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Unspeakable: Literature and Terrorism from the Gunpowder Plot to 9/11
by Peter C. HermanUnspeakable: Literature and Terrorism from the Gunpowder Plot to 9/11 explores the representation of terrorism in plays, novels, and films across the centuries. Time and time again, writers and filmmakers including William Shakespeare, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, Gillo Pontecorvo, Don DeLillo, John Updike, and Steven Spielberg refer to terrorist acts as beyond comprehension, “a deed without a name,” but they do not stop there. Instead of creating works that respond to terrorism by providing comforting narratives reassuring audiences and readers of their moral superiority and the perfidy of the terrorists, these writers and filmmakers confront the unspeakable by attempting to see the world from the terrorist’s perspective and by examining the roots of terrorist violence.
Unspeakable Histories: Film and the Experience of Catastrophe
by William GuynnIn Unspeakable Histories, William Guynn focuses on the sensation of encountering past events through film. Film is capable, he argues, of triggering moments of heightened awareness in which the barrier between the past and the present can fall and the reality of the past we thought lost can be momentarily rediscovered in its material being. In his readings of seven exceptional works depicting twentieth century atrocities, Guynn explores the emotional resonance that still adheres to traumatic historical events.Guynn considers dimensions of experience that historiography leaves untouched. Yaël Hersonski's A Film Unfinished (2010) deconstructs scenes from the Nazi propaganda film Das Ghetto through the testimony of ghetto survivors. Andrzej Wajda's Katyn (2007) revivifies the murder of the Polish officer corps (in which Wajda's father perished) by Stalin's security forces during the Second World War. Andrei Konchalovsky's Siberiade (1979) reimagines the turbulent history of the Soviet Union from the perspective of an isolated Siberian village. Larissa Shepitko's The Ascent (1977) evokes the existential drama Soviet partisans faced during the Nazi occupation. Patricio Guzmán's Nostalgia for the Light (2011) examines the vestiges of human experience, including the scattered remains of Pinochet's victims, alive in the aridity of the Atacama Desert. Rithy Panh's S-21 (2003) reawakens events of the Cambodian genocide through dramatic confrontation with some of its executioners, and Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing (2012) films the perpetrators of the Indonesian genocide as they restage scenes of killings and torture. Inspired by the work of Walter Benjamin, Frank Ankersmit, Joseph Mali, and Simon Schama, Guynn argues that the film medium, more immediate than language, is capable of restoring the affective dimension of historical experience, rooted in the deepest reaches of our minds.
Unspeakable Histories: Film and the Experience of Catastrophe (Film and Culture Series)
by William GuynnIn Unspeakable Histories, William Guynn focuses on the sensation of encountering past events through film. Film is capable, he argues, of triggering moments of heightened awareness in which the barrier between the past and the present can fall and the reality of the past we thought lost can be momentarily rediscovered in its material being. In his readings of seven exceptional works depicting twentieth century atrocities, Guynn explores the emotional resonance that still adheres to traumatic historical events. Guynn considers dimensions of experience that historiography leaves untouched. Yaël Hersonski's A Film Unfinished (2010) deconstructs scenes from the Nazi propaganda film Das Ghetto through the testimony of ghetto survivors. Andrzej Wajda's Katyn (2007) revivifies the murder of the Polish officer corps (in which Wajda's father perished) by Stalin's security forces during the Second World War. Andrei Konchalovsky's Siberiade (1979) reimagines the turbulent history of the Soviet Union from the perspective of an isolated Siberian village. Larissa Shepitko's The Ascent (1977) evokes the existential drama Soviet partisans faced during the Nazi occupation. Patricio Guzmán's Nostalgia for the Light (2011) examines the vestiges of human experience, including the scattered remains of Pinochet's victims, alive in the aridity of the Atacama Desert. Rithy Panh's S-21 (2003) reawakens events of the Cambodian genocide through dramatic confrontation with some of its executioners, and Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing (2012) films the perpetrators of the Indonesian genocide as they restage scenes of killings and torture. Inspired by the work of Walter Benjamin, Frank Ankersmit, Joseph Mali, and Simon Schama, Guynn argues that the film medium, more immediate than language, is capable of restoring the affective dimension of historical experience, rooted in the deepest reaches of our minds.
