The phrase “America 250” sends a chill down my spine. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, artists are rising to the challenge of confronting the mythology of the United States and narrating its history anew. With half a year of semiquincentennial fanfare still to come, our editors and critics are turning to books that offer crucial counter-narratives to the nationalism that has permeated arts and culture.
Highlighted are works that shed light on overlooked histories and truths. For instance, artist Keisha Scarville’s series of images meditates on her father’s passport, exploring the complex dimensions of this fraught document. Another significant contribution comes from a photographer who chronicles the annual tradition of drag queens flooding Fire Island every Fourth of July, making their presence known and felt during a time of national celebration.
