{"product_id":"oscar-wilde-discovers-america-9780743236904","title":"Oscar Wilde Discovers America","description":"In January 1882, Oscar Wilde arrived in New York to begin a nationwide publicity tour. Mentioned in a few newspaper articles -- but barely a footnote in the history books -- was the black valet who accompanied him. In a daring and richly imaginative work, Louis Edwards rescues this figure from obscurity, blurring the line between fact and fiction as he follows Wilde and his gifted confidant, Traquair, on a whirlwind tour across the country, from high-society Newport to art-conscious San Francisco to the Deep South. \u003cp\u003e Edwards's brilliantly conjured Wilde astounds the New World with his eloquent lectures and larger-than-life presence, while Traquair delights in the greatest year of his youth: losing his virginity in a Washington, D. C., brothel; meeting Jefferson Davis in Mississippi; falling hopelessly in love in St. Louis; and learning about his own family's secret history. Juxtaposed with Traquair's experiences are those of his Caucasian best friend, Baxter, who travels to England and becomes enmeshed in a circle of luminaries including Lady Wilde, James Whistler, Lillie Langtry, and Wilde's future wife, Constance Lloyd. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Combining seductive, epigrammatic language and a unique perspective on class and race in late-nineteenth-century America, \"Oscar Wilde Discovers America\" builds to a surprising climax that offers a chilling forecast of the tragic destiny of Wilde and a stunning redefinition of the American spirit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Scribner Book Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/08\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780743236904\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.90lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.64d\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Louis Edwards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36641378664604,"sku":"9780743236904","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_668f6385-e573-4baf-88d7-1c517023634e.jpg?v=1603853490","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/oscar-wilde-discovers-america-9780743236904","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}