The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom
by Allison L. BitzA bright and fun fat-positive YA novel about learning how to express yourself when what has always defined you is no longer an option. Perfect for fans of Julie Murphy and Emma Lord.Bridget Bloom’s out-of-this-world voice is the perfect fit for center stage. When Bridget’s admitted to Richard James Academy, a college prep boarding school with a prestigious music program—where heartthrob Duke Ericson attends—all her dreams are on track to come true: leave the hometown where she’s never belonged, fall in love, and launch her Broadway career.But upon arriving at the academy, she learns that due to her low music theory scores, she’s not eligible to perform or earn the sponsorship she needs to afford the tuition. Worst of all, Dean of Students Octavia Lawless, the one person with the power to reverse the decision, challenges her to work on her humility . . . by not singing at all.Without her voice, Bridget will have to get out of her comfort zone and find a new way to shine. Good thing she is unstoppable!From debut author Allison L. Bitz comes a coming-of-age story of self-discovery, humility, friendship, and love. Includes sheet music for two original songs!
The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg: American Icon
by Antonia Felix“An adoring photo history that wonderfully shows Ginsburg in her private life as well as public.” (Publishers Weekly)Not only did Ruth Bader Ginsburg—the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court—possess one of the greatest legal minds of our time, she was an admired cultural icon whose work on behalf of gender equality, and whose unprecedented career itself, indelibly changed American society. This gorgeously illustrated book celebrates Ginsburg’s legacy with 130 photographs, inspiring quotes, highlights from notable speeches and judicial opinions and insightful commentary. With a foreword by Mimi Leder, award–winning filmmaker and director of the 2018 major motion picture about RBG, On the Basis of Sex.
Unstrung Heroes: Fifty Guitar Greats You Should Know
by Pete BraidisInterviews with 50 guitar players you've no doubt heard but may not know by nameGuitar players from pop to jazz to heavy metal and folk, from the 1960s to the present dayAn insider's look behind the scenes of some of the greatest music ever recorded
Unsuccessful Thug: One Comedian's Journey from Naptown to Tinseltown
by Mike EppsFrom Naptown to Tinseltown—legendary stand-up comedian and actor Mike Epps finally tells all in this outrageous, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir.Before starring in Def Comedy Jam and Showtime at the Apollo—before the sold-out comedy shows, Uncle Buck, and becoming his hero Richard Pryor in a biopic—there was Indianapolis. And not the good part. Mike Epps is one of America’s favorite and funniest people, but the path to fame was paved with opportunities to mess it up. And mess it up he did. Growing up in “Naptown”—what people who live there really call rough-around-the-edges Indianapolis—Epps found himself forced to hustle from an early age. Despite his mother’s best efforts, and the love of his well-behaved brother, “Chaney,” and his beloved sister, Julie, Epps was drawn to a life of crime, but as he quickly discovered, stealing and dealing didn’t really fit his sweet sensibilities. Not to mention he wasn’t very good at it—take, for example, the day he had to call the cops on himself when a dog wouldn’t let him leave a house he was burgling. After several arrests and more than a few months in jail, Epps finally realized that he was an unsuccessful thug, and instead turned to the next most obvious career path: stand-up comedy. Heading first to New York, then all over the country, and finally to Hollywood, Mike Epps carved out a unique place in American comedy, combining hysterical tales of his family and friends with a mordant take on life in the Naptowns of America. Comedy saved Mike Epps, and here he reveals exactly how he finally grew up and got out, barely. And when describing how he survived when so many of his friends didn’t, Epps makes clear what he’s thankful for and sorry about. Unsuccessful Thug is about growing up black in America, facing down racism in Hollywood, and ultimately how it feels to fail at thugdom, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and end up selling out arenas and starring in movies across the country.
