Stephen jay greenblatt born november 7, 1943 is an american shakespearean, literary historian, and author. Greenblatt tells the story of how poggio bracciolini, a 15thcentury papal emissary. Pulitzer prize, general nonfiction, 2012 national book award, nonfiction, 2012 renowned historian stephen greenblatts works shoot to the top of the new york times bestseller list. 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.
The swerve is stephen greenblatt s account of how on the nature of things was rescued from obscurity by poggio bracciolini, a vatican bureaucrat only a. Following his national book award and pulitzer prize celebrated the swerve, in the elaborately readable the rise and fall of adam and eve stephen greenblatt. The first book is an engaging literary detective story about an intrepid florentine bibliophile named poggio braccionlini. I wont get into the ideas beyond what he calls how the world became modern, but i will say that a lot more history and even philosophy is on display. He was, as greenblatt puts it, a book hunter, and his arrival at fulda was not as a pilgrim but as an ingenious and. September 19, 2011 in his new book, author and harvard literature professor stephen greenblatt explores the.
Of course, this is only one book in a lifetime of books by greenblatt, in a lifetime of. 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. One of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an. Stephen greenblatts most popular book is the swerve. Comprising only a few ancient verses, the story of adam and eve has served as a mirror in which we seem to glimpse the whole, long history of our fears and desires.
The swerve is one of those brilliant works of nonfiction thats so jampacked with ideas and stories it literally boggles the mind. 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. In a celebratory national book awards on wall street last night, stephen greenblatt took the nonfiction award for swerve, while, in a surprise turn in fiction, jesmyn ward won for salvage the bones. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient roman philosophical epic, on the nature of things, by lucretiusa beautiful poem of the most. The swerve how the world became modern by stephen greenblatt norton. Stephen greenblatt discusses the swerve to modernity. He is the author of twelve books, including the swerve. The fifteenth century was one of discovery and reinvigoration of culture. Stephen greenblatt discusses how in the beginning, written in clay, onethousand years before either homer or the bible, the epic of gilgamesh told the triumphant story of a profound bromance between gilgamesh and enkidu. This page contains details about the nonfiction book the swerve.
The swerve won the pulitzer prize, the national book award, and the lowell prize. November 17, 2011 in a celebratory national book awards on wall street last night, stephen greenblatt took the nonfiction award for swerve, while, in. Jun 12, 20 in the swerve, stephen greenblatt, the john cogan university professor of the humanities at harvard, writes eloquently about western europe as it underwent that change of worldview. September 19, 2011 in his new book, author and harvard literature professor stephen greenblatt explores the 2,000. September 20, 2011 stephen greenblatt chronicles the unlikely discovery of lucretius poem on the nature of things by a 15thcentury italian book hunter. Simply put, the swerve did not deserve the awards it received because it is filled with factual inaccuracies and founded upon a view of history not shared by serious scholars of the periods greenblatt studies. How the world became modern, which won the national book award and a pulitzer prize, as well as the new york times bestseller will in the world. See all books authored by stephen greenblatt, including the swerve. Years ago, the yale critic harold bloom promulgated clinamen that is, the swerve, a term. How shakespeare became shakespeare and the classic university text renaissance selffashioning. 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. How the world became modern, a page study of the transformative cultural power wielded by an ancient. Sep 23, 2011 stephen greenblatts superb essay on the discovery of a lost classical epic makes great claims and with good reason, writes charles nicholl.
November 17, 2011 in a celebratory national book awards on wall street last night, stephen greenblatt took the nonfiction award for swerve, while, in a surprise turn in fiction, jesmyn ward. The rise and fall of adam and eve stephen greenblatt. How the world became modern book by stephen greenblatt. Harvard professor and bestselling shakespeare biographer greenblatt ably shows in this mesmerizing intellectual history that it can.
Greenblatt supplies throughout the swerve are tangy and exact. Stephen greenblatt s the swerve racked up prizes and completely misled you about the middle ages the harvard professor, who just won a major humanities award, revived a caricature of the dark. Winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfictionone of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen. Bolder, even, than the ambitious books for which stephen greenblatt is already renowned, the rise and fall of adam and eve explores the enduring story of humanitys first parents. Stephen greenblatt s most popular book is the swerve. He has served as the john cogan university professor of the humanities at harvard university since 2000. At points, there was a lot of background to be displayed before the next set of facts could be understood. How shakespeare became shakespeare, which was a finalist for the pulitzer prize and national book award. Renowned historian stephen greenblatt s works shoot to the top of the new york times bestseller list. How the world became modern by stephen greenblatt w. How the world became modern, and the norton anthology of english literature, volume a. How the world became modern audiobook by stephen greenblatt.
