Resurrecting the Absurd
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An Autoethnography of Scottish Hip-Hop: Identity, Locality, Outsiderdom and Social Commentary
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Repository@Napier An autoethnography of Scottish hip-hop: identity, locality, outsiderdom and social commentary Dave Hook A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Edinburgh Napier University, for the award of Doctor of Philosophy June 2018 Declaration This critical appraisal is the result of my own work and includes nothing that is the outcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated in the text. It has not been previously submitted, in part or whole, to any university or institution for any degree, diploma, or other qualification. Signed:_________________________________________________________ Date:______5th June 2018 ________________________________________ Dave Hook BA PGCert FHEA Edinburgh i Abstract The published works that form the basis of this PhD are a selection of hip-hop songs written over a period of six years between 2010 and 2015. The lyrics for these pieces are all written by the author and performed with hip-hop group Stanley Odd. The songs have been recorded and commercially released by a number of independent record labels (Circular Records, Handsome Tramp Records and A Modern Way Recordings) with worldwide digital distribution licensed to Fine Tunes, and physical sales through Proper Music Distribution. Considering the poetics of Scottish hip-hop, the accompanying critical reflection is an autoethnographic study, focused on rap lyricism, identity and performance. The significance of the writing lies in how the pieces collectively explore notions of identity, ‘outsiderdom’, politics and society in a Scottish context. Further to this, the pieces are noteworthy in their interpretation of US hip-hop frameworks and structures, adapted and reworked through Scottish culture, dialect and perspective. -
A Life Worth Living
A LIFE WORTH LIVING A LIFE WORTH LIVING Albert Camus and the Quest for Meaning robert zaretsky the belknap press of harvard university press Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, En gland 2013 Copyright © 2013 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College all rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Zaretsky, Robert, 1955– A life worth living : Albert Camus and the quest for meaning / Robert Zaretsky. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978- 0- 674- 72476- 1 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Camus, Albert, 1913– 1960. 2. Conduct of life. I. Title. B2430.C354Z37 2013 194—dc23 2013010473 CONTENTS Prologue 1 1. Absurdity 11 2. Silence 59 3. Mea sure 92 4. Fidelity 117 5. Revolt 148 Epilogue 185 Notes 199 A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s 2 2 1 Index 223 A LIFE WORTH LIVING PROLOGUE “Even my death will be contested. And yet what I desire most today is a quiet death, which would bring peace to those whom I love.”1 Albert Camus’ prediction, written in the last decade of his life, has been borne out, though perhaps not his hope. Over the past several years, contests have simmered and burst over the French Algerian writer’s legacy. Shortly after becoming France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy made a state visit to Algeria. The visit garnered more than the usual attention, in part because Sarkozy had come to offi ce with a reputation as a bluntly spoken conservative who saw no reason for France to apologize for its role as a colonial power. -
HARLEM in SHAKESPEARE and SHAKESPEARE in HARLEM: the SONNETS of CLAUDE MCKAY, COUNTEE CULLEN, LANGSTON HUGHES, and GWENDOLYN BROOKS David J
Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 5-1-2015 HARLEM IN SHAKESPEARE AND SHAKESPEARE IN HARLEM: THE SONNETS OF CLAUDE MCKAY, COUNTEE CULLEN, LANGSTON HUGHES, AND GWENDOLYN BROOKS David J. Leitner Southern Illinois University Carbondale, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Leitner, David J., "HARLEM IN SHAKESPEARE AND SHAKESPEARE IN HARLEM: THE SONNETS OF CLAUDE MCKAY, COUNTEE CULLEN, LANGSTON HUGHES, AND GWENDOLYN BROOKS" (2015). Dissertations. Paper 1012. This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HARLEM IN SHAKESPEARE AND SHAKESPEARE IN HARLEM: THE SONNETS OF CLAUDE MCKAY, COUNTEE CULLEN, LANGSTON HUGHES, AND GWENDOLYN BROOKS by David Leitner B.A., University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, 1999 M.A., Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2005 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Department of English in the Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale May 2015 DISSERTATION APPROVAL HARLEM IN SHAKESPEARE AND SHAKESPEARE IN HARLEM: THE SONNETS OF CLAUDE MCKAY, COUNTEE CULLEN, LANGSTON HUGHES, AND GWENDOLYN BROOKS By David Leitner A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of English Approved by: Edward Brunner, Chair Robert Fox Mary Ellen Lamb Novotny Lawrence Ryan Netzley Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale April 10, 2015 AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF DAVID LEITNER, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in ENGLISH, presented on April 10, 2015, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. -
