Today; we are so accustomed to consuming the amplified lives of film stars that the origins of the phenomenon may seem inevitable in retrospect. But the conjunction of the terms "movie" and "star" was inconceivable prior to the 1910s. Flickers of Desire explores the emergence of this mass cultural phenomenon; asking how and why a cinema that did not even run screen credits developed so quickly into a venue in which performers became the American film industrys most lucrative mode of product individuation. Contributors chart the rise of American cinemas first galaxy of stars through a variety of archival sources--newspaper columns; popular journals; fan magazines; cartoons; dolls; postcards; scrapbooks; personal letters; limericks; and dances. The iconic status of Charlie Chaplins little tramp; Mary Pickfords golden curls; Pearl Whites daring stunts; or Sessue Hayakawas expressionless mask reflect the wild diversity of a publics desired ideals; while Theda Baras seductive turn as the embodiment of feminine evil; George Bebans performance as a sympathetic Italian immigrant; or G. M. Andersons creation of the heroic cowboy/outlaw character transformed the fantasies that shaped American filmmaking and its vital role in society.
#860665 in eBooks 2013-03-05 2013-03-05File Name: B005JB7FXU
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. sweet. and nails home the very basic and fundamental ...By QuercusIt sort of gets me that a lot of permaculture designers and other ecological designers whether that be in hydrology. LA. whatever. dont know of this work or just sort of pass over it. Its short. sweet. and nails home the very basic and fundamental principles that inform an ecological design process and practice. This book deserves a lot more attention. especially from permaculturists who seems to believe Bill Mollison invented all of the thoughts he popularized.I come back to this almost annually. This is one of those works that has little details that only come out after multiple passes.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy JasonFor someone who questions green design. this book has opened my eyes.21 of 22 people found the following review helpful. What is sustainable design?By James FergusonA new benchmark in ecological awareness. Sym van der Ryn has long been practicing ecological design. and draws on his wealth of experience to give readers many valuable insights into this growing practice. Van der Ryn warns readers to separate the wheat from the chaff as there are many persons claiming to be toeing the line when it comes to sustainable design. but few are actually doing it. What is needed is a whole new approach to eco-friendly architecture and planning development. not just more band-aids.The book takes a fairly general approach but there are numerous references for those really interested in pursuing the subject in more depth. He outlines his principles of ecological design which begins with gaining a better awareness of your locality. by looking into the ecological history of your community. Who knows your street may be where a stream once flowed. and that your storm drain in all likelihood flows into your water source. so be careful what you dump into it!Van der Ryn avoids the cliches and pieces together a compelling set of anecdotes and observations which will open you up the broad field of possibilities. The book is well researched and written. with the valuable assistance of Stuart Cowan. a former student of van der Ryn. It is imperative that we gain a better appreciation of our natural environment before adding any more to our built environment. Sustainable design is our only future.
