F.T. Marinetti (1876–1944) famously claimed to have formulated the tenets of the Futurist movement after walking away from a crashed automobile, a story he detailed in his 1909 manifesto. The founding document of this early 20th-century avant-garde artistic philosophy is one of more than 70 pieces Berghaus (Avant-Garde Performance
) gathers in this significant update on the 1972 Selected Writings
. This new collection expands upon the body of Marinetti's work available in English, with additional critical writings and manifestos reflecting Marinetti's concepts of literature, theater, film and radio; plus introductory essays and notes that further elaborate the historical and cultural context. Futurism called for no less than a modernist aesthetic revolution that would overturn the traditionalist cultural establishment and mirror the era's technological progress. But it also had a complex stance toward feminism and was violent and militaristic, celebrating WWI as a way to rid Europe of its accumulated history. Though these essays bring Futurism's nationalist leanings into sharp focus, Marinetti's 1918 coalition with Mussolini was brief, and by 1939 Fascism had effectively shut down the movement. This thorough collection will interest scholars of Italian history, art history and theater. (Sept.)
