Introduction -- Thoroughly modern Millay and her middlebrow masquerades -- "This unfortunate exterior": Dorothy Parker, the female body, and strategic doubling -- "First aid to laughter": Jessie Fauset and the racial politics of smartness -- The indestructible glamour girl: Dawn Powell, celebrity, and counterpublics -- "Scratch a socialist and you find a snob": Mary McCarthy, irony, and politics -- Conclusion
