Come and Be Shocked

"Culture and cultural narratives might not literally pour concrete or stack bricks. But, as Rizzo shows in her cultural history—narratives do matter to the cities we live in."—Public Books

"Tackling a fascinating topic, Come and Be Shocked raises important points about the cultural lives of cities that I had not previously thought much about. A clear, insightful, and important book. Mary Rizzo's writing is punchy and crisp."—Emily Lieb, Seattle University

"An ambitious, original, and engaging book. Full of fascinating material, Come and Be Shocked breaks new ground in the study of Baltimore and of the economics and politics of culture."—Randy J. Ontiveros, University of Maryland, author of In the Spirit of a New People: The Cultural Politics of the Chicano Movement

"Come and Be Shocked is a tremendous achievement—a true pace-setter for how studies of urban culture and representation ought to be done. Surveying a startling diversity of cultural texts and genres, Rizzo conjures up brilliant insights on how Baltimore narratives and iconography both reflected and intervened in the social processes reshaping the city's postwar fabric."—Benjamin Looker, St. Louis University, author of A Nation of Neighborhoods: Imagining Cities, Communities, and Democracy in Postwar America

"Move over, Mencken! Mary Rizzo examines popular culture to interpret today's Baltimore, a city where politicians' promises have little effect on persistent segregation and inequality. This is a different take on Baltimore, not an exercise in nostalgia."—Antero Pietila, author of Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City