A team of six eminent scholars who have, along with the general editors themselves, prepared new introductions and notes to all of Shakespeare's plays and poems. Redesigned in an easy-to-read format that preserves the favorite features of the original--and including an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare, and introduction to the individual play, and a note on the text used--the new Pelican Shakespeare will be an excellent resource for students,...

From the epic of Gilgamesh, almost two thousand years BCE, to the modern fantasys of Stephen King's Dark Tower series and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, authors have created fictional realms that have captivated audiences. Miller has guided a team of writers to unlock the mysteries and meanings of nearly 100 fantastical and awe-inspiring lands. The essays explore the contemporary events and circumstances that influenced each work, and examine how elements...

In this mischievous book, a #3 bestseller in France that's racking up press coverage and rights sales around the world, literature professor Bayard contends that in this age of infinite publication, the truly cultivated person is not the one who has read a book, but the one who understands the book's place in our culture

In this whimsical book, James Geary explores every facet of wittiness, from its role in innovation to why puns demonstrate the essence of creativity. Geary reasons that wit is both visual and verbal, physical and intellectual: there's the serendipitous wit of scientists, the crafty wit of inventors, the optical wit of artists, and the metaphysical wit of philosophers. In Wit's End, Geary embraces wit in every form by adopting a different style for...

Anything Goes stages a grand revue of the musical from the 1920s through the 1970s, narrated in Ethan Mordden's famously witty, scholarly, and conversational style.

Songs that sell the most copies become hits, but some of those hits become something more-iconic recordings that not only inspire a generation but also change the direction of music. In Anatomy of 55 More Songs, based on his column for the Wall Street Journal, music journalist and historian Marc Myers tells the story behind fifty-five rock, pop, R&B, country, and soul-gospel hits through intimate interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded...

Uses cartoon-style characters to explain basic concepts in music, discussing the basic characteristics of music, musical notation, musical intruments, and styles of music.

"The History of Sketch Comedy will appeal to all kinds of comedy fans as well as fans of Keegan-Michael Key. With epic personal tangents and hilarious asides, their story takes you on an illuminating look at all facets of comedy from the stock characters of commedia del arte in the 16th century, to the rise of vaudeville and burlesque, the golden age of television comedy, the influence of the most well-known comedy schools, and ascension of comedy...

Go on a musical journey around the world in this children's introduction. Discover the power of music and be inspired by cultures from all over the world with this extensive children's guide. This book is the perfect introduction for young readers to the world of music and celebrates music from every continent! Children can find out how instruments are made and played, and learn about the fascinating lives and achievements of great composers and musicians,...

Presents a history and criticism of music and how to listen and appreciate it.