Denise Schmandt-Besserat opened a major new chapter in the history of literacy when she demonstrated that the cuneiform script invented in the ancient Near East in the late fourth millennium BCmdash;the worlds oldest known system of writingmdash;derived from an archaic counting device. Her discovery; which she published in Before Writing: From Counting to Cuneiform and How Writing Came About; was widely reported in professional journals and the popular press. In 1999; American Scientist chose How Writing Came About as one of the "100 or so Books that shaped a Century of Science."In When Writing Met Art; Schmandt-Besserat expands her history of writing into the visual realm of communication. Using examples of ancient Near Eastern writing and masterpieces of art; she shows that between 3500 and 3000 BC the conventions of writingmdash;everything from its linear organization to its semantic use of the form; size; order; and placement of signsmdash;spread to the making of art; resulting in artworks that presented complex visual narratives in place of the repetitive motifs found on preliterate art objects. Schmandt-Besserat then demonstrates arts reciprocal impact on the development of writing. She shows how; beginning in 2700-2600 BC; the inclusion of inscriptions on funerary and votive art objects emancipated writing from its original accounting function. To fulfill its new role; writing evolved to replicate speech; this in turn made it possible to compile; organize; and synthesize unlimited amounts of information; and to preserve and disseminate information across time and space.Schmandt-Besserats pioneering investigation of the interface between writing and art documents a key turning point in human history; when two of our most fundamental information media reciprocally multiplied their capacities to communicate. When writing met art; literate civilization was born.
#3008786 in eBooks 2013-05-13 2013-05-13File Name: B00CUFD7NK
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Tamzin DarraghGreat refresher with a lot of detail for Epic theatre.1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. GREAT BEGINNERS BOOKBy Chante StacyI HAD TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK FOR AN ACTING CLASS OF MINE. A GREAT BOOK FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING INTO ACTING; IT SHOWS BREATHING PRACTICES AND HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF BEFORE ANY ON SCREEN ACTING ETC..8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Delivers What is PromisedBy Dennis R. HennemanJerry Crawfords ACTING IN PERSON AND IN STYLE is an excellent acting text for students attempting to re-create roles from classical plays that are vital; relevant to the historical period in which they were written; and relevant to audiences viewing them in the 21st Century. The lessons are based on sound acting theories gleaned from a wide range of acting traditions.Part One covers a personalized approach to acting that encourages the actor to use ones own qualities in order to "personalize" a role. The basic acting topics covered include Relaxation; Concentration; Movement Dynamics; Sensory Awareness; Roots of Feeling: The Body and Emotion;Imagination and Improvisation; and the Voice in Action. Each area includes a discussion of basic acting principles supported by acting exercises. Elements of effective scene study; auditioning; rehearsal techniques; role analysis; and performance considerations are also treated.Part Two treats the development of a performance style that is appropriate for effectively performing in classical plays. Classical periods covered include Classical Greek; Commedia Dell Arte; Elizabethan/Jacobean/Shakespearean; Seventeenth Century French Neoclassicism; Restoration Comedy; Nineteenth Century Realism and Naturalism; Early Twentieth Century Nonrealism; Brecht/Epic; Absurdism; and Eclectic Intermingling. Each style is discussed in terms of its historical context and how basic stylistic elements can be effectively "translated" into a performance style that can be effective for an audience in the twenty-first century.Taken in total; Crawford successfully demonstrates that although all effective acting shares some common elements; the actor who must perform roles written in various historical periods faces some special performance problems in terms of voice; language; movement; theatrical conventions; and various historical/social/cultural contexts. He is able to demonstrate ways in which these performance problems may be successfully addressed in a modern context.I highly recommend this text as an important resource in developing a workable approach to creating classical roles with an effective sense of style and clarity.