Why Power Corrupts: Outskirts Press Author’s New Play Examines How Government Fails the People
Jackson, MS, January 01, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Political Science professor Leon Newton examines the roots of political corruption in “Titus: The Tragic Death of an Emperor.” This compelling and timely new play, just released by Outskirts Press, is a cautionary tale that reminds us of the enduring ability for power to breed greed, deception and violence and of the public’s unceasing need for vigilance.
Set in ancient Rome, the play finds Emperor Titus at the helm of a burgeoning empire. An introspective ruler, he has ceded much authority to his chief administrator, Creon, even as Titus’s son, Damaus, is poised to inherit his ailing father’s throne. But Creon has other plans. After striking a deal with Titus’s chief guard, he hatches an assassination plot that will put him in sole control. What follows is a series of missed warnings and overlooked signs that deception lurks nearby, as Titus’s hubris blinds him from the truth until a trail of death makes it unmistakable.
But under examination aren’t just an emperor’s political mistakes and personal failings. The play is also concerned with the nature of government’s relationship to the people, and what happens when the rulers lose touch with the ruled. As one of the play’s truth-tellers, Veritas, makes clear, power derives from the people; it is not inherent in the select group who wield it. Yet the great mass of people must also bear responsibility for ensuring their power does not fall into the wrong hands.
Of course, with modern-day headlines of alleged corruption in Washington, D.C., and U.S. statehouses all too common, ancient Rome might seem at first blush a world away. But Professor Newton, a professor at Jackson State University who has written on government and terrorism, has set the play in ancient times to invoke the universal nature of his themes the misuse and abuse of political power and how blind ambition can lead to destruction. His hope is audiences will heed the adage that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.
“Life is not evolved or sustained around power, but from the good use of power,” Professor Newton states. “Political corruption occurs when leaders no longer consider themselves servants of the people and believe themselves to be gods of perfection.”
A powerful warning and a gripping tale in its own right, “Titus: The Tragic Death of an Emperor” is now available through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and the online bookstore of Outskirts Press, at outskirtspress.com/store.php.
Book Statistics
ISBN(s): 978-1-4327-2012-4
Suggested Retail Price(s): US$10.95, CAN$13.95
Size and Format(s): 5.5 x 8.5 Paperback
Page Count: 112
About the Author: Professor Leon Newton is a professor of political science at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. A member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Authors’ League of America, he is the author of “Terrorism 101: A Library Reference and Selected Annotated Bibliography,” “The Newspaper Boy,” “The Village Poet and Collection of Writings” and “Psycho - Politics In Government.”
Author Contact: Visit him on the Web at www.outskirtspress.com/ProfessorLeonNewton
About Outskirts Press, Inc.: Outskirts Press, Inc. offers full-service, custom self-publishing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press represents the future of book publishing, today.
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Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd - 515, Parker, Colorado 80134
http://outskirtspress.com — 1-888-OP-BOOKS
Set in ancient Rome, the play finds Emperor Titus at the helm of a burgeoning empire. An introspective ruler, he has ceded much authority to his chief administrator, Creon, even as Titus’s son, Damaus, is poised to inherit his ailing father’s throne. But Creon has other plans. After striking a deal with Titus’s chief guard, he hatches an assassination plot that will put him in sole control. What follows is a series of missed warnings and overlooked signs that deception lurks nearby, as Titus’s hubris blinds him from the truth until a trail of death makes it unmistakable.
But under examination aren’t just an emperor’s political mistakes and personal failings. The play is also concerned with the nature of government’s relationship to the people, and what happens when the rulers lose touch with the ruled. As one of the play’s truth-tellers, Veritas, makes clear, power derives from the people; it is not inherent in the select group who wield it. Yet the great mass of people must also bear responsibility for ensuring their power does not fall into the wrong hands.
Of course, with modern-day headlines of alleged corruption in Washington, D.C., and U.S. statehouses all too common, ancient Rome might seem at first blush a world away. But Professor Newton, a professor at Jackson State University who has written on government and terrorism, has set the play in ancient times to invoke the universal nature of his themes the misuse and abuse of political power and how blind ambition can lead to destruction. His hope is audiences will heed the adage that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.
“Life is not evolved or sustained around power, but from the good use of power,” Professor Newton states. “Political corruption occurs when leaders no longer consider themselves servants of the people and believe themselves to be gods of perfection.”
A powerful warning and a gripping tale in its own right, “Titus: The Tragic Death of an Emperor” is now available through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and the online bookstore of Outskirts Press, at outskirtspress.com/store.php.
Book Statistics
ISBN(s): 978-1-4327-2012-4
Suggested Retail Price(s): US$10.95, CAN$13.95
Size and Format(s): 5.5 x 8.5 Paperback
Page Count: 112
About the Author: Professor Leon Newton is a professor of political science at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. A member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Authors’ League of America, he is the author of “Terrorism 101: A Library Reference and Selected Annotated Bibliography,” “The Newspaper Boy,” “The Village Poet and Collection of Writings” and “Psycho - Politics In Government.”
Author Contact: Visit him on the Web at www.outskirtspress.com/ProfessorLeonNewton
About Outskirts Press, Inc.: Outskirts Press, Inc. offers full-service, custom self-publishing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press represents the future of book publishing, today.
###
Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd - 515, Parker, Colorado 80134
http://outskirtspress.com — 1-888-OP-BOOKS
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888.672.6657
www.outskirtspress.com
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