Book Description
Sentiment and Celebrity tells the story of a man the New York Times once called "the most talked-about author in America". A widely admired, if controversial master of the sentimental appeal poet and "magazinist" Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806-1867) was a pioneer in the modern business of celebrity. By charting the shape and thrust of the various controversies that surrounded Willis, this book shows how the cultural and commercial impulses that fostered the development of antebellum America's love affair with fame and fashion drew power and sustenance from the concurrent allure of genteel cultivation and sentiment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Captivating
Nat Willis-- a man of his times, a man for our time? I loved this roguish tale! Baker has slavishly peeled away layer upon layer of this mostAmerican onion, this slice of the American pie, this antibellum antiherowhose antics and excesses are still a hoot in our 'modern' society.Couldn't put it down. Expensive, though-- and too bad the pictures weren'tbigger. ... Read more