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Under the Sign of Saturn: Essays
Susan Sontag
Manufacturer: Picador
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ASIN: 0312420080 |
Book Description
This third essay collection by Americas leading essayist brings together her most important critical writing from 1972 to 1980, in which she explores some of the most influential artists and thinkers of our time.
Customer Reviews:
Very Fine.......2006-06-19
Sontag has once again compiled an intelligent collection of essays on widely varying aesthetic topics. Though she begins with a rather artificial and patronizing obituary for the late man of letters Paul Goodman, whose body of work she is evidently less than enthused with, though she feels obliged to compare him to Sartre. The essay rings of false piety.
She moves into an expansive and favorable essay on Antonin Artaud, the great playwright and artist of the avant-garde movement. Sontag reviews the developments of his great career within the context of moralistic philosophic aesthetics, liking him with Nietzsche, then Sade, then Breton.
Yet the most impressive essay in Under the Sign is titled `Fascinating Fascism,' and it is truly fascinating. In it, Sontag overviews the work of filmmaker, actress, and photographer Leni Riefenstahl, the Nazi propagandist whose body of work includes the esteemed documentaries Triumph of the Will, and Olympia, the latter about the 1936 Olympic games. Sontag reviews Riefenstahl's book of photography on the Nuba tribe in Sudan, which is apparently breathtaking. Sontag concludes that Reifenstahl, despite her `de-Nazification' and renunciation of her political past is still enamored with a fascist ideal, valuing the masculine strength of the male Nuba and placing their bodies in the foreground, while the women remain vulnerable and tucked away in shadowy corners. The essay is highly provocative.
The title essay is about the great philosopher and literary critic Walter Benjamin, whom she reviews favorably. This essay provides some interesting tidbits of information that Hannah Arendt neglects to include in her introduction, such as Benjamin's apparent hatred for Heidegger's philosophy.
Also included in this volume is an excellent and terse review of Roland Barthes, and the fine novelist Elias Canetti, whom she holds in great esteem.
Self-analysis.......2004-11-21
This volume has been reread by me more than once. Sontag explains that her piece on Paul Goodman is being written in a small room in Paris. The author states she was not a friend of Goodman, although several of their worlds coincided with each other. She admired Goodman's work immensely. She describes his voice as cranky, egotistical, American. She finds him comparable, a unique voice, to D.H. Lawrence. Goodman wrote poetry, plays, novels, and social criticism. After the publication of GROWING UP ABSURD in 1960 Goodman was no longer an obscure writer. Sontag complains that he was often taken for granted, even by his admirers. She deems his amateurism identical with his genius.
Susan Sontag asserts that Antonin Artaud failed in his work and his life. His work consisted of a vast collection of fragments. Artaud described intellectual distress. He considered consciousness as process. A leading theme was the link between suffering and writing. All of Artaud's writing was in the first person. He welcomed Surrealism. Artaud's idea of revolution diverged from the Surrealists. He started in poetry. By 1926 in his search for the total art form, Artaud was doing theatrical work. Sontag holds that Artaud offers the greatest quantity of suffering in literature.
The author produces a devastating analysis of the pretensions of Leni Riefenstahl. Sontag's discussion of Alpine movie epics is engaging. Riefenstahl is identified with the Nazi era. Sontag contends that her pbotography book, THE LAST OF THE NUBA, completed thirty years after that era continued to exemplify Nazi ideology.
Walter Benjamin is the subject of the title essay. Benjamin found Saturnine elements in Baudelaire, Proust, Karl Kraus, and even Goethe. To him, subject to melancholy, solitutde appeared to be the fit state of man. Benjamin collected emblem books. His relations with others were complex, veiled. Benjamin felt an affinity to the baroque and the Surreal. He had a microscopic gaze. Benjamin was a wanderer and a collector. By miniaturizing things they became portable. Benjamin wrote that the melancholic permits himself the pleasure of allegory. His characteristic form was the essay.
