Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. The ideas that rooted the renaissance stephen greenblatt chronicles the unlikely discovery of lucretius poem on the nature of things by a. At one level stephen greenblatts elegant and deftly written book is about shakespeares account of tyrants, but it is intended largely as a commentary on the politics of our time. Detailing the factual errors and shallow history in stephen greenblatts prizewinning book the swerve. Jeff glor talks to stephen greenblatt about the swerve, the story of an italian bookhunter whose dogged pursuit of a longlost manuscript changed the world. How the world became modern, is partly about an obsessive book collector, and it begins. Around 600 years ago, a papal secretary trekked to a distant monastery in search of rare books. In the swerve, stephen greenblatt is essentially making the argument that a. Sep 05, 2012 shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt discusses his book, shakespeares freedom, presented by harvard book store. Stephen greenblatt is cogan university professor of the humanities at harvard university.
Harvard shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt stepped to the podium at the cipriani club in new york city to accept the national book. This book has won all sorts of awards, including the pulitzer prize and the national book award. That question is the subject of stephen greenblatts pulitzer prizewinning history. How the world became modern gives us a fascinating, if somewhat disjointed, history of the suppression, unlikely survival, and subsequent effect on the enlightenment of what may be the primary humanist document from ancient greece. The swerve is stephen greenblatts account of how on the nature of things was rescued from obscurity by poggio bracciolini, a vatican bureaucrat only a few fragments of his writings survive today. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The literary critic, theorist and shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatts new book, the swerve. Oct 02, 2011 in the swerve, the literary historian stephen greenblatt investigates why his book nearly died, how it was saved and what its rescue means to us. Awarded the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction, stephen greenblatts new book the swerve.
The first book is an engaging literary detective story about an intrepid. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Greenblatt s characterization of the middle ages, scattered throughout the swerve, is summed up in an article he wrote for the new yorker shortly before the book was published. Stephen greenblatt chronicles the unlikely discovery of lucretius poem on the nature of things by a 15thcentury italian book hunter.
Stephen greenblatt is the john cogan university professor of the humanities at harvard university. Apr 25, 2012 awarded the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction, stephen greenblatts new book the swerve. Shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt discusses his book, shakespeares freedom, presented by harvard book store. Greenblatt discusses how shakespeare was averse to the authorities of his time. He has served as the john cogan university professor of the humanities at harvard university since 2000. Witty, insightful and surprising, it caused thousands of people, including your humble scribe, to look at the bard with new eyes. Harvard shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt stepped to the podium at the cipriani. How the renaissance began is a book by stephen greenblatt and winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and 2011 national book award for nonfiction. Now, lucretius and his poem are back in the cultural spotlight thanks to the swerve, a new book by harvard english professor stephen greenblatt. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. He is the pulitzer prize and national book awardwinning author of the swerve, will in the world, and the rise and fall of adam and eve, and the general editor of the norton shakespeare and the norton anthology of english literature.
In the swerve, stephen greenblatt examines how a 1stcentury b. First, a thorough biography of the italian politician. The swerve won a pulitzer prize, a national book award, and a top. In the swerve, the literary historian stephen greenblatt investigates why his book nearly died, how it was saved and what its rescue means to us. Stephen greenblatt on lucretius and his intolerable ideas.
That greenblatt came across this book while in graduate school is a wonder, for it had been scourged, scorned or simply. Stephen greenblatt, in full stephen jay greenblatt, born november 7, 1943, boston, massachusetts, u. Last month, stephen greenblatt, a harvard english professor, won one of. In the book, greenblatt spoke with considerable authority, reflecting a. A highlyplaced papal scribe, poggio bracciolini, who was secretary to the pope in fact, to eight popes over his long career was also a book hunter. Sep 28, 2011 the literary critic, theorist and shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatts new book, the swerve. How the renaissance began by greenblatt, stephen isbn. Stephen jay greenblatt born november 7, 1943 is an american shakespearean, literary historian, and author. Sep 26, 2011 winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction one of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it. How the world became modern by stephen greenblatt, is an intellectual romp. Stephen goldblatt was born on april 29, 1945 in johannesburg, south africa as stephen lewis goldblatt. The most complete statement of epicureanism that has survived is a poem, on the nature of things, written by the roman poet lucretius. Pulitzer prize winner and harvard professor stephen greenblatt makes no secret of the fact that this compact study of the portrayal of tyrants in the work of william shakespeare was inspired by his dismay over the election of donald trump as president in 2016.
