7/2: Mark Clague Reads & Discusses O Say Can You Hear!
About this Event
Mark Clague, author of O Say Can You Hear: A Cultural Biography of the Star-Spangled Banner, will join us for a book reading, discussion, and signing to celebrate America's 250th celebration of the 4th of July!
About the Book
The fascinating story of America’s national anthem and an examination of its powerful meaning today.
Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don’t know is the story of how this everyday “broadside ballad,” one of thousands of such topical songs that captured the events and emotions of early American life, rose to become the nation’s one and only anthem and today’s magnet for controversy.
In O Say Can You Hear? Mark Clague brilliantly weaves together the stories of the song and the nation it represents. Examining the origins of both text and music, alternate lyrics and translations, and the song’s use in sports, at times of war, and for political protest, he argues that the anthem’s meaning reflects―and is reflected by―the nation’s quest to become a more perfect union. From victory song to hymn of sacrifice and vehicle for protest, the story of Key’s song is the story of America itself.
Each chapter in the book explores a different facet of the anthem’s story. In one, we learn the real history behind the singing of the anthem at sporting events; in another, Clague explores Key’s complicated relationship with slavery and its repercussions today. An entire is chapter devoted to some of the most famous performances of the anthem, from Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to Roseanne Barr at a baseball game to the iconic Whitney Houston version from the 1991 Super Bowl. At every turn, the book goes beyond the events to explore the song’s resonance and meaning.
From its first lines Key’s lyric poses questions: “O say can you see?” “Does that banner yet wave?” Likewise, Clague’s O Say Can You Hear? raises important questions about the banner; what it meant in 1814, what it means to us today, and why it matters.
About the Author
Mark Clague is a musicologist who strives to understand the social impact of the arts in the United States of America and to share this understanding with students, scholars, and the public. His recent projects focus on the United States national anthem (“The Star-Spangled Banner”); diversity in music historiography and education, most recently through the exploration of African-American song; career trajectories in the performing arts; and critical editing, especially as editor-in-chief of The George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition. His scholarly interests center on questions of how music forges and shapes community relationships, amplifying the art of sound as a social force that is simultaneously personal and communal, both a powerful emotional expression and an everyday tool for living.
Professor Clague is a full professor of musicology with tenure at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and serves as Executive Director of the University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative. He also enjoys affiliate appointments at the University of Michigan in American Culture, African and Afro-American Studies, Non-Profit Management, and Entrepreneurship. He is co-advisor to the student organization Music Matters.
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