The piece on Elias Canetti stresses the writer's acquisition of languages. German became the language of his mind. As a child he had spoken Ladino. He had a taste for fanciful blends of knowledge. Canetti was rather close to Freud in technique and interests, but not Freudian. Sontag describes CROWDS AND POWER as an eccentric book.
The essays in this volume are both serious and lively.
Indispensable.......1999-11-24
There are many reasons to read Susan Sontag. Two of them are her brilliant essays on Walter Benjamin and Elias Canetti that appear in this volume. Both works suggest as much about Sontag and her intellectual and moral values as they do about Benjamin and Canetti. If you care about twentieth-century European intellectual history, don't miss Sontag on Benjamin and Canetti.
Read it.......1999-10-27
Susan Sontag is "highbrow." Her essays have scope and intellectual ambition, which readers who have an allergy to these qualities may find "pretentious." She can almost mercilessly point out when something is derivative, weakly conceived, or a sell-out. She has a commitment to cinema as High Art; she takes the contemporary novel to task for being complacent and reactionary; she has a particularly sharp eye for intellectual fraud. Readers who are only interested in marching under one banner or another, or come equipped with biases or blind spots they are proud of, will probably find her annoying.
Sontag may be guilty of "neglecting to take into consideration" entertainment or commercial value, but I'm not sure why it necessarily is a requirement for her to take these things into consideration, since so many others are happily doing so. The fact that a film enjoyed great commercial value does not necessarily exempt it from being an example of "fascist aesthetics"; it simply may mean that it was a fantastically successful example of fascist aesthetics. Sontag was writing at a time when many used the word "fascism" in a very kneejerk way, as though it was this mysterious bad thing, an unknowable plague. Sontag doesn't allow herself such a simplistic attitude. She shows that in fact fascism has many attractive aspects, which is why its aesthetic still turns up everywhere, from Michael Jackson videos to Pink Floyd's The Wall to the WWF. I'm not sure she necessarily thinks this a bad thing; Americans, as we always like to remind the world, are free to enjoy whatever we enjoy, but at least we should not be dishonest about giving things their true names.
The judgement that this writer is a product of "1960s anti-establisment, feminist movement that views anything organized or male-oriented as fascist" is just a inaccurate, vague generalization whose purpose is to dismiss Sontag without having really read or thought about what she is saying. Sontag has skewered "anti-establishment types" and various feminists with the same lack of mercy she dispenses to Arthur Miller and Norman Mailer. Nobody's obligated to read Sontag or like the kind of criticism she practices. But for anyone really interested in cinema, art, theater, the novel, and related subjects, she's essential.
Pretentious, high-brow, dribble.......1999-05-24
When Sontag analyzes the film making style of Leni Riefenstahl, she makes numerous references to the use of the "fascist aesthetics." Sontag's book, Under the Sign of Saturn, drones on about the use of this style of filmmaking employed by both fascist and communist regimes. This genre displays a "preoccupation with situations of control, submissive behavior, extravagant effort, and the endurance of pain; they endorse two seemingly opposite states, egomania and servitude. The relations of domination and enslavement take the form of characteristics pageantry: the massing of people/things around an all-powerful, hypnotic leader figure or force. The fascist dramaturgy centers on the orgiastic transitions between mighty forces and their puppets, uniformly garbed and shown in ever swelling numbers. Its choreography alternates between ceaseless motion and congealed, static, 'virile posing. Fascist art glorifies surrender, it exalts mindlessness, it glamorizes death" (New York: Doubleday, 1980, p. 91). To her credit, Sontag goes on to point out that films such as Disney's Fantasia, Berkeley's The Gangs All Here, and Kubrick's 2001 all fit the fascist art form. At least, she admits that not all films that fit this style are made under dictatorial governments. The tone of her attack on this genre of film would lead one believe, that she was a student of Siegfried Kracauer. Someone blindly lumping all film together as commentary on their society and neglecting to take into consideration their entertainment or commercial value. In fairness to Sontag, one must consider when she made her observations of Riefenstahl. In 1980, the United States was still reeling from the affects of the Viet Nam conflict. Susan Sontag is most probably a product of the 1960's anti-establishment, feminist movement that views anything organized or male oriented as fascist. In the 1999, Sontag's self serving opinions and criticisms seem as antiquated prohibition was as solution to public drunkenness.