Unsupervised Learning in Space and Time: A Modern Approach for Computer Vision using Graph-based Techniques and Deep Neural Networks (Advances in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition)
by Marius LeordeanuThis book addresses one of the most important unsolved problems in artificial intelligence: the task of learning, in an unsupervised manner, from massive quantities of spatiotemporal visual data that are available at low cost. The book covers important scientific discoveries and findings, with a focus on the latest advances in the field. Presenting a coherent structure, the book logically connects novel mathematical formulations and efficient computational solutions for a range of unsupervised learning tasks, including visual feature matching, learning and classification, object discovery, and semantic segmentation in video. The final part of the book proposes a general strategy for visual learning over several generations of student-teacher neural networks, along with a unique view on the future of unsupervised learning in real-world contexts. Offering a fresh approach to this difficult problem, several efficient, state-of-the-art unsupervised learning algorithms are reviewed in detail, complete with an analysis of their performance on various tasks, datasets, and experimental setups. By highlighting the interconnections between these methods, many seemingly diverse problems are elegantly brought together in a unified way. Serving as an invaluable guide to the computational tools and algorithms required to tackle the exciting challenges in the field, this book is a must-read for graduate students seeking a greater understanding of unsupervised learning, as well as researchers in computer vision, machine learning, robotics, and related disciplines.
Unsustainable Transport: City Transport in the New Century (Transport, Development and Sustainability Series)
by David BanisterThis book addresses the links between transport and sustainable urban development, from an analysis of the global picture to issues in transport and energy intensity, public policy and the institutional and organisational constraints on change. The central part of the book explores these links in more detail at city level, covering land use and development, economic measures, and the role that technology can play. The final part looks for inspiration from events in developing countries and the means by which we can move from the unsustainable present to a more sustainable future.
Untethering Educational Leadership: Cases and Contexts from Chinese Cinema
by Chenwei Ma Roger C. ShouseLingdao, the Chinese word for leadership, is rarely used to denote acts of social persuasion that occur outside of contexts of formal rank or status. However, the ubiquity of informal leadership in China raises a number of practical and theoretical questions. Based on an analysis of selected Chinese cinematic works depicting settings of educational practice and policy, the book explores how "Western" understandings of leadership emerge from these texts to form discursive media for social change. It also offers a new understanding of lingdao and leadership; how they represent a natural human desire, regardless of formal rank or position, to mobilize collective will, change minds, and achieve social change. The book will be of interest to professional scholars and graduate students of Chinese culture, educational leadership, mass media, and popular culture.
Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering
by Meredith BaxterI remember Sarah asking me, when I'd just begun therapy with her, what I looked for in a man. After a few moments of silent, tense deliberation I had it. Hair, I blurted. He has to have hair. Meredith Baxter is a beloved and iconic television actress. Her warmth, humor, and brilliant smile made her one of the most popular women on television, with millions of viewers following her on the small screen each week. Yet her success masked a tumultuous personal story and a harrowing private life. For the first time, Baxter is ready to share her incredible highs, (working with Robert Redford, Doris Day, Lana Turner, and the cast of Family Ties), and lows (a thorny relationship with her mother, a difficult marriage to David Birney, a bout with breast cancer), finally revealing the woman behind the image. From her childhood in Hollywood, growing up the daughter of actress and co-creator of One Day at a Time Whitney Blake, Baxter became familiar with the ups and downs of show business from an early age. After wholeheartedly embracing the 60s counterculture lifestyle, she was forced to rely on her acting skills after her first divorce left her a 22-year-old single mother of two. Baxter began her professional career with supporting roles in the critically panned horror film Ben, and in the political thriller All the President's Men. More lucrative work soon followed on the small screen. Baxter starred with actor David Birney as the title characters in controversial sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie. While the series only lasted a year, her high-profile romance with Birney lasted 15 volatile and unhappy years. Hiding the worst of her situation from even those closest to her, Baxter's career flourished as her self-esteem and family crumbled. Her successful run as Nancy on Family was followed by her enormously popular role as hippie mom, Elyse Keaton, on Family Ties, and dozens of well-received television movies. After a bitter divorce and custody battle with Birney, Baxter increasingly relied on alcohol as a refuge, and here speaks candidly of her decision to take her last drink in 1990. And while another ruinous divorce to screenwriter Michael Blodgett taxed Baxter's strength and confidence, she has emerged from her experiences with the renewed self-assurance, poise, and understanding that have enabled her to find a loving, respectful relationship with Nancy Locke, and to speak about it openly. Told with insight, wit, and disarming frankness,Untied is the eye-opening and inspiring life of an actress, a woman, and a mother who has come into her own.
