Description
Book SynopsisBridging gaps among the history of the labor movement, cinema studies, art history, media activism, and hacking, Improper Names examines the contentious politics and the struggles for the control of a shared alias from the early nineteenth century to the age of networks.
Trade Review"Marco Deseriis’s learned and lively account of the improper name carefully considers the history, political reach, and symbolic power afforded by the alias by drawing on a rich set of examples, from Ned Ludd to Anonymous. The book’s optic opens wide to engage a wide range of subjects, from labor history to the politics of art, direct action, and digital media."—Gabriella Coleman, McGill University
"Unusual and distinctive... A thorough, well-informed, tightly argued criticism of the political implications of deconstructionist thought."—Anarchist Studies
Table of ContentsContents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Genealogy and Theory of the Improper Name
1. Ned Ludd, the Machine Breaker
2. Allen Smithee, the Anti-Auteur
3. Monty Cantsin, the Open Pop Star
4. Luther Blissett, the Mythmaker
5. Anonymous, the Transducer
Conclusion: The Improper Name as Medium and Gap
Notes
Index