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Colour (Take-off!: How Artists Use...)
Paul Flux
Manufacturer: Heinemann Library
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ASIN: 0431162050 |
Book Description
The long-awaited third Read Meat collection is a glittering mother load of twisted hilarity mined from the award-winning alternative comic strip. Cannon's internationally popular strip features a disturbing and sidesplitting cast of characters that includes latex-clad fathers, sadistic milkmen, vomiting robots, malformed neighbors, incontinent interdimensional beings, decomposing clowns, and dozens of other bizarre Red Meat denziens who will keep you laughing until it hurts. Pure Gold!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-06-29
Milkman Dan and Ted Johnson are as good as ever. Papa Moai is rubbish. Otherwise, an excellent collection of blackly comic cartoons. You need this.
If'n I could read, this kind of book I'd buy again & again!.......2005-05-10
This is a collection of pictures with words added that one was able to look at for free once, a long time ago, and were published mostly in free weekies, you know the kind of paper that has lots of pizza coupons and 976 phone ads in it. But you all foolishly threw those away thinking cuz they were free, they were worthless!
HOO! And yes, sadly, Hah! That was all part of Max Cannon's evil plan. Knowing that there would be no extant copies of his picture boxes,( other than those left behind in bird cages in the homes of cat ladies who died, and whose bodies lay undiscovered between towering mounds of Cat Fanciers Monthly) he labored for hours stapling old strips to vellum and photocopying them late one night at the copy shop on fifth and speedway with the two am happy hour. So now you have to PAY for riches you once had for free.
Anyways, there's the usual references to nipples and a bit of spooky-ness, and of course the taglines, which I can't read, but the literate assure me are quite good during thigh slapping season. And Red Meat - GOLD!, I'm happy to report, is preternaturally tasty with the new Chipotle Tabasco®. But you already cottoned to that, didn't you?
-Dictated by aquasonic telegraph, May the Ninth, Two Thousand Ought Five, Anno Domini, Baybee.
Book Description
arsenalpulp.com :
What do the terms "Master of Ceremonies," "Husbandman of Nature," "Old Faithless," and "My Body's Captain" refer to? How about "Cully-Shangy," Hogmagundy," or "Horizontal Refreshment"? Synonyms for these and other phrases can be found in The Bald-Headed Hermit & the Artichoke, a unique guide to the lingo of sex. Extensive historical research conducted by Peterkin led to the compilation of lists of phrases and words referring to all aspects of human sexuality, from breasts and testicles, to fetishes and paraphernalia. In conducting his research, Peterkin discovered that erotic words and phrases in the English-speaking world number well into the thousands; "penis" alone has over 1,500 modern synonyms.
The terms in The Bald-Headed Hermit vary from the poetic and the medical to the macho, derogatory, and obscene; the lists offer varied and "imaginative" interpretations of human sexuality that are at times funny and shocking at others. They also provide unusual insight into how various societies view sexual pleasure.
In addition, the book shows how previously silent sexual communities, including gays & lesbians, the transgendered, and various fetishists and libertines, challenge attitudes towards sexuality and sexual expression, thereby changing the very language of sex.
The Bald-Headed Hermit includes fascinating explanations of sexual terms, as well as historical/archival line drawings illustrating various aspects of sexuality.
Customer Reviews:
The Bald Headed Hermit and the Artichoke: An Erotic Thesaurus.......2007-06-27
Very very crude. Useless to me. I was thinking erotic romance not porn. Was good for a few laughs though.
A Must Read Plethora for Any Erotic Writer.......2006-12-05
This book should be mandatory for any erotic writer to have in their library. This resource not only opened my mind up to new terminology but even more ideas for stories in which I could just expound upon the English language in rich erotic detail.
I highly recommend this book to anyone even thinking about writing an erotic or romance book!
