Public Representations by Beth Herst

Public Representations by Beth Herst

Public Representations explores how popular screen stories represent, and interact with, politics, governance, and the public sphere. It analyses a selection of recent films and broadcast, cable, and streaming series from the US and the UK, as well as a multi-decade survey of comparable Canadian films and series. Drawing on a wide range of interdisciplinary scholarship and popular media commentary, Public Representations considers questions of narrative representation, political agency, and conditions of screen story production as they intersect with race and gender.

Using a rich array of paratexts, including online and legacy media reviews, interviews, news reports and feature coverage, as well as metrics such as production budgets, box office figures, and awards, Public Representations traces the ways in which these screen stories function as frames of reference, and sites of contestation, for the most urgent issues within the contemporary public sphere.

Beth Herst received her PhD in English literature from the University of London and has worked as a university lecturer, independent scholar, and playwright.

Sandford Borins is a professor emeritus of public management at University of Toronto and internationally recognized expert in public sector innovation and narrative.