A Publishers Weekly Best New Book for the Week of August 5, 2013 It's difficult to pinpoint the historical moment when the strange becomes everyday. But in this book, Quart gives us a few glimpses of what those transitional moments might look like in her intimate portraits of people who live somewhere between the edge and the center of dominant culture.
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The New York Times Book Review Alissa Quart's
Republic of Outsiders should be considered a snapshot of American life at this point.
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The Columbus Dispatch Quart astutely identifies a cultural phenomenon that includes everyone from songwriter Jill Sobule to antiestablishment schizophrenics, and her careful reporting and vividly rendered characters make the book a vital, engaging read.
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Psychology Today Can you live the dream by working outside of the mainstream? Quart explores how today's social rebels can and are making their dreams come true, while still making it on their terms.
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Flavorwire An in-depth look at nonconformists flourishing in American society.
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Shelf Awareness Even if you don't consider yourself an outsider or a rebel, Quart's book has several lessons for creative work, particularly when it comes to making art outside a heavily commercial system.
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Fast Company We have met the revolution, and it is us. . . . a groundbreaking study of the increasing influence of cultural outsiders.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer And that, in the end, is our highest calling-to become 'more wholly ourselves.' Reading this book is a strengthening exercise toward that goal.
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Feministing Alissa Quart has given us a rare and fascinating glimpse into America's diverse and burgeoning creative subcultures. If there's a Republic of Outsiders, I want to apply for citizenship!"
–Barbara Ehrenreich
Alissa Quart is one of the smartest cultural interpreters of her generation. In
Republic of Outsiders, she mixes sharp-eyed analysis with an empathetic heart. The result is a great read, and a brand-new lens through which to view outsiders, insiders–and ourselves.
–Susan Cain, author of
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking As a determined 'outsider' myself, I feel both exposed and vindicated by Alissa Quart. This is an essential account of how and why fringe activism has become central to our culture and politics in a digital age.
–Douglas Rushkoff, author of
Present Shock and
Life Inc. A perceptive, analytical reporter. . . . Quart's profiles are thoroughly researched and admirably evenhanded. . . . . She effectively examines how outsider thinking can supplement, and in some cases supplant, mainstream methods.
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Publishers Weekly (starred review)
A thought-provoking examination of counterculture through the eyes of those living life just outside the conventional box.
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Kirkus The author strays far from the expected, including the producers of the indie-film triumph
Beasts of the Southern Wild and Kickstarter phenom musician Amanda Palmer. Readers will be surprised to see thoughtful inclusions of the 'neurodiverse' (individuals diagnosed within the autism spectrum) and those defying standard classifications of serious mental illness and challenging our understanding of schizophrenia and bipolarity. . . . Lots of good food for thought and solid inspiration for those who feel stifled by traditional choices.
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Booklist
