Non-Fiction Books:

Ultra-talk

Sorry, this product is not currently available to order

Here are some other products you might consider...

Ultra-talk

Johnny Cash, the Mafia, Shakespeare, Drum Music, St. Teresa of Avila, and 17 Other Colossal Topics of Conversation
Click to share your rating 0 ratings (0.0/5.0 average) Thanks for your vote!

Format:

Paperback / softback
Unavailable
Sorry, this product is not currently available to order

Description

In ""Ultra-Talk"", David Kirby poses a simple question: What makes a cultural phenomenon truly great? Exploring a wide variety of ""king-sized cultural monuments,"" Kirby argues that one qualification for greatness is that a phenomenon be embraced by both the elite and the general public. Further, he argues, it must be embraced repeatedly over time. Kirby turns his critical eye to subjects that have been studied and written about, sought after avidly and discussed passionately, and even resisted vigorously around the world. Auto racing, Dante, folk music, food, Leonardo da Vinci, films, poetry, religion, striptease, television, and the internet are just some of the topics he examines. In Rome, heads of state kneel before Bernini's statue of Saint Teresa in ecstasy, says Kirby, and so do people who can't read. And everyone watches TV. ""Ultra-Talk"" pays homage to the work of two towering writers and critics. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Giacomo Leopardi both stated that a book was valid only if it had been accepted by both an intellectual elite and a vast public. Kirby would have added a second requirement: that the book's popularity must have traction over time. By standing on the shoulders of Goethe and Leopardi, Kirby offers a way to read, see, and savor a post-theoretical worldview that everybody can share.

Author Biography:

David Kirby is Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English at Florida State University. He is the author of many books of poetry and criticism, including "The Ha-Ha," "My Twentieth Century," and "What Is a Book?" (Georgia). His poems, reviews, and essays have appeared in the "New York Times Book Review," "Southern Review," "Paris Review," and other publications.
Release date Australia
March 30th, 2007
Author
Audiences
  • Further/Higher Education
  • Professional & Vocational
Pages
280
Dimensions
140x216x19
ISBN-13
9780820329093
Product ID
3953104

Customer reviews

Nobody has reviewed this product yet. You could be the first!

Write a Review

Marketplace listings

There are no Marketplace listings available for this product currently.
Already own it? Create a free listing and pay just 9% commission when it sells!

Sell Yours Here

Help & options

Filed under...