Glamour promises to carry us out of quotidian life into a world more beautiful and fulfilling. But what is glamour? A mere daydream distracting us from our true duties and long‐term well‐being? An illusion created to stimulate commerce in a capitalist economy? How does glamour relate to envy, to art, to self‐improvement, to personal charisma? In her new book, Virginia Postrel builds on her path‐breaking work in The Substance of Style to show that beauty and luxury are far from the only touchstones of glamour: the glamour of military life, of the church, of exploration and discovery, have been driving forces throughout human history, unleashing a dazzling form of persuasion that operates by rousing aspiration and longing in the individual. Please join us for a sparkling discussion of these ideas with three leading public intellectuals.
The Power of Glamour: Persuasion, Longing, and Individual Aspiration
Glamour promises to carry us out of quotidian life into a world more beautiful and fulfilling. But what is glamour? A mere daydream distracting us from our true duties and long‐term well‐being? An illusion created to stimulate commerce in a capitalist economy? How does glamour relate to envy, to art, to self‐improvement, to personal charisma? In her new book, Virginia Postrel builds on her path‐breaking work in The Substance of Style to show that beauty and luxury are far from the only touchstones of glamour: the glamour of military life, of the church, of exploration and discovery, have been driving forces throughout human history, unleashing a dazzling form of persuasion that operates by rousing aspiration and longing in the individual. Please join us for a sparkling discussion of these ideas with three leading public intellectuals.