Böcker av Joel Dinerstein

Dinerstein sketches nuanced definitions of cool that unite concepts from African-American and Euro-American culture: the stylish stoicism of the ethical rebel loner; the relaxed intensity of the improvising jazz musician; the effortless, physical grace of the Method actor. To be cool is not to be hip and to be hot is definitely not to be cool.

During the interwar period in 20th century America, innovative forms of music and dance helped a newly urbanized population cope with the increased mechanization of modern life. This work argues that it was African American culture that ultimately provided the means of this social adaptation.