ABSTRACT This essay argues for understanding publicity as a kind of ability. Using a brief reading of accounts of nervous breakdown in US newspapers, it suggests that the condition was characterized by the inability, usually temporary, to appear in public. Previous scholarly approaches to public access have focused on the question of who is let in and who is kept out; this essay suggests that the capacity for public appearance also enables—and constrains—rhetorical action. In conclusion, it suggests that the public may be thought of as a kind of kairotic space, which allows us to see how publics may be disabling, but also how dispublicity might be accommodated.

中文翻译：

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分解：论作为能力的宣传

摘要 本文主张将宣传理解为一种能力。简要阅读美国报纸上关于神经衰弱的报道，它表明这种情况的特点是无法在公共场合露面，通常是暂时的。以前关于公共访问的学术方法集中在谁被允许进入和谁被拒绝的问题上；这篇文章表明，公开露面的能力也支持和限制了修辞行动。总而言之，它表明公众可以被认为是一种自我介绍的空间，它使我们能够看到公众如何致残，以及如何容纳不公开。