Until We Break
by Matthew DawkinsDance like everyone's watching. Because they are.As the only Black student at her ballet academy, Naomi Morgan knows her feelings of isolation and artistic sacrifice are the price she has to pay in order to win the Youth American Grand Prix, the country’s most prestigious dance competition. Winning means access to a spot in a top ballet school and, ultimately, a place with The New York City Ballet. Nothing else matters.But when Naomi’s dance instructor assigns her Odette’s variation from Swan Lake, Naomi’s world begins to fall apart. She doesn’t think she can dance the part—and her doubts become the loudest voice in her head. Her best friend, Jessica, used to be her sounding board, her support, her co-star—and even though Jessica died in a freak car accident, Naomi still sees and hears her everywhere.She’s been burying her grief by focusing on her dancing. But when an injury steals that refuge, Naomi’s mental health deteriorates and she starts to seek answers outside of her carefully constructed reality. Then one night, she meets Saint, a street artist, and he opens up an entirely new world for her. A world that’s not connected to dance.Saint spends his nights creating brilliant and beautiful messages of social change that the world needs to hear. In their sleepy California town, he wants to mix it up—to force the world to see him as he is—he’s got a voice and isn’t afraid to use it. Even if his family life is tough. Even if the same avenues that are open to Naomi are not open to him.Together they both learn that there’s no one right way to be in the world. For Naomi, this means that maybe dance isn’t the only choice for her. Maybe her voice can be louder off stage, and she can shine in a different kind of spotlight. Maybe she and Saint will shine together and everything will be different in the best possible way.
The Untimely Art of Scribble (Landscapes: the Arts, Aesthetics, and Education #34)
by Victoria de RijkeThis book offers new definitions, vocabularies and insights for “scribbling”, viewing it as a fascinating and revealing process shared by many different disciplines and practices. The book provides a fresh and timely perspective on the nature of mark making and the persistence of the gestural impulse from the earliest graphic marks to the most sophisticated artistic production. The typical treatment of scribbling in the literature of artistic development has cast the practice as a prelude to representation in drawing and writing, with only occasional acknowledgment of the continuing joy and experiment of making marks across many arts practices. The continuous line the author traces between the universal practice of scribbling in infancy and early childhood and the work of radical creativity for contemporary and historical artists is original and clarifying, expanding the range of drawing behaviors to that of avant-garde painters, performance and the digital.
