Guy Davenport Book order

Forty essays on history, art, and literature from one of the most incisive, and most exhilarating, critical minds of the twentieth century. Guy Davenport was perhaps the last great American polymath. He provided links between art and literature, music and sculpture, modernist poets and classic philosophers, the past and present--and pretty much everything in between. Not only had Davenport seemingly read (and often translated from the original languages) everything in print, he also had the ability, expressed with unalloyed enthusiasm, to draw connections between how cultural synapses make, define, and reflect our civilization. In this collection, Guy Davenport serves as the reader's guide through history and literature, pointing out the values and avenues of thought that have shaped our ideas and our thinking. In these forty essays we find fresh thinking on Greek culture, Whitman, Spinoza, Wittgenstein, Melville, Tolkien, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, Charles Olson, Marianne Moore, Eudora Welty, Lois Zukovsky, and many others. Each essay is a tour of the history of ideas and imagination, written with wit and startling erudition.

WINNER OF THE 2023 PEN/DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL AWARD FOR THE ART OF THE ESSAY A collection of essays from Judith Thurman, the National Book Award–winning biographer and New Yorker staff writer. Judith Thurman, a prolific staff writer at The New Yorker for more than two decades, has gathered a selection of her essays and profiles in A Left-Handed Woman. They consider our culture in all its guises: literature, history, politics, gender, fashion, and art, though their paramount subject is the human condition. Thurman is one of the preeminent essayists of our time—“a master of vivisection,” as Kathryn Harrison wrote in The New York Times. “When she’s done with a subject, it’s still living, mystery intact.”

Set in the fictional republic of Anchuria, the story revolves around the tumultuous life and death of President Miraflores, who is said to have taken his own life while fleeing an impending revolution. The narrative explores themes of political instability, the consequences of power, and the personal struggles faced by leaders in times of crisis. As the tale unfolds, it delves into the complexities of governance and the impact of societal upheaval on individuals and the nation as a whole.

With exceptional grace, Judith Thurman 's classic work explores Dinesen's life--her privileged but unhappy childhood in Denmark, her marriage to Baron Blixen, their immigration to Africa on the eve of World War I, and her passionate affair with Denys Finch Hatton. Until the appearance of this book, the life and art of Isak Dinesen have been--as Dinesen herself wrote of two lovers in a tale--"a pair of locked caskets, each containing the key to the other." Judith Thurman has provided the master key to them both.

A set of meditations, written over several years, concerning the painting of Balthus and "its kinship with the poetry of Rilke (Balthus's childhood mentor), with Picasso and others

The correspondence between Hugh Kenner and Guy Davenport spans over four decades, offering rich insights into their shared enthusiasm for modernist literature and figures like Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and James Joyce. Their letters reflect a deep intellectual engagement and document the evolution of their creative works. The collection not only captures their fascination with Pound's transformation of reality into art but also serves as a valuable resource for understanding literary modernism through extensive notes and cross-referencing of archival sources.

Exploring the contrasts between iconic structures, art forms, and cultural artifacts, this book delves into how imagination shapes our understanding of history and necessity. It highlights the unique qualities that differentiate various creations, from architecture to music, emphasizing the role of creative vision in defining cultural identity and evolution. Through these comparisons, the author invites readers to reflect on the deeper connections between imagination and the artifacts of human civilization.

The book offers four meditations on still-life painting, intertwining art history and literary criticism to explore the iconic and symbolic roles of objects within culture. By examining a genre often perceived as static, it uncovers the dynamic influences that drive still-life artistry, illustrating the vital impact painters have achieved through this form. Each essay delves into the representation of objects, revealing deeper meanings and motivations behind their artistic portrayal.

The book presents 105 sayings of Jesus, captured by his followers during his lifetime, showcasing his role as a street preacher who communicated profound truths through stories and aphorisms. Davenport and Urrutia's translation offers a fresh perspective, challenging traditional interpretations and allowing readers to reconnect with the essence of Jesus as a living teacher. The immediacy of the direct quotations revitalizes his powerful words, making them resonate in today's context.