Thorough Reference.......2005-04-24
This book includes the classy synonyms as well as the outdated, odd, eccentric, and tactless. Words and phrases are alphabetized in endless specific categories, so you're guaranteed to find just what you're looking for. Categories also include everything from references to genitalia and the sex act to the sex industry and sexual health and dysfunction.
The book is laced with vintage photographs, mostly erotic and some very tantalizing, which add to the character of the book itself and your browsing enjoyment. There's even some editorial comment inserting stories and histories of interest, but there generally isn't historical or origination information about the individual terms included.
It's an excellent resource for writers of erotica/porn: very thorough, easy to use, nice to look at, and with classy terms as well as the humorous ones.
get it before it's gone.......2001-08-12
using euphemisms for body parts does not sit well with many writers. I am one who loves this book and I must say it is very informative.it contains old photos and words i've never heard of, I like how the author put the book together, classic [terms] are used in this book, the book covers everything from anal sex to missionary position, i am impressed at mr.peterkin's work, I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of nicknames for body parts, whoever bought this book,your money is WELL spent!!!
OK, but not great........2001-01-26
This thesaurus was interesting but I thought there would be more creative words and phrases included. Alot of the words were more geared toward the obscene, "nasty" side of sexual terminology. I bought the book to find some clever alternatives that were in good taste and with class. There were a few, but not enough for my taste.
Book Description
Cahiers du Cinema is the most prestigious and influential film journal ever published. An anthology devoted entirely to its writings, in English translation, is long overdue.
The selections in this volume are drawn from the colorful first decade of Cahiers, 1951-1959, when a group of young iconoclasts racked the world of film criticism with their provocative views an international cinema--American, Italian, and French in particular. They challenged long-established Anglo-Saxon attitudes by championing American popular movies, addressing genres such as the Western and the thriller and the aesthetics of technological developments like CinemaScope, emphasizing mise en scéne as much as thematic content, and assessing the work of individual filmmakers such as Hawks, Hitchcock, and Nicholas Ray in terms of a new theory of the director as author, auteur, a revolutionary concept at the time. Italian film, especially the work of Rossellini, prompted sharp debates about realism that helped shift the focus of critical discussion from content toward style. The critiques of French cinema have special interest because many of the journal's major contributors and theorists Godard, Truffaut, Rohmer, Rivette, Chabrol were to become same of France's most important film directors and leaders of the New Wave.
Translated under the supervision of the British Film Institute, the selections have far the most part never appeared in English until now. Hillier has organized them into topical groupings and has provided introductions to the parts as well as the whale. Together these essays, reviews, discussions, and polemics reveal the central ideas of the Cahiers of the 1950s not as fixed doctrines but as provocative, productive, often contradictory contributions to crucial debates that were to overturn critical thinking about film.
Customer Reviews:
Important Collection.......2006-06-12
Cahiers Du Cinema most far and away the most important film magazine during the 50's and 60's. It contained the film theories of Bazin, Truffaut, Godard, Rivette, and all the other pioneers who forged the New Wave. This collection contains excellent and extensive intellectual essays on Rossellini, Mizoguchi, Mann, Hitchcock, and many other directors who made the 50's such an extraordinary and rich period of cinematic creativity. Jacques Rivette has a magnificent essay on the dimensions of cinemascope, and Godard has such an enthusiastic piece on Nicholas Ray, it probably contributed to his belated stardom as an auteur.
This is an important collection for any serious film student.
A Must for Real Film Buffs........2003-05-15
What a wonderful collection of essays written by one of the most intelligent groups ever to write (and some direct) about film. This book includes the staff of Cahiers du Cinema polemically discussing aesthetics, what creates an auteur, and debating the best directors of their time. (Each writer has their personal favorites of course, Bazin-Anthony Mann's westerns) All the essays are incredibly intellectual and strong knowledge of films of the 50s is necessary to even comprehend what they are speaking about. If you are familiar with the works of Renoir, Nicholas Ray, Robert Aldrich, Joseph Mankiwicz, Vittorio De Sica, Vincente Minnelli, Alan Resnais, Hawks, and Hitchcock, here is the place to find trenchant analysis into their works.