Absurdist Fiction
Absurdist Fiction Absurdist fiction uses illogical or irrational events to point out that life is mysterious and can not be easily comprehended. In the early Twentieth Century science has shown man that he is not king of the animals, that Earth is not at the centre of the universe and that God and heaven do not exist. All the things that gave a man’s life meaning before have been pulled from under him and Absurdist Fiction seeks to reflect that meaninglessness. Bizarrely, it also finds humour in this situation – some compensation at least. As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. He was lying on Comment [K1]: The bald statement of this his hard, as it were armour-plated, back and when he lifted his head impossible fact clearly shocks the reader and a little he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched draws them into the story. Immediately questions are raised as to how or why this segments on top of which the bed-quilt could hardly keep in position happened and indeed whether it really and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which happened at all or is some kind of dream or were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly metaphor. These questions are never before his eyes. answered. Comment [K2]: The neutral, almost scientific ‘What has happened to me?’ he thought. It was no dream. His tone contrasts with the bizarre content and emphasises the peculiarity of the situation room, an ordinary human room, if somewhat too small, lay Comment [K3]: The mention of this every-day peacefully between the four familiar walls. -
Absurdity As Resistance in Arab Literature Melissa Hammond Hollins University
Hollins University Hollins Digital Commons Undergraduate Research Awards Student Scholarship and Creative Works 2011 Absurdity as Resistance in Arab Literature Melissa Hammond Hollins University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/researchawards Part of the Literature in English, Anglophone outside British Isles and North America Commons, and the Modern Literature Commons Recommended Citation Hammond, Melissa, "Absurdity as Resistance in Arab Literature" (2011). Undergraduate Research Awards. 3. https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/researchawards/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship and Creative Works at Hollins Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Research Awards by an authorized administrator of Hollins Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. 2011 Wyndham Robertson Library Undergraduate Research Awards Essay by Melissa Hammond “Absurdity as Resistance in Arab Literature” My preliminary research included searches on the library’s website on humor as a literary tool. I searched about five to eight different databases and used dozens of word combinations to find information relevant to my topic. What surprised me about my database research was that even though I thought I only wanted to research humor in literature, I discovered several significant psychology sources that related to my topic. Though hesitant at first, I finally allowed myself to diverge from my original plan and delve into the less-familiar field of scientific study. My project headed in a new direction, transformed for the better. One thing I have learned from this experience is that research never progresses as planned, but unexpected findings can lead to breakthroughs. -
Camus, Heller, and the Absurd Legal Novel by Matthew Parris a Thesis
Camus, Heller, and the Absurd Legal Novel by Matthew Parris A thesis presented to the Honors College of Middle Tennessee State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation from the University Honors College Fall 2020 Camus, Heller, and the Absurd Legal Novel by Matthew Parris APPROVED ___________________________ Dr. Mischa Renfroe Department of English ___________________________ Dr. Philip Phillips, Associate Dean Honors College Dr. Robb McDaniel, Second Reader Department of Political Science ABSTRACT This thesis takes a critical look at Albert Camus’ The Stranger and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 as two works in a new proposed subgenre of literature: the absurd legal novel. The Stranger’s court system relies on an instinctual, subjective judgment of Meursault’s character in order to judge him and condemn him to death, while Catch-22’s military bureaucracy traps its airmen in cruel, meaningless cycles through verbal trickery and coercion. Both are both flawed institutions whose absurd practices are little more than dangerous exercises in power over others. The last chapter of this thesis examines real world instances of absurdity in law, such as qualified immunity and immigration law, and uses the absurd legal novel as a basis to theorize why these absurd policies exist in a legal system ostensibly based on order and rationality. Ultimately, the absurd legal novel can teach readers how to think critically about the nature of power: who holds it, how they use it, who it is used against, and perhaps most importantly, how it maintains itself. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………..……….iii II. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………...………1 III. -
