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READING ROOM TOPICS: Arts Research | Arts Ed. Policy | Journals | Curriculum & Standards | Serving the Field | Classic References |
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The Roundtable Reading Room Classic References Whenever possible we have provided a description of each work along with a sentence or two from the work itself. Except where otherwise noted, you can purchase these volumes or get full bibliographical information by visiting www.amazon.com. Go to General Theory and Philosophy Aristotle, The Poetics “The most fundamental study we have of the art of drama” “I propose to treat of Poetry in itself and of its various kinds, noting the essential quality of each…” Bell, Clive, Art Written in 1904, an influential work by the art critic who coined the phrase “significant form.” “There must be some one quality without which a work of art cannot exist; possessing which, in the least degree, no work is altogether worthless.” Brook, Peter, The Empty Space “What differentiates Brook's writing from so many other theatrical gurus is its extraordinary clarity.” – John Longenbaugh “I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage.” Benjamin, Walter, Illuminations This collection of essays by one of the most original analytical minds of the twentieth century includes “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” a seminal consideration of the relationships among art, technology, and mass culture. “In principle a work of art has always been reproducible. . . . .Mechanical reproduction of a work of art, however, represents something new.” Bergson, Henri, Introduction to Metaphysics In this frequently cited work, the Nobel Prize–winning French philosopher argues that intuition is deeper than intellect, that intuition, not analysis, reveals the real world. Cassirer, Ernst, Language and Myth A key volume by perhaps the most important and influential aesthetic philosopher of the twentieth century. Danto, Arthur, The Transfiguration of the Commonplace “One of the most philosophically interesting books to date in the philosophy of art. Concerned with defining ‘work of art’. . . a volume that is certain to be at the center of discussion in this area in the coming years.” – Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism “Let us consider a painting once described by the Danish wit Soren Kierkegaard… of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. [Rather than a realistic depiction of the subject] here instead was a square of red paint, the artist explaining that ‘The Israelites had already crossed over, and the Egyptians were drowned.’” Denby, Edwin, Dance Writings, Robert Cornfield and William MacKay, eds. “Edwin Denby…was the most important and influential American dance critic of the twentieth century….This book [the only collection of Denby’s writings currently in print] presents a sampling of his reviews, essays, and poems, an exemplary collection that exhibits the elegance, lucidity, and timelessness of Denby’s writings.” – Book Jacket copy Dewey, John, Art as Experience “…considered …the most distinguished work ever written by an American on the formal structure and characteristic effects of all the arts: architecture, sculpture, painting, music, and literature.” – Book jacket copy “By one of the ironic perversities that often attend the course of affairs, the existence of the works of art upon which formation of an esthetic theory depends has become an obstruction to theory about them.” Fergusson, Francis, The Idea of a Theater “I believe that The Idea of the Theater is the most important book on the art of the drama that has been published in America.” – Richard Gaines, The New York Times “. . . the present study is focused upon the life and form of the play itself – or rather of a few exemplary plays, landmarks in the changing theaters of the tradition.” Jowitt, Deborah, Time and the Dancing Image “Jowitt has written a volume of real intellectual substance. She has done so by infusing history with critical insights and criticism with the perspectives of history, and the result, as provocative as it is gracefully written, should be a model for those casting about for ways to explore cultural meaning in dance.” – Lynn Garafola, Dance Magazine Langer, Susanne, Feeling and Form A sequel to Langer’s perhaps better known Philosophy in a New Key, this work provides a systematic, comprehensive theory of art, applied to painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, music, dance, drama, and film. “. . . I will make bold to offer a definition of art, which serves to distinguish a “work of art” from anything else in the world. . . . Art is the creation of forms symbolic of human feeling.” ------------------, Philosophy in a New Key “One of those synoptic works which, by bringing together separate areas of knowledge, suddenly reveals the pattern of reality, and gives new meaning to all one’s piecemeal explorations….I know of no book in the field of aesthetics which in our time has had such a profound effect.” – Herbert Read The chapter on “Significance in Music” is groundbreaking and remains a definitive treatment of this topic. Panofsky, Erwin, Meaning in the Visual Arts “Since its original publication, Erwin Panofsky's Meaning in the Visual Arts has been standard reading for students of art history . . . Panofsky's historical technique reveals an abundance of detail, detail he skillfully relates to the life and work of individual painters and their times.” – Amazon.com Ed itorial Review “When an acquaintance greets me on the street by lifting his hat, what I see from a formal point of view is nothing but the change of certain details within a configuration forming part of the general pattern of color, lines and volumes which constitutes my world of vision.” Ruskin, John, Selected Writings, Dinah Birch, ed. In these essays and excerpts, this Victorian critic and social theorist articulates his view of art as the bastion against the utilitarian, capitalistic ethos of his day. Whitehead, A. N., Symbolism, Its Meaning and Effect Written by one of the most important philosophers of the last century. “...this work makes both Whitehead’s theory of perception and his more general insights into the function of symbols in human culture and society accessible to the scholarly community.” – Book jacket copy “The slightest survey of different epochs of civilization discloses great differences in their attitude toward symbolism.” Booth, Eric, The Everyday Work of Art “. . . shows us all in hundreds of ways that perhaps the greatest art is the art of living.” – Yo-yo Ma “Art is not apart. It is a continuum within which all participate…” Eisner, Elliot W., The Arts and the Creation of Mind “In this eloquent book, Eisner (Professor of Ed ucation & Art, Stanford University ) presents strong arguments for the inclusion of aesthetics as a core element of the school