Catalog Search Results

In The Eating of the Gods the distinguished Polish critic Jan Kott reexamines Greek tragedy from the modern perspective. As in his earlier acclaimed Shakespeare Our Contemporary, Kott provides startling insights and intuitive leaps which link our world to that of the ancient Greeks. The title refers to the Bacchae of Euripides, that tragedy of lust, revenge, murder, and "the joy of eating raw flesh" which Kott finds paradigmatic in its violence and...

The definitive account of how the rough sounds of the Mississippi Delta--from legendary greats Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, and others--changed the course of American popular music.

Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung contains the wild and brilliant writings of Lester Bangs-the most outrageous and popular rock critic of the 1970s-edited and with an introduction by the reigning dean of rock critics, Greil Marcus. "By turns insightful and hilarious, these collected essays by the late, legendary Banks constantly astound."

Turn Your Radio On tells the fascinating stories behind gospel music's most unforgettable songs, including "Amazing Grace," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "He Touched Me," "I'll Fly Away," "Were You There?" and many more. These are the songs that have shaped our faith and brought us joy. You'll find out: What famous song traces back to a sailor's desperate prayer, What Bill Gaither tune was recorded by Elvis Presley in 1969 -- and won a Grammy,...

Examining the popularity of low-budget cinema, particularly slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films, the author argues that, while such films have been traditionally understood as offering only sadistic pleasure to their mostly male audiences, in actuality they align spectators not with the male tormentor but with the females being tormented--particularly the slasher movie's "final girls"--who endure fear and degradation before rising to save themselves.--Adapted...

"Country Music: A Very Short Introduction presents an overview of country music and its impact on American culture. Country music has long been a marker of American identity; from popular culture to politics, it has provided a soundtrack to national life.While traditionally associated with the working class, country music's appeal is far broader than any other popular music style. While this music rose from the people, it is also a product of the...

"Discover the complex mythology of the legendary Nordic people who inspired Hollywood films, epic novels, and more. Beautiful goddesses, fierce warriors, formidable beasts, and Ragnarök itself -- these magical tales have enthralled audiences for centuries. This classic collection of tales offers fascinating insights into Nordic cultures. Stunningly illustrated and depicting Sámi, Finnish, and Norse myths, this captivating book dives deep into the...

Harold Bloom is Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University, Berg Professor of English at New York University, and a former Charles Eliot Norton Professor at Harvard. He has written more than 20 books of literary criticism. From a lifetime of writing and teaching about literature, this great scholar exhorts readers to consider the pleasures and benefits of reading well. Beginning with a basic question, "Why read?" Bloom offers his thoughts...

"Some pieces of music survive; most fall into oblivion. What gives the ten masterpieces selected for this book their extraordinary vitality? In this magisterial volume, Harvey Sachs, author of the highly acclaimed biography Toscanini, takes readers into the heart of ten great works of classical music--works that have endured because they were created by composers who had a genius for drawing music out of their deepest wellsprings. These masters--Mozart...

William Logan has been called "the most hated man in American poetry" and the most dangerous poetry critic since Randall Jarrell. Desperate Measures continues the critical fevers of Reputations of the Tongue (UPF, 1999), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award in criticism. Beginning with an exploration of some of Robert Frost's least-known poems, these essays consider Ezra Pound's letters, T. S. Eliot's metaphysical lectures, the lightness...