The latent liability in energy is anarchy, but when it's working in a direction with a sense of purpose like the independence movement, and according to the priorities of the arts, and not violence, there's a lot you can do. There's a lot of self-respect to be regained. There's a lot of fun to be had. There's a lot to be learned.

A panorama of ideas about nationality and culture, Arts and the Nation arose from the conviction that Scotland can never be really democratic until it gives the arts the priority of place and attention they demand. This book is a fresh take on subjects new and old, with multifaceted ideas of nationality and culture. Those featured include:

William Dunbar, Duncan Ban MacIntyre and Elizabeth Melville are read alongside international authors such as Wole Soyinka and Edward Dorn.

J.D. Fergusson, Joan Eardley and John Bellany are considered with American Alice Neel and the art of the ancient Celts.

Composers like John Blackwood McEwen, Cecil Coles and Helen Hopekirk are introduced, amongst discussions of education, politics, social priorities, the mass media and different genres of writing.

About the Author

ALAN RACH is a poet and the Professor of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow. He was born in Airdrie in 1957 and studied English at Cambridge University 1976-79. He completed his phd in the Department of Scottish Literature at Glasgow University in 1986. His academic career has included positions as a post-doctoral research fellow, senior lecturer and Associate Professor at the University of Waikato, New Zealand 1986-2000 and he has been a visiting lecturer or keynote speaker at universities around the world. His most recent books of poems are The Winter Book (2017) and Homecoming (2009).

ALEXANDER (SANDY) MOFFAT RSA is an artist and teacher. Many of his paintings grace the walls of Scotland's National Portrait Gallery, including the wellknown Poet's Pub and other portraits of significant Scottish writers. Born in Dunfermline in 1943, he studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art. He was the Director of New 57 Gallery of Edinburgh 1968-78, later joining the staff of Glasgow School of Art, where he became Head of Painting 1992-2005.

JOHN PURSER is one of Scotland's most important cultural ambassadors. His award-winning radio series and book, Scotland's Music, is widely regarded as the essential authority on the subject. He is an award-winning composer, playwright and author, as well as a champion of Scottish Gaelic, and continues to bring new passion to the Scottish cultural landscape.

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Book Information
ISBN 9781912147106
Author Alexander Moffat
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Luath Press Ltd
Publisher Luath Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 381g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 20mm