Some of the most brilliant essays, of course, comes from Andre Bazin, whom in certain circles is contested as the father of film theory (my favorites from Bazin in this collection are 'On the politique des auteurs' and his defense of Kurosawa's Living, following Luc Molluet's thorough trashing of the now considered classic).
Also this volume can contribute to your 'movies to see' lists for those real film buffs out there (if you can find them). The back of the book contains the Cahiers annual Best Films Listing from 1955-59.
For all the French-film lovin', director wannabees, artsy fartsy, snobbish, 'they don't make 'em like they use to' people like me this is a great book to pick up anytime. Just to read sober, intelligent essays on the art of filmmaking, and what these directors where trying to achieve decades ago. I personally read these essays with a smile, getting simple pleasures out of the high-brow ideologies these young writers/directors once had, and how they went on to change the face of cinema, forever.
This is truly a historical collection of essays. 5 out of 5.
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Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist
Manufacturer: Birlinn Publishers
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ASIN: 1841580082 |
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Sudoku To Go: Moderate
Michael Mepham
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ASIN: 1585677922 |
Book Description
From the bestselling authors of The 24-Carrot Manager comes a manager's handbook on motivating employees through praise and recognition. Employees fed a steady diet of carrots focus better on company goals. They spot new opportunities faster. They have longer employment life spans (translation: lower turnover). And they can lift companies higher than you might have dreamed possible.
Customer Reviews:
Same old maxims.......2006-02-14
I looked forward to receiving this book but was sorely disappointed with what it delivered. I've had the same thoughts on employee recognition forever. There were no new ideas and very little specifics on improving recognition.
It is set up in a format where you can have a daily reminder that employee recognition is good and that is the best part of the book.
Definitely not a must have but a decent addition for your bookshelf.
Praise and Recognition Improves Morale.......2005-05-13
"The celebration of one success launches a thousand more." ~Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
Can you achieve world-class results through recognition? We all know how it feels to be appreciated and yet why do so many companies focus more on profit and less on encouragement?
Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton are the world's leading authorities on employee motivation and explain how a steady diet of "carrots" is a much wiser way to build a strong workplace. This is a place where people are committed to company goals, are much happier, live much longer and respect their employer.
What are the carrots? They are ways you inspire, challenge, encourage, reward efforts and celebrate achievements.
This book is organized by the days of the year and reminds me of a desk calendar with quotes. Each page is filled with helpful suggestions and quotes by famous people.
The ideas I loved:
A Day Off for No Reason At All - now there is a way to garner some appreciation...
Dressed for Success - Reward an employee with a shopping spree for clothes
Perform a Random Act of Kindness
No More "Good Jobs" - avoiding generic responses
There are some surprising entries, like the one on February 11 where the authors show how you can reward failure and have a positive result. Just because someone failed, doesn't mean they didn't try or take great risks.
"People are afraid to risk in their jobs, primarily because of fear that failure will bring some sort of reprisal or ridicule. When this atmosphere is present, growth and innovation are stunted." ~February 11
A Carrot A Day is an excellent resource for managers who want happy and productive employees.
~TheRebeccaReview.com
I wish my boss would read this book!.......2004-10-07
Bosses sometimes overlook the power of a kind word or an expression of approval. But to an employee such an expression can mean everything. This book is filled with great daily tips to help bosses remember to recognize deserving employees. For an employee its the little things that keep you motivated. I wish my boss would read this book!
Great for the office and beyond.......2004-10-07
The practical concepts offered in this book simply make sense. On a business level, these real-life action items provide great ideas to truly motivate my employees. I have to believe that if company leaders would truly embrace these principles they would not only enjoy more passionate employees but they'd also enjoy the bottom line impact. On the personal side, I also appreciate the hints that translate into being a better husband and dad.
The Value in Vegetables.......2004-10-07
After I thoroughly read A Carrot A Day by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, I realized how beneficial recognizing employee strengths is to increasing a company's value as well as the employee's value to the company and themselves. I would definitely recommend this book to every managing executive who wishes to parlay employee value.
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