lsquo;If one of the problems facing new playwrights is the expectation that each of their plays should be similar in style; Wadehellip;proved that you could radically change both form and contenthellip; Not every writer delivers on their early promise. As this collection clearly shows; Wade certainly has.rsquo; Aleks Sierz; from his IntroductionCOLDER THAN HERElsquo;Laura Wadersquo;s play is a 90-minute masterpiece; a jewel; dark but translucent. It is a play of love; death and grief: the grief that is hardest to bear; because it begins before the loved one dies.rsquo; Sunday TimesBREATHING CORPSESlsquo;The tension; the emotions and the sense of absurdity and fear are brilliantly handled... A terrifying tour de force.rsquo; Sunday TimesOTHER HANDSlsquo;This is an extraordinary feat ndash; a vicious satire with a heart of gold ndash; wrought with peculiar subtlety and intelligence.rsquo; The Spectator
#253628 in eBooks 2012-12-01 2012-12-01File Name: B009WS8KGM
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. The very best book of aesthetics Irsquo;ve come acrossBy Glenn RussellThis beginnerrsquo;s guide on Aesthetics by Charles Taliaferro is not only for beginners but also for all artists. writers. musician and students of philosophy interested in art and aesthetics. Why? Because the wealth of ideas. theories. examples and questions presented could keep anybody going. irrespective of their background and experience. for years and years (I say this having dedicated 40+ years to the arts. literature and the study of philosophy). Indeed. I would go further ndash; Irsquo;ve read a number of intro texts on aesthetics and judge Taliaferrorsquo;s book the very best one Irsquo;ve come across. As a way of providing a taste of what a reader will find. I have listed some of the philosophers and artists/artworks examined as well as the types of questions posed from each of the 6 chapters:1 ndash; What is beauty?Plato. Aristotle. Homerrsquo;s Iliad. Confucius. Miltonrsquo;s Paradise Lost. Hume. MurdockWhat do you consider beautiful and how does this beauty become part of your life?Is beauty by its very nature linked with goodness?Do you consider beauty to be a higher value than glory or victory?2 ndash; What is a work of art?Duchamprsquo;s Fountain (an upside down urinal). Picassorsquo;s Guernica. Hegel. Tolstoy. Collingwood. DantoWho gets to choose or judge what is a work of art?What place does expression and feeling have in creating a work of art?What does it mean to have an aesthetic experience?3 ndash; Art and meaningBeardsley. Dostoevskyrsquo;s The Brothers Karamazov. the Hindu traditionrsquo;s Lord Shiva statue. Kant. DerridaDoes the intent of an author/artist count in the way we consider the meaning of their creation?How does the meaning of a work change over time?How important is the context in which we experience a work of art?4 ndash; What makes good art?Woolfrsquo;s To the Lighthouse. C.S. Lewis. Coppolarsquo;s Apocalypse Now. Riefenstahlrsquo;s Triumph of the Will. Indian aesthetician B.N. Goswami. Edmond BurkeHow does one define creativity and imagination?What is meant by lsquo;the sublimersquo;?What moral obligations does an author/artist have to their community and society?5 ndash; The location. ownership. and dangers of artworkJerrold Levinson. Robert Mapplethorpersquo;s photographs. Michelangelorsquo;s David. Daniel Shapiro. Andreacute; MalrauxShould modern artists borrow liberally from traditional and religious cultures?What roll does censorship have in relation to art/writing/films/performance?Should we be able to copy music freely via the internet?6 ndash; Cross-cultural aestheticsShikibursquo;s The Tale of Genji. Liu Xiersquo;s The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons (a highly regarded Chinese aesthetics text). Japanese poets SaigyÅ HÅshi and Matsuo BashÅWhat links are there between aesthetics and the harmony of nature?How familiar must we be with the artistrsquo;s culture to properly view the work of art?What can we learn from Japanese aesthetic and the value placed on spontaneity and sincerity in works of art ?1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Excellent and useful introduction to a complexity of ideasBy OxfordWillowsThis is an excellent introduction to aesthetics --a very challenging task indeed.In addition to being very clear and as jargon-freeas can be expected. I particularly found the earlyhistorical references to be very useful in clarifyingwhat those early Greeks were thinking about.Often. references to ancient Greeks are just that;here. however. the author acknowledges how wethink THEY thought. in their context.Recommended.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great intro to aesthetics.By David BurnsGood and concise intro into the philosophy of aesthetics. Covers a lot of topics in a relatively short span.
