ArtsBeat

Today's Gusto cover story takes a look at, well, America. Some of The News' critics picked artists or pieces of work that they felt captured the spirit of the United States in a unique way. And what we came up with ran the gamut from the patriotic music of Charles Ives to the croonings of Jakob Dylan (who just blew through town last night for Thursday at the Square).

But America, a land of 300 million souls and growing daily, is nothing if not wildly diverse in its tastes, predilections and, especially today, its sense of self. So go ahead: Offer us your own ideas of what artists, movements or works of art represent the way you see America, be they poets or country stars, preachers or TV talk show hosts. Here's a chance to explore the circumstances behind all the pomp of the Fourth of July, that patriotic festival of backyard cookouts and explosions in the sky.

Think of it as a word-association game. I say America and you say: