Thirty years have passed since eminent cultural and literary critic Fredric Jameson wrote his classic work; The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act; in which he insisted that there is nothing that is not social and historical - indeed; that everything is "in the last analysis" political. Bringing together a team of leading scholars including Slavoj Zizek; Joan Ockman; Jane Rendell; and Kojin Karatani; this book critically examines the important contribution made by Jameson to the radical critique of architecture over this period; highlighting its continued importance to contemporary architecture discourse. Jamesons notion of the political unconscious represents one of the most powerful notions in the link between aesthetics and politics in contemporary discourse. Taking this; along with other key concepts from Jameson; as the basis for its chapters; this anthology asks questions such as: Is architecture a place to stage class struggle?; How can architecture act against the conditions that affirmatively produce it? What does the critical; and the negative; mean in the discourse of architecture? and; How do we prevent architecture from participating in the reproduction of the cultural logic of late capitalism? This book breaks new ground in architectural criticism and offers insights into the interrelationships between politics; culture; space; and architecture and; in doing so; it acts as a counter-balast to the current trend in architectural research where a general aestheticization dominates the discourse.
#2495531 in eBooks 2016-02-26 2016-02-26File Name: B01C9NXM82
Review
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful. Hooray for Adult DancersBy John AshJust as I was about to hang up my ballet slippers at seventy-one years of age. I read about Laurens book in People Magazine. To me Raising the Barre; is the best D.I.Y. book for aging dancers ever written. Yes I enjoyed all the history; but mostly I enjoyed all the exercise tips to prepare a dancer for the overwhelming demands of class and rehearsals. I especially enjoyed the detailed explanation of the dancers belt. They never explained it in quite that way at my beginning ballet class. I started ballet at age sixty-seven. This is my third season dancing in the Nutcracker. My thanks to Lauren for giving voice to the challenges all Adult Class dancers face in an art dominated by fabulously fit twenty year olds.9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful book about ballet and transformation!By MacMavenSo enjoying reading Lauren Kesslers book; Raising the Barre! I love how readable the book is; like having a conversation with your best friend. I am enjoying the historical background about ballet; ballet stars; coaches; troupes; and ballet companies. I love reading about someone who immerses themselves into a topic and Lauren does not disappoint - Ive learned more about ballet reading her book than I have learned about ballet in my lifetime! A wonderful step into her experience.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. I know this person.By BWinkleI was a professional ballerina in NYC. Ive directed many Nutcrackers since and Ive heard her story many times from cast members. " I always wanted to do this and never thought I could." But Lauren captured so much with her skills of choosing the words and phrases that spoke as easily as our center allegro speaks to us. I marvel at her precise language. It took me back. I loved every moment.
