Sincerity: How a moral ideal born five hundred years ago inspired religious wars, modern art, hipster chic, and the curious notion that we all have something to say (no matter how dull) [Hardcover]

R. Jay Magill Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 16, 2012

A Wall Street Journal Top-Ten Nonfiction Book of 2012 and a New York Times Editors' Choice


A cultural and intellectual history of sincerity, from its emergence during the Protestant Reformation to its present incarnations and adversaries.

People have long been duped by "straight-talking" politicians, confessional talk-show hosts, and fake-earnest advertisers. As sincerity has become suspect, the upright and honest have taken refuge in irony. Yet our struggle for authenticity in back-to-the-woods movements, folksy songwriting, and a craving for plainspoken presidential candidates betrays our longing for the holy grail of sincerity.

Bringing deep historical perspective and a brilliant contemporary spin to Lionel Trilling's 1972 Sincerity and Authenticity, R. Jay Magill Jr. argues that we can't shake sincerity's deep theological past, emotional resonance, and the sense of conscience it has carved in the Western soul. From Protestant theology to paintings by crazy people, from French satire to the anti-hipster movement, Magill navigates history, religion, art, and politics to create a portrait of an ideal that, despite its abuse, remains a strange magnetic north in our secular moral compass. 10 illustrations

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a book that adds sincerity to the list of modern qualities worth serious attention, offering nuanced definitions and a solid connection between past causation and current manifestations. It casts new light on modern art broadly construed, amplifying some of the key interactions and tensions between popular arts and the wider society." (Peter N. Stearns, Provost, George Mason University, in The American Interest)

"Energetic...well-researched...Magill proves most lively as he brings the reader up to date; his Hipster Semiotic Appendix demonstrates his acuity and sense of humor." (Publishers Weekly)

"A sophisticated meditation...a rewarding read...[Magill writes with]
scholarliness, humor, and humanity....Two recently deceased men who knew about sincerity and silliness, Christopher Hitchens and Maurice Sendak, would approve of the whole enterprise....Anti-intellectuals need not apply." (Library Journal)

"An illumination of the shifting attitudes and ambivalence toward a value that society claims to hold in high esteem....Sincerity proves to be a richer topic than readers might initially suspect." (Kirkus Reviews)

"A charming and thought-provoking account of the concept [of sincerity], from its theological origins to its (more contested) role in contemporary culture....Magill's analysis is provocative and penetrating." (Glenn C. Altschuler, The Oregonian)

"Fascinating. . . . Mr. Magill's range is extraordinary, and his wit, erudition and powers of observation give credence to [his] judgments." (Daniel Akst - Wall Street Journal )

"Intriguing. . . . Magill agilely traces his subject through the ages." (Rachel Shteir - New Republic )

“Sincerity is a serious and engaging cultural history painted on an admirably large canvas, yet Magill is careful not to take himself too seriously, as evidenced in his snarky asides and chatty footnotes. He wraps up on an eminently reasonable note: society needs both sincerity and insincerity. You can’t go too far in either direction: neither the frothy superficiality of court society nor the deadly purposefulness of the French Revolution. Who can argue with that?” (Laura Kipnis - New York Times Book Review )

About the Author

R. Jay Magill, Jr. is an independent scholar living in Berlin, where he works for the American Academy as a writer and editor, as well as a host of a radio program on NPR Worldwide. He is the author of Chic Ironic Bitterness (2007), and Sincerity (2012). A former Harvard teaching fellow and executive editor of DoubleTake, Magill has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Atlantic Monthly, Foreign Policy, American Prospect, Boston Globe, Der Spiegel, and Print, among others. Magill is also a staff illustrator at the political bimonthly The American Interest. He lives in Berlin with his wife and son.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (July 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393080986
• ISBN-13: 978-0393080988
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #644,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

R. Jay Magill Jr. is the author of Chic Ironic Bitterness (2007) and Sincerity (W.W. Norton, 2012). A writer and illustrator, his work has appeared in THe American Prospect, American Interest, Atlantic Monthly, Boston Globe, Foreign Policy, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Believer, Print, and Spiegel Online, among other periodicals and books. Magill is a former Harvard University Teaching Fellow and Executive Editor of DoubleTake, and he holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of Hamburg, in Germany. A native of Philadelphia, he lives in Berlin with his wife and son.

www.rjaymagill.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Accesible, funny history with a laser focus September 17, 2012

By flintwich

Format:Hardcover

Both comprehensive and finely focused, SINCERITY succeeds at giving context to a notion that bedevils the modern age - our need to believe that people are saying what they REALLY think or feel. The subtitle hints at the fact that this is not an effort to convince the reading public to be more sincere - it is rather a sophisticated tracing of how the idea morphed from one thing to another, then another in European and American history. Though it traces something like 500 years of history, the book is at its best when dealing with modern-day America - in its introduction and the latter 80 or so pages. Indeed its point of departure is Sarah Palin: the modern political personality who most insisted on - and seemed to convince at least part of the public of - her own sincerity. Magill points out that being sincere doesn't mean that you are right, or that you've thought about what you've said, or that you are honest even: it just means you're more or less allowing the world a glimpse at how you FEEL. This, he argues quite persuasively, is not what we want in our politicians - we might rather ask them to be competent, honest, or other things, rather than demanding emotional transparency. He also finds sincerity buried under the modern ironic style as practiced by media figures like Steven Colbert and John Stewart - the ache for the 'real thing' that can only express itself through layers upon layers of irony. Very interesting stuff.

The book is just slightly less timely than it might be this fall because sincerity is not the hot-button issue of Election 2012, as it was when Sarah Palin appeared on the scene in 2008 and one political party seemed to have a lock on the concept. But Magill doesn't limit himself to politics - he exhumes the hipster sensibility that has evolved form irony to a kind of strained sincerity and dissects it with wit and style. Highly recommended read.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a sincere review January 11, 2013

By troyesffigy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

i give a truly unaffected, slightly ironic two thumbs up to this book. it lays out a nice timeline of the history of the idea of sincerity. Magill also does a good job showing the space between authenticity, sincerity, honesty and their relationship with irony. buy it, read it.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Understand the present September 15, 2012

By Clio

Format:Hardcover

If you are baffled by current events, read this book. I am not finished, but it is a great primer on the history of American values, culture and religion. The concept of the true self, the confessional and the super individualism has a source the author tells us and it is in the brand of Protestanism that came to America.

I bought it because of the full title "Sincerity: How a moral ideal born five hundred years ago inspired religious wars, modern art, hipster chic, and the curious notion that we all have something to say (no matter how dull)" Brilliant.