Untimely Bollywood: Globalization and India's New Media Assemblage
by Amit S. RaiKnown for its elaborate spectacle of music, dance, costumes, and fantastical story lines, Bollywood cinema is a genre that foregrounds narrative rupture, indeterminacy, and bodily sensation. In Untimely Bollywood, Amit S. Rai argues that the fast-paced, multivalent qualities of contemporary Bollywood cinema are emblematic of the changing conditions of media consumption in a globalizing India. Through analyses of contemporary media practices, Rai shifts the emphasis from a representational and linear understanding of the effects of audiovisual media to the multiple, contradictory, and evolving aspects of media events. He uses the Deleuzian concept of assemblage as a model for understanding the complex clustering of technological, historical, and physical processes that give rise to contemporary media practices. Exploring the ramifications of globalized media, he sheds light on how cinema and other popular media organize bodies, populations, and spaces in order to manage the risky excesses of power and sensation and to reinforce a liberalized postcolonial economy. Rai recounts his experience of attending the first showing of a Bollywood film in a single-screen theater in Bhopal: the sensory experience of the exhibition space, the sound system, the visual style of the film, the crush of the crowd. From that event, he elicits an understanding of cinema as a historically contingent experience of pleasure, a place where the boundaries of identity and social spaces are dissolved and redrawn. He considers media as a form of contagion, endlessly mutating and spreading, connecting human bodies, organizational structures, and energies, thus creating an inextricable bond between affect and capital. Expanding on the notion of media contagion, Rai traces the emerging correlation between the postcolonial media assemblage and capitalist practices, such as viral marketing and the development of multiplexes and malls in India.
Untold Horror
by George. A Romero John Landis Dave Alexander Joe Dante Brian YuznaInsightful interviews of horror legends George Romero, John Landis, Joe Dante, Brian Yuzna, and more, by former editor-in-chief of Rue Morgue, Dave Alexander, about the scariest horror movies never made!Take a behind-the-scenes look into development hell to find the most frightening horror movies that never were, from unmade Re-Animator sequels to alternate takes on legendary franchises like Frankenstein and Dracula!Features art, scripts, and other production material from unmade films that still might make you scream--with insights from dozens of directors, screenwriters, and producers with decades of experience. Featured Interviews With: George A. RomeroJohn LandisJoe DanteVincenzo NataliBrian YuznaWilliam LustigWilliam MaloneBuddy GiovinazzoTim SullivanRichard RaaphorstRuggero DeodatoJim ShooterBob LaytonDavid J. Skal
Untold Stories of Old Currituck Duck Clubs
by Travis MorrisIn this fourth installment of stories about the tradition of duck hunting on Currituck Sound, local resident Travis Morris delves into the history of the Currituck, Pine Island and Narrows Island private hunting clubs. These fascinating untold stories of the clubs weave together documents from old files with a variety of firsthand interviews and accounts. From stories of the clubs' prestigious members and guests--such as J.P. Morgan and William Vanderbilt--to tales from local guides of some of the old float box rigs, fans of Morris's Currituck books won't be disappointed by this latest volume, and first-time readers will find themselves transported out to the marshland, drifting along to the sound of duck calls.
The Untold Story of the Korean Film Industry: A Global Business and Economic Perspective (Cultural Economics & the Creative Economy)
by Jimmyn Parc Patrick A. MesserlinThis book analyses the Korean film industry emergence and development in a global business and economic perspective. This is one of the first books to compare the film policies and industries of the world’s six largest film industries – featuring Korea as the central character – with the aim of defining the contours of what constitutes an effective film policy. It presents many cases showing that, contrary to what is often believed, an economically sound policy is a good instrument for achieving desired cultural goals. It uses a set of analytical tools – borrowed from the economic analysis of international trade policies – to provide a rich harvest of new, rigorous, and often unexpected results on the effectiveness of the existing film policies. The implications found in this book are relevant not only for Korea, but for all other countries that wish to foster or enhance the competitiveness of their film industries. This book will be of interest to a wide spectrum of scholars interested in cultural studies – media and cultural specialists, political scientists, sociologists, historians – in addition to business analysts and economists specialized in cultural economics. As this book focuses on film policies and how to improve them, it will also appeal to policymakers, business figures, public relations officials, and staff from international organizations working on the film industry.
Untold Tales of the Boston Irish (Hidden History)
by Peter F. StevensWhen it comes to the Boston Irish, names such as Bulger and Curley have long shaped the local turf. But most people are probably unaware of some of the most amazing and forgotten Irish men and women who helped mold this city. There was Patrick Gilmore, America's first famed bandleader. Louis Sullivan was the "Father of the Skyscraper." Other colorful characters included Patsy Donovan, the man who discovered Babe Ruth, and Ann "Goody" Glover, whose horrifying ordeal launched the Salem Witch Trials. Although each played a noteworthy role in his or her era, all have been unjustly forgotten. Local author Peter Stevens uncovers the missing pieces of the Irish experience in Boston.
