Literature in Art Books

Paul Klee was not only an excellent musician but an artist who often gave us a little wink in his art work. In the pieces gathered for this book we can enjoy the whimsical animals drawn using a few lines. And, it's not just a book for a single age group but can be enjoyed by young and old. I have been passing it around among the faculty of the school where I teach. Those who know Klee's work are delighted and those new to his work express an interest in learniing more.

A wonderful and insightful examination of the competition between painters and authors in France after the revolution. This book gives a thorough reading of the social and aesthetic roots of artistic production in a period that is not often afforded adequate attention and her interpretations of Girodet's paintings and Balzac's stories are lively and illuminating. The focus on portrayals of the female body [via variations on the Pygmalion myth] plays out contemporary anxieties of gender in fascinating ways. Highly recommended for scholars of art, literature, culture and women's studies.

This is a nice book if you have a little artist in your home. Also great for dog lovers.

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's book is an incredible achievement. It is divided into four lectures and each one contains a lot of information as well as well formed, well supported philosophies. It is not detached in its philosophy, however, but right down to earth. He makes sure to practically apply his ideas to the modern African continent. His philiosophies are strong, moving, and somehow easy to understand in all their complexity. I picked the book up and was on page 60 before I knew what had happened. I recommend this book with all my heart to anyone who has a passion for any form of art or for the humanity so often suppressed by the state, for anyone interested in language, literature, political art, or modern applications of ancient Greek philosophy. This is an incredible book.

Does excellent job of introducing young children to different medias of art along with a few famous artists. Encourages hands-on without a lot of words. Good pictures and all in color. Short, only 32 pages so not overwelming to a child. Probably best for a 5-9 year old.

A wonderful resource for those doing research on Mallarmé's poetics. Written by an authority on Mallarmé and on Fin de siècle literature.

I read these works for a graduate seminar on Aristotle.
Definition of Rhetoric- capacity of persuasion. Plato is critical of the Rhetoric and the tragic poetry. Rhetoric is approach to political public speeches in the forum. Plato thought that they clouded the mind and thus created a part of his critique of democracy in general. Plato thinks Socrates was killed by rhetoric used by the Athenian democracy. Plato feared the danger of democracy. Poetry appeals to the base human emotions rhetoric, and poetry block rational truth according to Plato. Rhetoric is psychological force of language vs. logical force of language. Psychology leads people to believe things based on emotions. Speech must appeal to the masses in a democracy. Psychology is persuasion, logic is truth. Deduction and induction is arguing logically. Plato says rhetoric is not a technç, (craft) nor is poetry, because they are undisciplined and not uniform in design. Thus, appeal to psychology and emotion can never be done away with in a democracy, thus Plato abhors them and democracy. Plato calls it sophistry this psychological appeal and democracy requires this to exist, so the problem persists. Plato is clear and consistent in his abhorrence of sophistry and democracy.

Aristotle's Rhetoric and Poetics are an alternative to Plato. Aristotle's rhetoric tries to strike a middle position. Aristotle says rhetoric and poetry are a technç, the Rhetoric is a handbook. Aristotle says speaker needs to appeal to appropriate information for the particular setting. Much like a lawyer's argument, not just relying on facts, need to appeal to people's emotions. Aristotle does understand that rhetoric can be used in a harmful way.

Aristotle lays out three features in rhetoric:
1. Ethos= character of the speaker, also charisma, speaker earns the audience's trust, use of body language.
2. Pathos= condition of the hearer.
3. Logos= essential bearing on political persuasion, truth.

Thus, Plato's concern by definition excludes speech because it deals with emotion. These three conditions must be in play for a speech to be successful. The rhetoric contains a detailed analysis of the different human emotions and how to elicit them in a speech. Aristotle knows the speaker must be a good student of human nature to tap into human emotions.

Epistçmç is scientific knowledge. Phronçsis is the capacity of the soul for using education, experience and habit all this is in the ethics. This is the same in political world so politics is not an episteme no scientific reasoning. The things that come up in politics are not deduced scientifically. In politics, humans use deliberation between several possible outcomes unlike math where there is only one correct answer. Political speech is contentious because the nature of politics is contentious.

There are two circumstances in rhetoric.
1. Judicial rhetoric has to do with the past like in a court case.
2. Deliberative rhetoric has to do with the future, what decision should we make in political policies.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.

I can't say this about many art history books: most of them are either dopey and cute or way over their heads. They loved this one, and so did I! I has lots of interesting details about Bruegel and his time. Lots of good reproductions. The man in the red hat hook works pretty well. I read it to them, but they've been re-reading it to themselves for the past few weeks. Highly recommended!

This book covers the creative process of the staging of a major National Theater production of the Shakespeare classic "Antony and Cleopatra" one of the most difficult to stage of Shakespeare's tragedies......As played by Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench it was critically hailed. Tirzah Lowen follows the process of putting the production together and the directorship of Peter Hall in his last major production at the National.....This is a wonderful book for all who love Shakespeare and theater.

Ms. Kushigians book is quite the contrary to todays paper. It reminds me of the Barny show. By the way, my mom, Elizabeth Kushigian, just farted again!