Ecstasy of Being, The: Mythology and Dance

Many know Joseph Campbell as the charming, erudite, best-professor-you-ever-had figure chatting with Bill Moyers in the The Power of Myth series. But Campbell's posthumously published Collected Works (500,000 copies sold) reveal a perhaps unsuspected range of interests and knowledge. The Ecstasy of Being is a prime example. Modern dance was the profession of Campbell's wife, Jean Erdman, and the project the pair collaborated on when Campbell retired from teaching and the couple formed their Theater of the Open Eye. In these writings Campbell explores the rise of modern art and dance in the 20th century; delves into the work and philosophy of Isadora Duncan; and, as ever, probes the idea of art "as the funnel through which spirit is poured into life."

About the Author :
Joseph Campbell was an American author and teacher best known for his work in the field of comparative mythology. He was born in New York City in 1904, and from early childhood loved to read about American Indians and frequently visited the American Museum of Natural History, where he became captivated by the museum's collection of totem poles. From those days onward, Campbell's interest in mythology grew and deepened. He was educated at Columbia University, where he specialized in medieval literature, and, after earning a master's degree, continued his studies at universities in Paris and Munich. Throughout his life, he traveled extensively and wrote prolifically, authoring many books, including the classic The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the four-volume series The Masks of God, Myths to Live By, The Inner Reaches of Outer Space, and The Historical Atlas of World Mythology. Campbell died in 1987. In 1988, a series of television interviews, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, introduced his views to millions of people.

Review :
"Unusual insights . . . with a great deal of new information. [Campbell's] writing reveals deep knowledge of dance and aesthetics, and clarity of thought. There are also excellent notes related to both Parts I and II at the end of the book, and these add to the reader's understanding of the various issues and artists under discussion. Readers will find a great deal to think about in this small collection of Campbell's work, and the book will also serve as an introduction to the thoughts of an important American writer -- one who influenced many with his teaching, ideas, and books." -- Journal of Dance Education Praise for Joseph Campbell "No one in our century -- not Freud, not Thomas Mann, not Lévi-Strauss -- has so brought the mythical sense of the world and its eternal figures back into our everyday consciousness." -- James Hillman "Campbell has become the rarest of intellectuals in American life: a serious thinker who has been embraced by the popular culture." -- Newsweek