Susan Griffin

Wrestling With the Angel of Democracy

The feminist writer, poet, and playwright, discusses and signs her book. 202-387-7638. (Book World, The Washington Post)

Harvard Book Store is pleased to welcome Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist SUSAN GRIFFIN as she looks at the potential of democracy and what it means to be an American citizen today.

In this exploration of American history, which emphasizes the inner lives of pivotal ... (more)historical figures, Griffin demonstrates that ultimately democracy is not only a system of governance, but, in its fullest form, represents a revolution in consciousness—one that is still unfolding today. Beginning with a study of the life and thought of Thomas Jefferson, Griffin identifies two battling aspects of the American psyche: the “psychology of empire,” characterized by a desire for safety, order, and control, and the “psychology of democracy,” characterized by equality, empathy, and truth telling. According to Griffin, these two psychologies have been battling each other for supremacy from our country’s earliest inception. Griffin’s probing exploration of American history is interwoven with passages of personal memoir exploring her upbringing and political awakenings in 1950s California.

Griffin argues that the birth of American democracy signaled a fundamental shift in our most deeply held values and understandings. Yet, she also suggests that the work of establishing democracy in this country has not been completed. We are still wrestling with the promise of democracy today and, as American citizens, are deeply impacted by the ongoing struggle between tyranny and freedom.

"Susan Griffin - cultural historian, poet, and public intellectual - will discuss and sign her new book Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen ($24.95 Shambhala). What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States? In this compelling and personal work, Griffin blends ... (more)history, cultural critique, and memoir to discover the essence of our democracy. From the Declaration of Independence to the war in Iraq, from Thomas Jefferson to John Muir to Jelly Roll Morton, Griffin charts the rise and fall of the American vision of freedom and equality."

Susan Griffin, winner of a MacArthur grant and a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, is widely recognized as one of the most important feminist thinkers of our day.

In "Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen," Susan Griffin – poet, feminist, public intellectual – blends history, cultural criticism, and memoir to discover the essence of democracy – the essence of our democracy. From the Declaration of Independence to the war in ... (more)Iraq, from Thomas Jefferson to Jelly Roll Morton, Griffin reflects upon the rise and fall of the American vision of freedom and equality