This is a book about the exhilaration and the catastrophe of embodiment. Analyzing different instances of injured bodies; Peggy Phelan considers what sustained attention to the affective force of trauma might yield for critical theory. Advocating what she calls "performative writing"; she creates an extraordinary fusion of critical and creative thinking which erodes the distinction between art and theory; fact and fiction. The bodies she examines here include Christs; as represented in Caravaggios painting The Incredulity of St Thomas; Anita Hills and Clarence Thomass bodies as they were performed during the Senate hearings; the disinterred body of the Rose Theatre; exemplary bodies reconstructed through psychoanalytic talking cures; and the filmic bodies created by Tom Joslin; Mark Massi; and Peter Friedman in Silverlake Life: The View From Here. This new work by the highly-acclaimed author of Unmarked makes a stunning advance in performance theory in dialogue with psychoanalysis; queer theory; and cultural studies.
#4492895 in eBooks 2013-01-02 2013-01-02File Name: B00E3FBPFW
Review
192 of 197 people found the following review helpful. Scholarly; but difficult to readBy C. G. KingCopious footnotes included within the text overwhelmed this work. I was hoping for the translated notes from Leonardo as he wrote them; with occasional drawings. No drawings are included; although they are described verbally. The notes have been sorted into an order the compiler thought meaningful; but Id have been happier to see the random thoughts closer to the order Leonardo jotted them down; since to me that would also have provided a glimpse into his thinking patterns. I guess theyve been sorted numerous times in the past and perhaps the original order isnt available anymore. Having not read other compilations; I cant say this version is better or worse; but I found it unsatisfying.It seemed there were more footnotes and explanations within the text than actual notes from Leonardo. It was as though someone found an ancient religious text and instead of just presenting a translated version for personal interpretation; rearranged all the verses and then interjected explanatory notes between every phrase. Since the added notes in this work are in the same text type as Leonardos words; its almost impossible to read for his words alone. There is no Table of Contents and perhaps this is just not an ideal work for the eBook format.While obviously; a tremendous amount of work went into this compilation and there is certainly value to a DaVinci scholar; for someone who just wants to get a flavor of his thoughts and perspectives in his own words; I found it too difficult a read to be rewarding.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Not as good as volume 1; but still goodBy DTBe careful when purchasing this volume as there are several versions out there that do not include the pictures and diagrams. Youll need to email the specific seller to ensure you are getting the right product. While this is a nice compilation it is not as easy to get into as Volume 1.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Its a really thick book filled with great text and informationBy Gemini 11Its really kind of misleading as a book of the notebooks of Leonardo. Its a really thick book filled with great text and information; but not too many images and they are small. There is a much larger and better book than this one; unless you like to read a lot of speculation about his work. The other book (same title) that has 14x11 prints and the book while being 300 pages; every page is a large print of one of his sketches!