The Presidents We Imagine: Two Centuries of White House Fictions on the Page, on the Stage, Onscreen, and Online (Studies in American Thought and Culture)

In Such Popular Television Series As The West Wing And 24, In Thrillers Like Tom Clancy's Novels, And In Recent Films, Plays, Graphic Novels, And Internet Cartoons, America Has Been Led By An Amazing Variety Of Chief Executives. Some Of These Are Real Presidents Who Have Been Fictionally Reimagined. Others Are Might-have-beens Like Philip Roth's President Charles Lindbergh. Many More Have Never Existed Except In Some Storyteller's Mind. In The Presidents We Imagine, Jeff Smith Examines The Presidency's Ever-changing Place In The American Imagination. Ranging Across Different Media And Analyzing Works Of Many Kinds, Some Familiar And Some Never Before Studied, He Explores The Evolution Of Presidential Fictions, Their Central Themes, The Impact On Them Of New And Emerging Media, And Their Largely Unexamined Role In The Nation's Real Politics. Smith Traces Fictions Of The Presidency From The Plays And Polemics Of The Eighteenth Century When The New Office Was Born In What Alexander Hamilton Called The Regions Of Fiction To The Digital Products Of The Twenty-first Century, With Their Seemingly Limitless User-defined Ways Of Imagining The World's Most Important Political Figure. Students Of American Culture And Politics, As Well As Readers Interested In Political Fiction And Film, Will Find Here A Colorful, Indispensable Guide To The Many Surprising Ways Americans Have Been Representing Presidents Even As Those Presidents Have Represented Them.--jacket. Imagining A President: George Washington And His Fictional Predecessors -- Seeing Double: Clowns, Carnival, And Satire In The Antebellum Years -- Deep, Yet Transparent: Myth, Mystery, And Common Sense In Post-civil War Presidential Fictions -- A Simple, Honest Man: Presidential Character In The Fictions Of The 1930s And 1940s -- The Human Element: Presidential Strength, Weakness, And Difference In The 1960s And 1970s -- Who Am I? Presidents And Their Issues In Fictions Of The 1990s -- Fictitious Times: Imagining Presidents At The Turn Of The Millennium. Jeff Smith. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 349-376) And Index. In such popular television series as The West Wing and 24, in thrillers like Tom Clancy's novels, and in recent films, plays, graphic novels, and internet cartoons, America has been led by an amazing variety of chief executives. Some of these are real presidents who have been fictionally reimagined. Others are “might-have-beens” like Philip Roth's President Charles Lindbergh. Many more have never existed except in some storyteller's mind. In The Presidents We Imagine, Jeff Smith examines the presidency's ever-changing place in the American imagination. Ranging across different media and analyzing works of many kinds, some familiar and some never before studied, he explores the evolution of presidential fictions, their central themes, the impact on them of new and emerging media, and their largely unexamined role in the nation's real politics. Smith traces fictions of the presidency from the plays and polemics of the eighteenth century—when the new office was born in what Alexander Hamilton called “the regions of fiction”—to the digital products of the twenty-first century, with their seemingly limitless user-defined ways of imagining the world's most important political figure. Students of American culture and politics, as well as readers interested in political fiction and film, will find here a colorful, indispensable guide to the many surprising ways Americans have been “representing” presidents even as those presidents have represented them. “Especially timely in an era when media image-mongering increasingly shapes presidential politics.”—Paul S. Boyer, series editor “Smith's understanding of the sociopolitical realities of US history is impressive; likewise his interpretations of works of literature and popular culture....In addition to presenting thoughtful analysis, the book is also fun. Readers will enjoy encounters with, for example, The Beggar's Opera, Duck Soup, Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward, Philip Roth's Plot against America, the comedic campaigns of W. C. Fields for President and Pogo for President, and presidential fictions that continue up to the last President Bush.... His writing is fluid and conversational, but every page reveals deep understanding and focus. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.”—CHOICE In such popular television series as The West Wing and 24 , in thrillers like Tom Clancys novels, and in recent films, plays, graphic novels, and internet cartoons, America has been led by an amazing variety of chief executives. Some of these are real presidents who have been fictionally reimagined. Others are might-have-beens like Philip Roths President Charles Lindbergh. Many more have never existed except in some storytellers mind. In The Presidents We Imagine , Jeff Smith examines the presidencys ever-changing place in the American imagination. Ranging across different media and analyzing works of many kinds, some familiar and some never before studied, he explores the evolution of presidential fictions, their central themes, the impact on them of new and emerging media, and their largely unexamined role in the nations real politics. Smith traces fictions of the presidency from the plays and polemics of the eighteenth centurywhen the new office was born in what Alexander Hamilton called the regions of fictionto the digital products of the twenty-first century, with their seemingly limitless user-defined ways of imagining the worlds most important political figure. Students of American culture and politics, as well as readers interested in political fiction and film, will find here a colorful, indispensable guide to the many surprising ways Americans have been representing presidents even as those presidents have represented them. Especially timely in an era when media image-mongering increasingly shapes presidential politics.Paul S. Boyer, series editor Smith's understanding of the sociopolitical realities of US history is impressive; likewise his interpretations of works of literature and popular culture. . . .In addition to presenting thoughtful analysis, the book is also fun. Readers will enjoy encounters with, for example, The Beggar's Opera , Duck Soup , Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward , Philip Roth's Plot against America , the comedic campaigns of W. C. Fields for President and Pogo for President, and presidential fictions that continue up to the last President Bush. . . . His writing is fluid and conversational, but every page reveals deep understanding and focus. Summing Highly recommended. All readers. CHOICE Contents......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 18 1. Imagining a President......Page 29 2. Seeing Double......Page 60 3. Deep, Yet Transparent......Page 97 4. A Simple, Honest Man......Page 135 5. The Human Element......Page 176 6. Who Am I?......Page 221 7. Fictitious Times......Page 261 Conclusion......Page 295 Notes......Page 306 Bibliography......Page 364 Index......Page 392 Examines the presidency's ever-changing place in the American imagination. Ranging across different media and analyzing works of many kinds, this book explores the evolution of presidential fictions, their central themes, the impact on them of new and emerging media, and their role in the nation's real politics.