Final answer:
The "era of wonderful nonsense" refers to the 1920s, an era of cultural frivolity and serious sociopolitical changes, marked by the rise of new media and a sense of life lived through images on screens, aligning with the surreal and contradictory experiences highlighted by postmodernism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Westbrook Pegler likely refers to the decade as the "era of wonderful nonsense" due to the juxtaposition of serious sociopolitical changes and the seemingly frivolous cultural trends of the time. The 1920s was a period marked by both significant progress and destructive behavior, as seen in advancements in technology and entertainment alongside economic disparity and political unrest. This era gave rise to new forms of media and a sense of "textuality," described as the sense that peoples' lives are increasingly lived through signs and images on various screens, which connects deeply to Pegler's description. The references to postmodernist authors and the ways they represent American life suggest an era rich with contradictions and layered realities, both real and represented, which is aptly captured by the phrase "wonderful nonsense."