Laurie Anderson

The Republic of Love

Last spring I was invited to be part of a festival in Vienna. It was a theater, dance, music and

literature festival and the theme was the rise of fascism in Europe. They asked me to do a two hour

talk on the relationship of government and love. I don’t often get assignments but this one was

irresistible. Since then this talk has taken several forms, all called The Republic of Love.

The Republic of Love with Sexmob and guests is a collection of songs and stories about the current

state of America, with some history thrown in. It features several of my songs– among them Big

Science and Language Is A Virus– that have new meanings in 2026. It also features the words and

thoughts of many Americans from Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, John Cage, Gertrude Stein, William S.

Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. The Republic of Love is a celebration of freedom.