Nostalgia in Indie Folk by Claire Coleman
WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVE RSITY Humanities and Communication Arts “Hold on, hold on to your old ways”: Nostalgia in Indie Folk by Claire Coleman For acceptance into the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 20, 2017 Student number 17630782 “Hold on, hold on to your old ways” – Sufjan Stevens, “He Woke Me Up Again,” Seven Swans Statement of Authentication The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. .............................................................................................. Claire Coleman Acknowledgements This thesis could not have been completed without the invaluable assistance of numerous colleagues, friends and family. The love, respect and practical support of these people, too many to name, buoyed me through the arduous privilege that is doctoral research. With special thanks to: The Supers – Dr Kate Fagan, Mr John Encarnacao and Associate Prof. Diana Blom My beloved – Mike Ford My family – Nola Coleman, Gemma Devenish, Neale Devenish, and the Fords. The proof-readers – Alex Witt, Anna Dunnill, Pina Ford, Connor Weightman and Nina Levy. My choir families – Menagerie, Berlin Pop Ensemble and Dienstag Choir Administrative staff at Western Sydney University Dr Peter Elliott Ali Kirby, Kate Ballard, Carol Shepherd, Kathryn Smith, Judith Schroiff, Lujan Cordaro, Kate Ford and the many cafes in Perth, Sydney and Berlin -
Absurdity in Communication in Modern Plays: Decoding the Language of Waiting for Godot and the Bald Soprano
Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.8.Issue 3. 2020 Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (July-Sept) Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O) RESEARCH ARTICLE ABSURDITY IN COMMUNICATION IN MODERN PLAYS: DECODING THE LANGUAGE OF WAITING FOR GODOT AND THE BALD SOPRANO FIZA JEFREEN1, YAFIQUL ANAM KHAN2 1,2Department of English, Canadian University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh [email protected], [email protected] Abstract Theatre of the absurd critically changed the stereotypical style of drama in modern literature. Post-world helped the existentialist and absurdist authors to question the significance of the earthy world and life. The absurdist dramas paved a new way to question the essence of early plays. Absurdism radically changed the narrative style of a drama, a new type of communication and expression was Article Received:02/09/2020 created with the absurd dialogues and characters. The language itself presents the Article Accepted: 30/09/2020 idea of the real world that has no meaning. Absurdist plays contain a human Published online:06/10/2020 condition that goes through an existential crisis, a voyage that only can end with DOI: 10.33329/rjelal.8.3.411 nothingness. So the language plays a resilient role that works as the motion of the plot. The style is relevant for the modern literature and present time that is going through a condition that cannot be answered with logic or reasoning, so the language in absurdist fiction mirrored the absurdity of life in every era. -
“Absurd”. Man’S Only Freedom in This Condition Is the Exercise of His Conscious Mind
THEATRE OF THE ABSURD 1950s-1960s Europe & U.S. THÉÂTRE DE L’ABSURDE The Theatre of the Absurd (French: théâtre de l'absurde) is a designation for particular plays of absurdist fiction written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1950s, as well as one for the style of theatre which has evolved from their work. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Absurd HISTORY & BACKGROUND ➤ centered in Paris ➤ avant-garde experiments of the 1920s and 30s influence the form ➤ named by scholar Martin Esslin (1961- text) ➤ playwrights considered Absurdists: Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet ➤ some plays by other playwrights considered “absurdist”= Edward Albee, Tom Stoppard, Harold Pinter ➤ term means- out of harmony or ridiculous ➤ Waiting For Godot- by Samuel Beckett - considered masterpiece of absurdism TRAITS OF ABSURDISM ➤ without purpose ➤ illogical ➤ out of harmony ➤ useless ➤ devoid of reason ➤ meaningless ➤ hopeless ➤ chaotic ➤ lacking order ➤ uncertain PLOT, STRUCTURE ➤ Plot and Structure ➤ anti-realistic, going against many of the accepted norms of conventional theatre ➤ labeled by some critics as ‘anti-theatre’ ➤ often characterised by a deliberate absence of the cause and effect relationship between scenes ➤ non-linear plot developments, sometimes cyclical – ending where they began ➤ occasionally appearing as though there is no plot at all to speak of ➤ deliberate lack of conflict INFLUENCES & CONTEXT ➤ WWII ➤ aftermath of WWII - Europe ➤ philosophical movements - i.e. Existentialism ➤ Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) ➤ Albert Camus (1913-1960) Sartre - Being and Nothingness (1943) Existentialism and Humanism (1946) Camus- associated with Existentialism- he rejected the label- his essay The Myth of Sisyphus introduces the idea of the absurd- man’s futile search for meaning EXISTENTIALISM Existentialism refers to a particular view of the nature of man’s existence. -
