book makes a convincing case for why the Grateful Dead phenomenon is worthy of academic attention and what that study can offer. By focusing a wide array of critical approaches on a single, discrete subject, All Graceful Instruments provides a refreshing approach to interdisciplinary studies that should appeal to a wide audience.

299 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Wesley Blixt]

I add this now, at this late date, only because it is so obscure and so well done that I hate to see it disappear from collective consciousness. Nick Meriwether is a careful and serious scholar, a deadhead in the best tradition, and a lot of fun to be around - in person or on the page. As an editor, he brings a truly fabulous collection of voices.