Arts of the Possible: Essays and Conversations
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Book Overview
These essays trace a distinguished writer's engagement with her time, her arguments with herself and others. I am a poet who knows the social power of poetry, a United States citizen who knows herself irrevocably tangled in her society's hopes, arrogance, and despair, Adrienne Rich writes. The essays in Arts of the Possible search for possibilities beyond a compromised, degraded system, seeking to imagine something else. They call on the fluidity of the imagination, from poetic vision to social justice, from the badlands of political demoralization to an art that might wound, that may open scars when engaged in its work, but will finally suture and not tear apart. This volume collects Rich's essays from the last decade of the twentieth century, including four earlier essays, as well as several conversations that go further than the usual interview. Also included is her essay explaining her reasons for declining the National Medal for the Arts. The work is inspired and inspiring.--Alicia Ostriker [S]o clear and clean and thorough. I learn from her again and again.--Grace Paley
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0393323129
ISBN13:9780393323122
Release Date:May 2002
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Length:204 Pages
Weight:0.56 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 5.6" x 8.3"
Related Subjects
Arts & Literature Authors Biographical Biographies Biographies & History Biography & History Classics Criticism & Theory Education & Reference Essays Essays & Correspondence History & Criticism Literary Literary Criticism & Collections Literature Literature & Fiction Poetry Women Writers Women's StudiesCustomer Reviews
2 ratings
Delicately created and stimulating
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
If you have ever thought about the relationship between art and politics, or art and social justice, Adrienne Rich's collection of essays and conversations is a must read. In "When We Dead Awaken" (Chapt 1) - Interweaving prose and poetry, Rich demonstrates how she slowly came to terms with her identity as a female poet - a process she termed, "awakening of dead or sleeping consciousness." A process that would seem vital for any oppressed group, Rich explains how after years of sleepwalking, under the direction of men, women were slowly "awakening," re-visioning their past and drawing conclusions on the present. The book alone is worth reading simply for the 3rd chapter, a philosophical and feminist perspective on lying. "Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying" is a unique and compelling treatise on the causes and effects of lying.
Rich is a national treasure
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
Please ignore the review above. It's author seems to have missed thepoint entirely. This book is essential reading, as all of Rich's books are. One of our greatest writers.
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