curriculum for all children.” – Library Journal Gardner, Howard, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences This influential modern work seeks to overturn the traditional conception of human intelligence. “In the chapters that follow, I outline a new theory of human intellectual competences.” --------------------, Art, Mind, and Brain: A Cognitive Approach to Creativity Building on the findings of cognitive psychology, Gardner here explores the cognitive underpinnings of creativity in a variety of its manifestations. “For the past fifteen years I have been studying human creative processes, particularly as they are manifest in the arts.” Greene, Maxine, Releasing the Imagination: Essays on Education, the Arts, and Social Change “. . . gives us a vivid portrait of the possibilities of human experience and education's role in its realization." – Elliot W. Eisner, Professor of Ed ucation and Art, Stanford University ) “Teachers imaginative enough to be present to the heterogeneity of social life . . . may also have strong impulses to open pathways towards better ways of teaching and better ways of life.” -------------, Variations on a Blue Guitar: The Lincoln Center Institute Lectures on Aesthetic Ed ucation A compendium of lectures, most of them delivered at the Summer Sessions of the Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Ed ucation. “These lectures were delivered over a period of twenty-five years of self-discovery and continuing efforts to move a diversity of teachers to discover new dimensions of themselves.” Heathcote, Dorothy, Collected Writings on Education and Drama A collection of lectures, essays, and classroom notes from this renowned, seminal figure in educational theatre. “For me an excellent teacher is one who knows the difference between relating to things and relating to people.” Remer, Jane, Beyond Enrichment: Building Effective Arts Partnerships with Schools and Your Community Through essays and interviews with leaders in the field as well as case studies and personal insights provided by the author, this volume tackles the important issues facing arts education today: school reform, artist training, curriculum standards, partnerships, and the building blocks of long-term change. ------------------, Changing Schools through the Arts: The Power of an Idea A nuts-and-bolts resource book on the arts and school reform by one of the leading consultants in the field. Practice: Classroom, Studio, Workshop Go to Dance, Multi-Arts, Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Writing Humphrey, Doris, The Art of Making Dances One of the central figures in modern dance provides a historical and technical overview of the field and discusses her own process and aesthetic. “In the first half of the twentieth century, the dance expanded and experimented in so many directions that a mere listing of them would demand too much time. The changes in the art have been more startling, more sudden and more numerous than those in any other field.” Hodes, Stuart, A Map of Making Dances This 1998 book points to the many ways to approach choreography. Teachers can adapt it to their own teaching situation, both for creating work for students and for helping students create their own pieces. Bing, Paula Chan, Arts Resource Handbook : Activities for Students with Disabilities “This handbook shares many years of invaluable experience, providing teachers and parents with a wealth of hands-on activities and proven techniques to stimulate learning and help students realize their full potential.” – Ed itorial Review, Amazon.com Nachmanovich, Stephen, Free Play “This book is about the inner sources of spontaneous creation. It is about where art in the widest sense comes from. It is about why we create and what we learn when we do. It is about the flow of unhindered creative energy: the joy of making art in all its varied forms.” – Amazon.com editorial review “When we think improvisation we tend to think first of music or theater or dance; but beyond their own delights, such art forms are doors into an experience that constitutes the whole of everyday life.” Johnstone, Keith, Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre “. . . the book sets out the specific techniques and exercises which Johnstone has himself found most useful and most stimulating. The result is both an ideas book and a fascinating exploration of the nature of spontaneous creativity.” – Book jacket copy “As I grew up, everything started getting gray and dull. . . . .I’ve since found tricks that can make the world blaze up again . . .” Sklar, Daniel Judah, Playmaking, Children Writing & Performing Their Own Plays A journal of a playwriting residency in a New York public elementary school, filled with a variety of writing techniques and strategies. “‘Why write a play?’ That’s the first question I asked the kids at P.S. 34, the Bronx.” Spolin, Viola and Paul Sills, Improvisation for the Theater The “bible” for teachers and practitioners of improvisational theatre. An essential text for theatre training at all levels. “Everyone can act. Everyone can improvise. Anyone who wishes to can play in the theater and learn to become ‘stageworthy.’” ----------------------, Theater Games for the Classroom: A Teacher's Handbook A classroom teacher’s companion volume to Improvisation for the Theater. Stanislavsky, Constantin, An Actor Prepares The classic text on acting by the creator of the so-called “Method.” “We were excited as we waited for our first lesson the Director, Tortsov, today.” Beal, Nancy, The Art of Teaching Art to Children: In School and at Home “Nancy Beal unfolds the magic, the practical, and a clear sense of children as she describes materials, motivations, and conservations in her Village Community School art room. – Joy L. Moser, Teachers College, Columbia University, quoted on Amazon.com “My philosophy of teaching art can be stated simply. I think primarily in terms of art materials. I teach long-term familiarity with these materials so that the children can master them and use them to express their own life experiences.” Smith, Nancy R., et al, Experience and Art: Teaching Children to Paint An introduction to the visual arts, with emphasis on the viewer's response to folk, popular, and fine arts, as well as to natural objects. ---------------------, Observation Drawing with Children “. . . we propose that the intent of observation drawing is the creation of what the artist Nathan Goldstein describes as a “responsive” drawing . . .” Note: These last two volumes can be ordered from Teachers College Press: www.teacherscollegepress.com Calkins, Lucy, The Art of Teaching Writing A definitive handbook on fostering creative writing in the elementary school classroom by one of the most influential figures in the field. “Human beings have a deep need to represent their experience through writing." |
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