A treasure for students of the true American songbook.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Celenza's weaving of historical and cultural threads is informative and highly readable, and the material's combination of music, U.S. politics, and social history give this title broad appeal.-- "Library Journal"

This is my favorite kind of book--written from the heart, yet scholarly and wise. It brings into focus, through historical context and example, the power of music to heal, to change, and to educate. Music is one of the ways we can heal the perceived, ego-driven differences that divide us. There is no better book for our time.--Michael Feinstein, singer, pianist, founder of the Great American Songbook Foundation, and author of The Gershwins and Me: A Personal History in Twelve Songs

I read Anna Harwell Celenza's book with a highlighter, headphones, and a box of tissues. The stories she relays made me think about the history of artistic activism in a new light--full of all the passions, pettinesses, friendships, and factions that muddy contemporary affairs. This book makes me want to be both a better student of history and a braver artist in my life on stage.--Dessa, singer, rapper, and author of My Own Devices

Harwell Celenza situates both the art and the artist within its moment in American history, all in a nuanced and enlightening allegro style. Readers interested in how art can have wide-ranging impacts on both popular culture and the law will appreciate the book's unabashed enthusiasm for the power of music when we really listen.-- "Booklist, starred review"

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Pub date: 2026-03-24

Length: 352 pages