Heroin, Acting, and Comedy in New York City

This book focuses on New York City-based actors and comedians who are self-acknowledged heroin users. Barry Spunt examines a number of hypotheses about the reasons why actors and comedians use heroin as well as the impact of heroin on performance, creativity, and career trajectory.  A primary concern of the book is the role that subculture and identity play in helping us to understand the heroin use of these entertainers. Spunt captures the voices of actors and comedians through narrative accounts from a variety of secondary sources. He also examines how New York-based films about heroin relate to the major themes of his research.

List of contents

1. Introduction.- 2. Mainstream Actors.- 3. Non-Mainstream Actors.- 4. Films (and Plays).- 5. Comedians.- 6. Conclusion.

About the author

Barry Spunt is Associate Professor of Sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at CUNY, USA.

Summary

This book focuses on New York City-based actors and comedians who are self-acknowledged heroin users. Barry Spunt examines a number of hypotheses about the reasons why actors and comedians use heroin as well as the impact of heroin on performance, creativity, and career trajectory.  A primary concern of the book is the role that subculture and identity play in helping us to understand the heroin use of these entertainers. Spunt captures the voices of actors and comedians through narrative accounts from a variety of secondary sources. He also examines how New York-based films about heroin relate to the major themes of his research.

Product details

• Authors: Barry Spunt
• Publisher: Springer Palgrave Macmillan
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2017
• EAN: 9781137599711
• ISBN: 978-1-137-59971-1
• No. of pages: 191
• Dimensions: 154 mm x 217 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 355 g
• Illustrations: VII, 191 p.
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Photography, film, video, TV; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Urban and regional sociology; Populäre Kultur, Amerika, Darstellende Künste, B, Städte, Stadtgemeinden, Philosophie des Geistes, Popular Culture, Performing Arts, Social Sciences, Psychology: the self, ego, identity, personality, Self, Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, Urban Sociology, Sociology, Urban, Urban Studies/Sociology, Urban communities, Philosophy of the Self, Self and Identity, Identity (Psychology), American Cinema and TV, Motion pictures—United States, American Film and TV, Film Analysis, career trajectory, The Panic in Needle Park, New York city drug culture