Description
Book SynopsisCombining personal narrative, interviews, and literary analysis, Fool elaborates the potential for fool figures from throughout literary history to reconfigure subject-object relations and point towards new possibilities in creative and critical thought. Drawing on Johanna Skibsrudâs experience in clown classes in France and the US, Fool challenges and extends the correlation Theodor Adorno suggests between thinking and clowning. It considers a diverse range of literary and theoretical sources from Richard Wagnerâs Parsifal to Karen Baradâs Meeting the Universe Halfway. The book also refers to a varied cast of literary and historical clowns and fools, including the early Shakespearean actor Richard Tarlton, Alban Bergâs Wozzeck, and Cirque du Soleilâs Shannan Calcutt.
Skibsrud elaborates on the role of the âfoolâ and âfoolishnessâ in literature, not as an element of a particular workâs content, plot, or style but instead as a creative mode of thought activated through the reading and writing of literary texts. This innovative book charts new ground in literature, philosophy, and performance studies, and is an invaluable resource for specialists in all three fields.
Trade Review"Novelist and scholar Johanna Skibsrud boldly explores the place and significance of the Fool in literature, performance and, indeed, theory. From her readings of Adorno and musings on Beckett to brutally serious clown training with Philippe Gaulier, Skibsrud offers insights into ways that embracing the Fool (historical and within) can unleash creative thinking and practice." - Louis Patrick Leroux, Professor and Associate Dean of Research Concordia University; co-author of Contemporary Circus and co-editor of Cirque Global Quebec’s Expanding Circus Boundaries.
"A beautiful account of Skibsrud’s personal journey into the world of clown that documents and interrogates both gentle encounters and harsh realities. Poetically intertwined with critical thought and analysis, Fool is ultimately human, relatable, vulnerable and inspiring." - Paige Allerton, Artistic Director, Manifesto Poetico
Table of ContentsSeries Preface
Preface
Chapter 1 - Foolish Objects: Between Public and Private Selves
Chapter 2 - To the Point of Clowning: Going Astray with Theodor Adorno
Chapter 3 - Touching the Impossible: A Conversation with Slava Polunin
Chapter 4 - Becoming Clown: A Conversation with Mike Funt and David Bridel
Chapter 5 - Notes from the Theatre: Fragments and Criticisms
Chapter 6 - Trompe-l’oeil: A Brief History
Chapter 7 - Thinking: With David Bridel (October 2021-June 2022)
Two photographs
Works cited
Index
