Laughter on the Fringes

Laughter on the Fringes PDF Author: Anna Peterson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190697113
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
This book examines the impact that Athenian Old Comedy had on Greek writers of the imperial era. It is generally acknowledged that imperial-era Greeks responded to Athenian Old Comedy in one of two ways: either as a treasure trove of Atticisms or as a genre defined by and repudiated for its aggressive humor. Worthy of further consideration, however, is the degree to which both approaches, and particularly the latter one that relegated Old Comedy to the fringes of the literary canon, led authors to engage with the ironic and self-reflexive humor of Aristophanes, Eupolis and Cratinus. Authors ranging from serious moralizers (Plutarch and Aelius Aristides) to comic writers in their own right (Lucian, Alciphron) to other figures not often associated with Old Comedy (Libanius) adopted aspects of the genre to negotiate power struggles, facilitate literary and sophistic rivalries, and as a model for autobiographical writing. To varying degrees, these writers wove recognizable features of the genre (e.g. the parabasis, its agonistic language, the stage biographies of the individual poets) into their writings. The image of Old Comedy that emerges from this time is that of a genre in transition. It was, on the one hand, with the exception of Aristophanes' extant plays, on the verge of being almost completely lost; on the other hand, its reputation and several of its most characteristic elements were being renegotiated and reinvented.

Laughter on the Fringes

Laughter on the Fringes PDF Author: Anna Peterson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190697113
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
This book examines the impact that Athenian Old Comedy had on Greek writers of the imperial era. It is generally acknowledged that imperial-era Greeks responded to Athenian Old Comedy in one of two ways: either as a treasure trove of Atticisms or as a genre defined by and repudiated for its aggressive humor. Worthy of further consideration, however, is the degree to which both approaches, and particularly the latter one that relegated Old Comedy to the fringes of the literary canon, led authors to engage with the ironic and self-reflexive humor of Aristophanes, Eupolis and Cratinus. Authors ranging from serious moralizers (Plutarch and Aelius Aristides) to comic writers in their own right (Lucian, Alciphron) to other figures not often associated with Old Comedy (Libanius) adopted aspects of the genre to negotiate power struggles, facilitate literary and sophistic rivalries, and as a model for autobiographical writing. To varying degrees, these writers wove recognizable features of the genre (e.g. the parabasis, its agonistic language, the stage biographies of the individual poets) into their writings. The image of Old Comedy that emerges from this time is that of a genre in transition. It was, on the one hand, with the exception of Aristophanes' extant plays, on the verge of being almost completely lost; on the other hand, its reputation and several of its most characteristic elements were being renegotiated and reinvented.

Talking about Laughter

Talking about Laughter PDF Author: Alan H. Sommerstein
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 9780191569685
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
This book brings together fourteen studies by Alan Sommerstein on Aristophanes and his fellow comic dramatists, some of which have not previously appeared in print. The studies cover almost all the major topics of Sommerstein's work - the nature and functions of comedy in Aristophanes' time, its connections with the society and politics of its day, the question of Aristophanes' own political stances, the light comedy can throw on classical Athenians' perception of basic social divisions (age, gender, citizen/alien, free/slave), comedy's exploitation of the expressive resources of the Greek language, the composition and production history of individual plays, and the history of the genre as a whole.

Feminism and the Religious Significance of Laughing Bodies

Feminism and the Religious Significance of Laughing Bodies PDF Author: Nicole Graham
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040030521
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
This book identifies the significance of the body through a feminist reconceptualisation of laughter as a means of insight. It positions itself within the emerging scholarship on religion and humour but distinguishes itself by moving away from the emphasis on humour and instead focuses on the place and role of laughter. Through a feminist reading of laughter, which is grounded in the philosophical and psychological works of William James, this book emphasises the importance of the body to offer an exploration of laughter as a means of insight. In doing so, it challenges the classificatory orders of knowledge by recognising and arguing for the value of the body in the creation of knowledge and understanding. To demonstrate the centrality of the body for insight laughter, and thus the creation of knowledge, this book engages with laughter within three thematic areas: religious experience, gendered experiences of laughter, and the ethics of laughter. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in religious studies, theology, gender studies, humour studies, philosophy, and the history of ideas.

