David Adams Leeming Knihy

James Baldwin has become an American literary icon. He explored issues of race and racism in America, class distinction, and sexual difference in works that are now part of the canon, such as "Go Tell It on the Mountain", "Giovanni's Room", "Another Country", "The Fire Next Time", and "The Evidence of Things Not Seen". A gay African American writer who was born in Harlem, he found the freedom to express himself living in exile in Paris. When he returned to America to cover the civil rights movement, he became an activist and controversial spokesman for the movement. In this indispensable biography, David Leeming creates an intimate portrait of a complex, troubled, driven, and brilliant man. He plumbs every aspect of Baldwin's life: his relationships with the unknown and the famous, including Beauford Delaney, Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Marlon Brando, Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, and childhood friend Richard Avedon; his expatriate years in France and Turkey; his gift for compassion and love; the public pressures that overwhelmed his quest for happiness; and his passionate battle for black identity, racial justice, and to "end the racial nightmare and achieve our country." -- From publisher's description

An interesting and lively book that contains articles on heros, villains, mythologists and mythological approaches.

Examines the universal themes of myths from cultures ranging from ancient Egypt and Greece to Christianity and modern science, analyzing how different cultures and societies have addressed fundamental human concerns and experiences.

The authors explore the sources of Britain's variegated folkloric tradition to discover how this body of seemingly unrelated tales developed. They uncover a virtual battlefield of myths in which Pagan and Judeo-Christian beliefs fought for dominance.

God created Heaven and, using a ball of thread, began to form the earth with the help of a mole. However, the mole accidentally allowed too much thread, causing the earth to grow too large for its space. Upset, the mole hid underground. God sent a bee to find him and seek advice on correcting the mistake. The mole laughed at the idea of advising God but, while mumbling to himself, suggested that squeezing the earth would create mountains and valleys, making it smaller. The bee relayed this idea to God, who implemented it, resolving the issue. This myth is one of many creation stories that explain the origins of societies and cultural identities, serving as a reflection of a culture's essence. A Dictionary of Creation Myths is a comprehensive exploration of creation myths from around the world, organized in an accessible A-Z format. It covers beliefs from ancient civilizations, including Sumeria, Egypt, Greece, and Native American cultures, alongside modern theories like evolution and the Big Bang. Each entry identifies the associated culture and retells the myths in eloquent prose, with extensive cross-referencing. The guide delves into the intricate relationships among myths across cultures and time, illuminating various aspects of the human experience, from cosmic eggs to the Gaia Principle. Richly illustrated, this work is essential for anyone curious about the origins of the world and humanity's place within it.

Medusa tötet. Wer es wagt, ihr ins Gesicht zu schauen und ihrem Blick zu begegnen, erstarrt zu Stein. Dank eines spiegelnden Schildes konnte Perseus sie schließlich besiegen, so die mythologische Überlieferung. Der Dichter Dante war der Erste, der in Medusa einen erotischen, männermordenden Vamp sah. In den folgenden Jahrhunderten bannten Maler und Bildhauer ihrerseits das schreckliche Antlitz auf Leinwand oder in Stein – und gaben damit den dunklen Seiten der eigenen Existenz ein Gesicht. Die Romantiker stilisierten Medusa zur exotischen Femme fatale oder zur sinnlichen -Nymphe mit langem rotem Haar, Frauen sahen in ihr ein Opfer männlicher Gewalt. Heute ist das Medusenhaupt eines der Markenzeichen des Modehauses Versace. Der Schlangenkopf als niedliches Accessoire in luxuriösen Interieurs? David Leeming folgt der schaurigen Schönen durch die Kulturgeschichte und fragt, was der grausame Mythos über uns erzählt und wie wir uns die Medusa der Gegenwart vorstellen – etwa als Darth Vader in Star Wars. Denn der Blick der Medusa fesselt bis heute.