We need a poetic history of the ocean; and Shakespeare can help us find one. Theres more real salt in the plays than we might expect. Shakespeares dramatic ocean spans the God-sea of the ancient world and the immense blue vistas that early modern mariners navigated. Throughout his career; from the opening shipwrecks of The Comedy of Errors through The Tempest; Shakespeares plays figure the ocean as shocking physical reality and mind-twisting symbol of change and instability. To fathom Shakespeares ocean - to go down to its bottom - this books chapters focus on different things that humans do with and in and near the sea: fathoming; keeping watch; swimming; beachcombing; fishing; and drowning. Mentz also sets Shakespeares sea-poetry against modern literary sea-scapes; including the vast Pacific of Moby-Dick; the rocky coast of Charles Olsons Maximus Poems; and the lyrical waters of the postcolonial Caribbean. Uncovering the depths of Shakespeares maritime world; this book draws out the centrality of the sea in our literary culture.
#2044320 in eBooks 2012-03-09 2012-03-09File Name: B007D62EL2
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Basic for architectsBy TacheazulUnderstanding the subject propose by Jill ought to be central to anyone seeking to achieve perfection during his/hers architectural endeavours.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The challenging joy of exploring multiple thresholdsBy Enrique LarranagaWhen first taking up "Toward a Minor Architecture." you hardly expect such a small book to be so deep and broad.Jill Stoners apt intertwining of architectural. urban. literary. philosophical. cinematic. sociological and artistic references constructs a solid argument to then deconstruct premises often taken for granted. proving them questionable if not strikingly untrue.Into her dense yet fluid prose. she inserts images. parentheses. and footnotes (almost a book in their own right). These texts with. in. and within the text expand the questions and challenges posed by the book far beyond its one hundred pages; they do so through the strength of provocative teaching rather than reductive preaching.In Stoners own words. "Architecture can no longer limit itself to the aesthetic pursuit of making buildings; it must now commit to a politics of selectively taking them apart." And so she does. by unveiling and analyzing the "political and economic powers [setting] forth conditions of complicity in which major architectures are made." to formulate minor architectures (plurals are not accidental) as "acts of clearing."Near the beginning of this inciting/inviting book. referring to Kafkas Castle. Stoner writes that "there is no interior. only multiple thresholds"; in the last paragraph. that "minor architectures will emerge through (and as) the substance of architecture." Both statements fittingly describe the books dedication to inquire into--and ultimately to desire and demand--both possibilities and responsibilities.Big skills are needed to turn a small book. calling for the minor. into a major and enlightening journey. Stoner has achieved that transformation.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Dont overlook the notes!By Sarah GelbardYou shouldnt need to be an architect to appreciate architecture. You certainly do not need to be an architect to appreciate this book. Stoner interweaves literature. politics. history. film into her argument for a minor architecture. She opens the discussion from these many angles and increases both its accessibility and its relevance to a broad range of disciplines and interests. Towards a Minor Architecture demystifies the myths of (major) Architecture and explores multiple ways to re-appropriate and access (minor) architecture. It further suggests ways to apply this demystification to question and appreciate civilization. culture. and creativity on many scales.Not to be overlooked are the extensive. intriguing. and enriching notes. In keeping with the idea of continued dialogue and resistance to the illusion of the coherent and self-contained text/architecture. this book has no conclusion. In its place are notes that interrupt and build onto the main text and occupy almost the full last third of the book. They skillfully open holes for further investigation and contemplation and are truly worth at least glancing through as you read or on their own.Highly recommended read.