The Psychology of Humor

The Psychology of Humor PDF Author: Rod A. Martin
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080465994
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 465

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Book Description
Research on humor is carried out in a number of areas in psychology, including the cognitive (What makes something funny?), developmental (when do we develop a sense of humor?), and social (how is humor used in social interactions?) Although there is enough interest in the area to have spawned several societies, the literature is dispersed in a number of primary journals, with little in the way of integration of the material into a book. Dr. Martin is one of the best known researchers in the area, and his research goes across subdisciplines in psychology to be of wide appeal. This is a singly authored monograph that provides in one source, a summary of information researchers might wish to know about research into the psychology of humor. The material is scholarly, but the presentation of the material is suitable for people unfamiliar with the subject-making The Psychology of Humor suitable for use for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses on the psychology of humor-which have not had a textbook source. 2007 AATH Book Award for Humor/Laughter Research category! Up-to-date coverage of research on humor and laughter in every area of psychology Research findings are integrated into a coherent conceptual framework Includes recent brain imaging studies, evolutionary models, and animal research Draws on contributions from sociology, linguistics, neuroscience, and anthropology Provides an overview of theories of humor and early research Explores applications of humor in psychotherapy, education, and the workplace Points out interesting topics for further research and promising research methodologies Written in a scholarly yet easily accessible style 2007 AATH Book Award for Humor/Laughter Research category

Carlotta's Intended

Carlotta's Intended PDF Author: Ruth McEnery Stuart
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : American fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description


What's So Funny About God?

What's So Funny About God? PDF Author: Steve Wilkens
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830855459
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
If you don't believe God has a sense of humor, just look in the mirror. Humor is a truly human phenomenon—crossing history, culture, and every stage of life. Jokes often touch on the biggest topics of our existence. And although it may seem simple on the surface, humor depends on the use of our highest faculties: language, intelligence, sympathy, sociability. To the philosopher Steve Wilkens, these facts about humor are evidence that God just has to be in there somewhere. Yet many Christians, scholars and laypeople alike, haven't taken humor seriously. In What’s So Funny About God? Wilkens launches an exploration of the connections between humor and many of the central topics of Christian theology. He argues that viewing Scripture and theology through the lens of humor brings fresh insight to our understanding of the gospel, helps us avoid the pitfalls of both naturalism and gnosticism, and facilitates a humble, honest, and appealing approach to faith. Wilkens turns this lens on the paradoxes of human nature, the Christian calendar, church life, and new readings of well-known biblical texts, including the book of Esther, the nativity narratives, and Jesus' own teachings. Taking into account the problems of suffering and the need for timely lament, he portrays the Christian story as one that ultimately ends in cosmic comedy. Full of wit and thoughtful jokes throughout, it's enough fun that you may not realize you're reading theology.

The New York Times Magazine

The New York Times Magazine PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 1622

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Book Description


James Joyce’s Mandala

James Joyce’s Mandala PDF Author: Colm O’Shea
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000617742
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
The Sanskrit word mandala can be translated as "sacred circle." Within the circle sits a microcosm of the universe and/or consciousness, repre-sented by icons. Eastern civilizations developed the spiritual-artistic practice of creating mandalas—with sand, paint, and architecture—to high technical sophistication, making manifest a geometry with layers of esoteric meaning for both the mandala artist and the initiated spectator. James Joyce’s Mandala outlines and explains this iconic sacred geometry, and assesses to what extent Joyce’s works of literature, in particular Finnegans Wake, can be understood as mandalic constructs. Using exam-ples from Dubliners to the Wake, we see how fundamental to Joyce’s fiction is the issue of spiritual paralysis (a problem the mandala attempts to dissolve) and also how fascinated he was by geometric imagery and symmetry, the technical devices employed in mandala construction. This is the first book-length comparison of Joyce’s work with the mythic structure of the mandala. Never discounting the richness of Joyce’s genius, it uses his "collideorscape" to explore the secrets of the mandala principle as much as it uses mandala theory to illuminate his famed book of the night.

Laughter

Laughter PDF Author: Henri Bergson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description


The Creation of Me, Them and Us

The Creation of Me, Them and Us PDF Author: Heather Marsh
Publisher: Mustread Incorporated
ISBN: 1989783341
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 379

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Book Description
The most difficult part of change is being ready for what comes next. With an extremely wide reach and richness of detail, The Creation of Me Them and Us sets the stage for both personal and organizational growth by tackling the fundamental questions of who are we, what do we want and why do we act the way we do? These questions (and answers) are essential in understanding a world that may seem incomprehensible today. The scope and originality of this book present a radical challenge to a seldom examined worldview. Welcome to the world of Binding Chaos, a groundbreaking series that introduces an enlightening and thought-provoking new framework to decode social behaviour and institutions. Heather Marsh is a passionate champion of human rights and the driving force behind many of the most influential movements of the past decades. Her Binding Chaos theory reveals the principles that fuel her tireless efforts for change.