It tells the tale of the creation of roman lucretiuss revolutionary, nonconformist poem on the nature of things, its ties to epicurus and epicureanism, its loss for centuries and then finding in the 15th century by a fascinating book hunter, its gradual dissemination and then growing influence on artists. Lucretius and the toleration of intolerable ideas a lecture presented by stephen greenblatt how does one take in concepts that are initially alien or offensive. A book that could only have been written by stephen greenblatt, shakespeare s freedom is a wholly original and eloquent meditation by the most acclaimed and influential shakespearean of our time. I had very little pocket money, but the bookstore would. Stephen greenblatts the swerve racked up prizes and. He found the book, perhaps the last copy, in a monastery library, liked what he saw even if he never cottoned to its philosophy and had the book copied. The swerve turns a blind eye to many factors involved in the shaping of modern thought and society. In 2005, harvard scholar stephen greenblatt published a wonderful book on shakespeare called will in the world. The recovery of the ancient text is seen as its rebirth, i.
The book was a miraculously surviving copy of an ancient roman philosophical epic, on the nature of things by lucretius and it changed the course of history. Kellie robertson did it before the book was even published see her excellent essay medieval materialism. He is known for his work on the help 2011, closer 2004 and angels in america 2003. His honors include the 2016 holberg prize from the norwegian parliament, the 2012 pul itzer prize and the 2011 national book award for the swerve, mlas james russell lowell prize twice, harvard universitys cabot fellowship, the. The literary critic, theorist and shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt s new book, the swerve. One of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it. This book details one of the pivotal events in history. Sep 19, 2011 the swerve how the world became modern. The swerve by stephen greenblatt is the story of a dedication that was tantamount to obsession. Sep 26, 2011 the swerve is stephen greenblatts account of how on the nature of things was rescued from obscurity by poggio bracciolini, a vatican bureaucrat only a few fragments of his writings survive today. Greenblatt is the general editor of the norton shakespeare 2015 and the general editor and a contributor to the norton anthology of english literature. Buy the swerve by stephen greenblatt from waterstones today.
Winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction one of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we. How the world became modern is a book by stephen greenblatt and winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and 2011 national. May 08, 2018 maya angelou is a natural writer with an inordinate sense of life and she has written an exceptional autobiographical narrative which retrieves her first sixteen years from the general darkness just beyond the great blinkers of childhood. Stephen greenblatts tyrant joins this years crop of. How the world became modern, says he first had the idea for tyrant in a verdant garden in. The swerve, in fact, is two books, one deserving of an award, the other not. Jeff glor talks to stephen greenblatt about the swerve, the story of an italian bookhunter whose dogged.
But even those who dont share greenblatts political perspective should find his. Winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. How the world became modern by stephen goldblatt rating. Winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction. Winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction one of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it. Greenblatt, an eminent shakespeare scholar and 2012 pulitzer prize winner for his book, the swerve.
This event is vividly described by the renaissance. Years ago, the yale critic harold bloom promulgated clinamen that is, the swerve, a term. One of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has c. The ideas that rooted the renaissance stephen greenblatt chronicles the unlikely discovery of lucretius poem on the nature of things by a 15thcentury italian book hunter. This beautiful and informative book by stephen greenblatt can be read as three separated but connected books. When i was a student, i used to go at the end of the school year to the yale coop to see what i could find to read over the summer. Greenblatt uses it to describe the history of lucretius own book. Greenblatt supplies throughout the swerve are tangy and exact. How the world became modern by stephen greenblatt posted on august 4, 20 by john walters this book has won all sorts of awards, including the pulitzer prize and the national book award. Stephen greenblatts most popular book is the swerve. He was, as greenblatt puts it, a bookhunter, and his arrival at fulda was not as a pilgrim but as an ingenious and. Stephen greenblatts critical swerve the boston globe.
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