Essays

Literary/Aesthetic Cliché-Probes

On America’s Bicentennial, July 4 ’76, I was standing on the top floor of one of the towers of New York City’s World Trade Center viewing the Tall Ships’ Armada sailing up the Hudson River. Over the loudspeaker broadcasting the ebullient ceremonies I heard the interviewer addressMarshall McLuhan with a question about his thoughts on the future of America as it entered its third centennial.

with a question about his thoughts on the future of America as it entered its third centennial.

With no hesitation McLuhan answered:

“In one word, apocalypse.”