Unusual Buildings (Into Reading, Level S #30)
by Debbie CroftNIMAC-sourced textbook <p><p> There are unusual buildings all over the world. Most of them are recognizable from the outside by their interesting or unique designs. There are buildings that look like baskets, bookshelves, or flowers! Find out about some of the most unique buildings in the world—where they are, how they were built, and what makes them special.
Unusual World Coins (Unusual World Coins: Companion Volume To Standard Catalog Of World Ser.)
by George S. Cuhaj Thomas MichaelFrom creative minds worldwide have come fantasy coin issues never listed in any other comprehensive reference. Unusual Coins includes thousands of issues spawned from the non-circulating legal tender boom, but not fitting into the realm of legitimate coinage. Here you'll find coins used by the inhabitants of Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings. These are real coins, created by Tom Maringer of Scottsdale, Ark., based on reference to coins in the trilogy. Unusual World Coins features: Expanded Page Count: to accommodate over 7,000 photos Clear images of coins Detailed descriptive listings Over 12,000 accurate market values About the Author George Cuhaj is an experienced and accomplished numismatist and researcher. An avid collector with a passion for this hobby, he is closely aligned with leaders in the field. A past president of the American Medalic Sculpture Association, he is a frequent instructor at the American Numismatic Association's Summer Seminars. George is also editor for The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money series. Thomas Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a Master of Arts degree in economics. He has more than 20 years of experience researching and reporting on world coin prices and market trends.
Unvarnished: Autobiographical Sketches by Emily Carr
by Emily CarrCulled from the handwritten pages in old-fashioned scribblers and almost-forgotten typescripts amid drafts for her published stories, Unvarnished features among the last unpublished and highly personal writings of the iconic Canadian author and artist Emily Carr.This highly readable manuscript—edited by Royal BC Museum curator emerita Kathryn Bridge and illustrated with sketches and photographs from the BC Archives—spans nearly four decades, from 1899 to 1944. In an almost stream-of-consciousness outpouring of stories, Carr chronicles her early years as an art student in England, her life-altering sojourn in France and subsequent travels to Indigenous villages along the coast, her encounters with the Group of Seven, conversations with artist Lawren Harris, and her sketching trips in the “Elephant” caravan in the company of a quirky menagerie. Also included are stories written in hospital recovering from a stroke, a particularly vulnerable time in her life.Emily Carr's books have remained in nearly continuous print since the 1940s. Unvarnished is a fresh addition to her enduring oeuvre, to be enjoyed as a complement to her other writings or as a jewel in its own righ
Unveiling Galaxies: The Role of Images in Astronomical Discovery
by Roy Jean-RenéGalaxies are known as the building blocks of the universe, but arriving at this understanding has been a thousand-year odyssey. This journey is told through the lens of the evolving use of images as investigative tools. Initial chapters explore how early insights developed in line with new methods of scientific imaging, particularly photography. The volume then explores the impact of optical, radio and x-ray imaging techniques. The final part of the story discusses the importance of atlases of galaxies; how astronomers organised images in ways that educated, promoted ideas and pushed for new knowledge. Images that created confusion as well as advanced knowledge are included to demonstrate the challenges faced by astronomers and the long road to understanding galaxies. By examining developments in imaging, this text places the study of galaxies in its broader historical context, contributing to both astronomy and the history of science.
