On Compromise

Art, Politics, and the Fate of an American Ideal

Graywolf Press | 2021

On Compromise is an argument against contemporary liberal society’s tendency to view compromise as an unalloyed good—politically, ethically, and artistically. In a series of clear, convincing essays, Rachel Greenwald Smith discusses the dangers of thinking about compromise as an end, rather than as a means. To illustrate her points, she recounts her stint in a band as a bass player, fighting with her bandmates about “what the song wants,” and then moves outward to Bikini Kill and the Riot Grrrl movement, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Poetry magazine, the resurgence of fascism, and other wide-ranging topics.

Smith’s arguments are complex and yet have a simplicity to them, as she writes in a concise, cogent style that is eminently readable. By weaving examples drawn from literature, music, and other art forms with political theory and first-person anecdotes, she shows the problems of compromise in action. And even as Smith demonstrates the many ways that late capitalism demands individual compromise, she also holds out hope for the possibility of lasting change through collective action. Closing with a piercing discussion of the uncompromising nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and how global protests against racism and police brutality after the murder of George Floyd point to a new future, On Compromise is a necessary and vital book for our time.

Praise for On Compromise:

“Ingenious, omnivorous readings.” — The New Yorker

“Smith trains [incisive arguments] on our rapidly fragmenting political and aesthetic landscape. — Chris Lehmann, The New Republic

“[On Compromise] rigorously divests compromise of its honorable trappings, exposing an insidious American mythology, reiterated across history, in which an act characterized by stymied progress is gussied up as an indication of healthy politics, creative intuition, and heroic, sensible hearts. Ardently, and with meticulous, wide-ranging explication, Smith enjoins her readers to see beyond this mirage. . . . This is a capacious, yet stunningly cohesive project.” — Rachel Vorona Cote, Bookforum

“A thoughtful, defiant polemic that should provoke heated discussions." — Kirkus Reviews

“Smith takes a commendably expansive view of the idea and practice of compromise, creating a nuanced look at a thorny subject. The result is a work of criticism as thoughtful as it is relevant.” — Publishers Weekly

“Intoxicating… Forget compromise: with this book, Smith has crafted a win-win proposition.” — Australian Broadcasting Company

“On Compromise is beautifully uncompromising. Smith’s prose is relentlessly perceptive, funny, and self-deprecating, without an ounce of pretension or preciousness.” — Merve Emre, author of The Personality Brokers

“Rachel Greenwald Smith’s On Compromise is an invigorating and blessedly defiant book, full of sharp observations and funny asides. . . . Smith is an incisive and searching critic of our culture’s eagerness to sacrifice difficult goals in favor of easy compromises.” — Jess Row, author of White Flights

“Rachel Greenwald Smith is the cool, funny, intellectual older sister you never had. . . . This is a nuanced and thought-provoking book for our times.” — Chloe Caldwell, author of I’ll Tell You in Person and Women

“Teeming with the anarchic energies of the DIY underground, yet wryly unsentimental about the complexities of complicity, Rachel Greenwald Smith’s broadside is post-punk in all the best senses of the term.” — Sara Marcus, author of Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution