Constellation of Genius

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Ezra Pound marked 1922 as Year One of a new era, beginning with the publication of James Joyce's Ulysses and concluding with T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land, two monumental works of modernist literature. Kevin Jackson contextualizes these achievements within a world buzzing with innovation. In 1922, Hitchcock directed his first feature, Kandinsky and Klee joined the Bauhaus, and the first AM radio station launched. Walt Disney released his initial animated shorts, while Louis Armstrong's journey from New Orleans to Chicago signaled the rise of modern jazz. Other significant events included Einstein winning the Nobel Prize in Physics, the introduction of insulin for diabetes treatment, and the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. Jackson describes the period as a time of unprecedented brilliance, a "constellation of genius." The narrative explores the diaries of various influential figures—actors, artists, philosophers, and scientists—whose contributions during these twelve months catalyzed a seismic cultural shift. The book invites readers to ponder whether this transformation was inevitable or coincidental, offering an engaging chronicle of a pivotal moment in history.