Preparatory to Anything Else: What We Do When We Read
1. Life as a Brand
2. Making Performative Art
3. The Integrity of Wilde’s Short Fiction
4. Fifty Shades of Dorian Gray
5. Establishing a Dramatic Presence: Wilde’s Plays of the Early Nineties
6. Realizing “The Vital Importance of Being Earnest”
7. Aesthetic Occasions: Wilde’s Poetry
8. Blueprint of Creativity: Wilde’s Essays, Letters, and Miscellany
9. Conclusion: “The Only Thing Worse Than Being Talked About Is Not Being Talked About”
A Chronology of Important Dates in Oscar Wilde's Life
Appendix: John Ruskin, Walter Pater, and Art for Art’s Sake
Bibliography
Filmography
Index
Biography
Michael Patrick Gillespie taught for 29 years at Marquette University as an Assistant, Associate, a Full Professor, and finally as the inaugural Louise Edna Goeden Professor of English. He is currently Professor of English at Florida International University. He has written books on film, literary theory, and the works of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and William Kennedy.