How the world became modern was published in 2011 and describes how the rediscovery of an ancient poem launches the renaissance and helps shape the modern age. Its fascinating to watch greenblatt trace the dissemination of these ideas through 15thcentury europe and beyond, thanks in good part to bracciolinis recovery of lucretius poem. With the swerve, greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of the renaissance and chronicles the life of an intrepid book lover who rescued the roman philosophical text on the nature of things. How the world became modern, in addition to will in the world. Stephen greenblatt has 97 books on goodreads with 161261 ratings. He is the pulitzer prize and national book awardwinning author of the swerve. How the world became modernby stephen greenblatt ph. Greenblatt argues, he discovered a book that would help in time to dismantle his entire world by bringing a. But swerve is an intense, emotional telling of a true story, one with much at stake for all of us. With the swerve, greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of the renaissance and chronicles the life of an intrepid book lover who rescued the roman philosophical text on the nature of things from certain oblivion. The swerve, in fact, is two books, one deserving of an award, the other not.
The swerve is stephen greenblatt s 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. Stephen greenblatts new nonfiction wonder called, the swerve, is part adventure tale, part enthralling history of ideas. 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. Sep 26, 2011 the swerve is stephen greenblatt s 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. With the swerve, greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of the renaissance and chronicles the life of an intrepid book. Greenblatt supplies throughout the swerve are tangy. Apr 14, 2017 stephen greenblatt is the john cogan university professor of humanities at harvard university and general editor of the eminently respected norton shakespeare. Maureen corrigan nprfresh air pleasure may or may not be the true. About a third of the way through the swerve greenblatt.
Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. The first book is an engaging literary detective story. Dec 18, 2011 the swerve how the world became modern by stephen greenblatt norton. How the world became modern is a book by stephen greenblatt and winner of. Yale is cogan university professor of the humanities at harvard university. Following his national book award and pulitzer prize celebrated the swerve, in the elaborately readable the rise and fall of adam and eve stephen greenblatt explores reasons why the story of genesis has seized the imagination. Also general editor of the norton anthology of english literature, he is the author of eleven books. Stephen greenblatts the swerve racked up prizes and. Questions related to the restrained lines of the adam and eve story, its possible interpretations, have been observed. Buy the swerve how the world became modern book online at.
The most complete statement of epicureanism that has survived is a poem, on the nature of things, written by the roman poet lucretius. How the world became modern, is partly about an obsessive book collector, and it begins. The swerve of greenblatts title does not refer to the work of gutenberg or newton. Nearly six hundred years ago, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late thirties took a very. Stephen greenblatt books list of books by author stephen. The literary critic, theorist and shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt s new book, the swerve. Jul 20, 2016 stephen greenblatts the swerve racked up prizes and completely misled you about the middle ages. Jul 10, 2019 one of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an the details that mr. Help us create the kind of literary community youve always dreamed of. May 12, 2018 november 17, 2011 in a celebratory national book awards on wall street last night, stephen greenblatt took the nonfiction award for swerve, while, in a surprise turn in fiction, jesmyn ward. Then, the author switches gears to that novelbyapoet style to keep my attention. Stephen greenblatt took the nonfiction award for swerve, while, in a surprise turn.
This book is the 386th greatest nonfiction book of all time as determined by. With the swerve, greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of. 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. In his new book, the swerve, shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt tells the story of an ancient poem and a manuscript explorer, and resurrects a time when people truly loved books. Greenblatt argues, he discovered a book that would help in time to dismantle his entire world by bringing a concern for worldly pleasure to 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. Have you read the swerve or on the nature of things. Stephen greenblatt has 97 books on goodreads with 161590 ratings. The music halls writers in the loft series welcomes back the pulitzer prize and national book awardwinner stephen greenblatt, author of the swerve and will in the world, to talk about his latest work, the rise and fall of adam and eve, which breathes. Stephen greenblatt has written a book, the swerve, about one of those discoverers who remade culture and gained fame in particular from one book, on the nature of things by lucretius. Winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction.
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