{"product_id":"the-perfect-moment-god-sex-art-and-the-birth-of-americas-culture-wars-hardcover","title":"The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eIsaac Butler\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe prize-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Method\u003c\/i\u003e reveals the forgotten origins of America's culture wars-a story of late 20th century art vs. censorship, brimming with intense drama and fierce moral urgency.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt's 1988, the final year of the Reagan presidency, and the curtain is closing on the Cold War. In the absence of external adversaries, the American public is on the precipice of war with itself. The religious right, newly ascendant and emboldened, is determined to seize control of America's future. And the first battles will be fought over, of all things, contemporary art. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Perfect Moment\u003c\/i\u003e, cultural historian Isaac Butler reexamines this pivotal, misunderstood American era. Archconservatives like Jesse Helms, Pat Buchanan, and Pat Robertson fixed their sights on artists including Andres Serrano, Robert Mapplethorpe, David Wojnarowicz, and Karen Finley, capitalizing on the provocative politics of their work to stir a nascent evangelical coalition into moral panic. It was at this moment, Butler argues, that the far right perfected the tactics it still uses today to whip its base into frenzy-from banning books and sanitizing American history, to spreading medical misinformation. All too relevant today\u003ci\u003e, The Perfect Moment\u003c\/i\u003e is an incisive and meticulously researched account of this crucial period and a stirring ode to the power of the creative spirit.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIsaac Butler\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the NBCC Award winner\u003ci\u003e The Method \u003c\/i\u003eand the coauthor of \u003ci\u003eThe World Only Spins Forward\u003c\/i\u003e. Butler's writing has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York \u003c\/i\u003emagazine, \u003ci\u003eSlate\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAmerican Theatre\u003c\/i\u003e, and more. For \u003ci\u003eSlate\u003c\/i\u003e, he created and hosted \u003ci\u003eLend Me Your Ears\u003c\/i\u003e, a podcast about Shakespeare and politics, and \u003ci\u003eWorking\u003c\/i\u003e, a podcast about the creative process. He is the co-creator of \u003ci\u003eReal Enemies\u003c\/i\u003e, a multimedia exploration of conspiracy theories in the American psyche. Butler holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Minnesota and teaches theater history and performance at the New School, NYU, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 384\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.28 x 9.52 x 6.39 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 23, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50051961782520,"sku":"9781639733491","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0698\/5629\/7208\/files\/dCESen9MIs9781639733491.webp?v=1784872534","url":"https:\/\/barneysbooksellers.com\/products\/the-perfect-moment-god-sex-art-and-the-birth-of-americas-culture-wars-hardcover","provider":"Barney's Book Sellers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}