Political Disappointment: A Cultural History from Reconstruction to the AIDS Crisis

“Marcus shows the ways in which Black activists and writers, in particular, have continued to express their political desires. In doing so, she draws our attention to the centrality of disappointment in American political life.”
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, New Yorker

“Political Disappointment is an abundant text, overflowing with Sara Marcus’s considerable gifts. She is adept at presenting history and narrative with equal clarity; her writing is urgent but also optimistic. This is a book that i...