Unwatchable
by Erika Balsom Kenneth Berger Susie Bright Alex Bush Alec Butler Noel Carroll Mel Chen Jonathan Crary Abigail De Kosnik Samuel England Mattias Frey Peter Geimer Michael Boyce Gillespie Asbjørn Grønstad Boris Groys Frances Guerin Jack Halberstam Barbara Hammer Julian Hanich Stefano Harney J. Hoberman Lynne Joyrich Alexandra Juhasz E. Ann Kaplan Katariina Kyrölä Nathan Lee Akira Lippit Jennifer Malkowski W.J.T. Mitchell Brandy Monk-Payton Fred Moten Bill Nichols Jan Olsson Danielle Peers Raul Perez Mauro Resmini B. Ruby Rich Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi Jonathan Rosenbaum Rebecca Schneider Jeffrey Sconce Jared Sexton Philipp Stiasny Meghan Sutherland Bennet Togler Leshu Torchin Alok Vaid-Menon Christophe Wall-Romana Meir Wigoder Emily Wills Federico Windhausen Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa Genevieve Yue Alenka Zupancic Poulomi Saha Vivian SobchackWe all have images that we find unwatchable, whether for ethical, political, or sensory and affective reasons. From news coverage of terror attacks to viral videos of police brutality, and from graphic horror films to transgressive artworks, many of the images in our media culture might strike us as unsuitable for viewing. Yet what does it mean to proclaim something “unwatchable”: disturbing, revolting, poor, tedious, or literally inaccessible? With over 50 original essays by leading scholars, artists, critics, and curators, this is the first book to trace the “unwatchable” across our contemporary media environment, in which viewers encounter difficult content on various screens and platforms. Appealing to a broad academic and general readership, the volume offers multidisciplinary approaches to the vast array of troubling images that circulate in global visual culture.
The Unwritten Grotowski: Theory and Practice of the Encounter (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Kris SalataThis book gives a new view on the legacy of Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999), one of the central, and yet misunderstood, figures who shaped 20th-century theatre, focusing on his least known last phase of work on ancient songs and the craft of the performer. Salata posits Grotowski’s work as philosophical practice, and more particularly, as practical research in the phenomenology of being, arguing that Grotowski’s departure from theatrical productions (and thus critical consideration) resulted from his uncompromising pursuit of one central problem, "What does it mean to reveal oneself?" — the very question that drove his stage directing work. The book demonstrates that the answer led him through the path of gradually stripping the theatrical phenomenon down to its most elemental aspect, which shows itself through the craft of the performer as a non-representational event. This particular quality released at the heights of the art of the performer is referred to as aliveness, or true liveness in this study in order to shift scholarly focus onto something that has always fascinated great theatre practitioners, including Stanislavski and Grotowski, and of which academic scholarship has limited grasp. Salata’s theoretical analysis of aliveness reaches out to phenomenology and a broad range of post-structural philosophy and critical theory, through which Grotowski’s project is portrayed as philosophical practice.
Up Against the Real: Black Mask from Art to Action (Mersion: Emergent Village Resources For Communities Of Faith Ser.)
by Nadja Millner-LarsenA history of 1960s activist art group Black Mask. With Up Against the Real, Nadja Millner-Larsen offers the first comprehensive study of the group Black Mask and its acrimonious relationship to the New York art world of the 1960s. Cited as pioneers of now-common protest aesthetics, the group’s members employed incendiary modes of direct action against racism, colonialism, and the museum system. They shut down the Museum of Modern Art, fired blanks during a poetry reading, stormed the Pentagon in an antiwar protest, sprayed cow’s blood at the secretary of state, and dumped garbage into the fountain at Lincoln Center. Black Mask published a Dadaist broadside until 1968, when it changed its name to Up Against the Wall Motherfucker (after line in a poem by Amiri Baraka) and came to classify itself as “a street gang with analysis.” American activist Abbie Hoffman described the group as “the middle-class nightmare . . . an anti-media phenomenon simply because their name could not be printed.” Up Against the Real examines how and why the group ultimately rejected art in favor of what its members deemed “real” political action. Exploring this notorious example of cultural activism that rose from the ruins of the avant-garde, Millner-Larsen makes a critical intervention in our understanding of political art.