When Private Talk Goes Public: Gossip in American History

Rumor, hearsay, tittle-tattle, scuttlebutt, scandal, dirt-whatever the term, gossip is one of the most common forms of communication in which we engage. And yet, even as it is often absorbing and socially significant, it is also widely denigrated. This engaging volume brings together a captivating array of case studies in the history of American gossip, from colonial witchcraft trials to the era of People magazine and flash-in-the-pan Internet celebrities. Here, contributors from diverse disciplines explore the role of gossip in American society, culture, and politics, tracing its transformations and continuities over time and making a convincing case that we should reassess this too-readily dismissed variety of social exchange.