Once Upon a Time

Reviews / Votes

Kivy (1934-2017) was well known as one of the US's leading writers on aesthetics, especially the philosophy of music and the philosophy of art. But he had other scholarly interests, and this posthumous collection brings together eight previously unpublished essays concerned with a number of different topics in the philosophy of literature, broadly conceived. Together, the essays testify to Kivy's meticulous approach to aesthetics and philosophy, his subtlety, and his sense of style. Among the topics discussed: Aristotle's Poetics, the idea of reading as a kind of performance, the allure of storytelling and the deep human need for stories, and the literary aspect of jokes. This last of these is especially intriguing: Is it always wrong to tell an "immoral" joke? Is it always wrong to laugh at such a joke? In discussing these things, Kivy begins with experience and then skillfully draws out the philosophical contours of his subject. His work is refined but down-to-earth. Kivy was an urbane and sophisticated writer of the old school, and he will continue to be missed.



Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. * Choice Reviews * We want to be told a story almost as much as we want to breathe. But why? The answer is classic Kivy, a healthy serving of common sense spiced with eloquence, wit, and an unforgettable personal voice. A book to take to heart. -- Dominic McIver Lopes, fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, University Killam Professor, University of British Columbia