Freestyle Rap Practices in Experimental Creative Writing and Composition Pedagogy
Illinois State University ISU ReD: Research and eData Theses and Dissertations 3-2-2017 On My Grind: Freestyle Rap Practices in Experimental Creative Writing and Composition Pedagogy Evan Nave Illinois State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd Part of the African American Studies Commons, Creative Writing Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the Educational Methods Commons Recommended Citation Nave, Evan, "On My Grind: Freestyle Rap Practices in Experimental Creative Writing and Composition Pedagogy" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 697. https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/697 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ISU ReD: Research and eData. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ISU ReD: Research and eData. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ON MY GRIND: FREESTYLE RAP PRACTICES IN EXPERIMENTAL CREATIVE WRITING AND COMPOSITION PEDAGOGY Evan Nave 312 Pages My work is always necessarily two-headed. Double-voiced. Call-and-response at once. Paranoid self-talk as dichotomous monologue to move the crowd. Part of this has to do with the deep cuts and scratches in my mind. Recorded and remixed across DNA double helixes. Structurally split. Generationally divided. A style and family history built on breaking down. Evidence of how ill I am. And then there’s the matter of skin. The material concerns of cultural cross-fertilization. Itching to plant seeds where the grass is always greener. Color collaborations and appropriations. Writing white/out with black art ink. Distinctions dangerously hidden behind backbeats or shamelessly displayed front and center for familiar-feeling consumption. -
T H E P Ro G
Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 8:30 pm m a r Son Lux g Ian Chang , Drums and Sensory Percussion o Rafiq Bhatia , Guitar r Ryan Lott , Piano, Voice, and Electronics P Jackson Hill , Bass and Synthesizer e h T This evening’s program is approximately 75 minutes long and will be performed without intermission. Please make certain all your electronic devices are switched off. Lead support provided by PGIM, the global investment management businesses of Prudential Financial, Inc. Endowment support provided by Bank of America This performance is made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center. Steinway Piano The Appel Room Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall American Songbook Additional support for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook is provided by Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation, The DuBose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund, The Shubert Foundation, Great Performers Circle, Lincoln Center Spotlight, Chairman’s Council, and Friends of Lincoln Center Public support is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature Nespresso is the Official Coffee of Lincoln Center NewYork-Presbyterian is the Official Hospital of Lincoln Center Artist catering provided by Zabar’s and Zabars.com UPCOMING AMERICAN SONGBOOK EVENTS IN THE APPEL ROOM : Friday, March 1 at 8:30 pm Oscar Isaac Saturday, March 2 at 8:30 pm Martha Plimpton: All the Presidents Mann Monday, March 4 at 8:30 pm Joyce DiDonato: Songplay For tickets, call (212) 721-6500 or visit AmericanSongbook.org. -
Absurdity in Franz Kafka's the Metamorphosis
Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.7.Issue 4. 2019 Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Oct-Dec.) Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O) RESEARCH ARTICLE ABSURDITY IN FRANZ KAFKA’S THE METAMORPHOSIS: AN ANALYSIS Dr. SMITA MISHRA Assistant Professor Dept. of Basic Sciences & Humanities, PSIT, Bhauti, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India DOI: 10.33329/rjelal.74.412 ABSTRACT The Metamorphosis is a short story written by Franz Kafka and published in 1915. It is one of the most popular among Kafka’s work. It tells the story of a travelling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who woke up one morning to find himself transformed into a large insect. The main conflict of the story arises with Gregor and his family learning to adjust and adapt to his new affliction. It is the most influential and widely read piece of absurdist fiction on the twentieth century. It discusses themes of human guilt, inadequacy and isolation. The nature and psychology of Kafka’s novels are all directly related to dynamics he suffered as the son of an imposing father, who greatly influenced his life and career. The present paper will explore the aspects of Absurdism as dealt with in the story through several situations and characters. KEYWORDS: Isolation, Humility, Frustration, alienation, transformation, indifference. INTRODUCTION care of him. Eventually, his sister also gets tired of him and his upkeep, stressed from the job she has to To begin with an analysis of the idea of Absurdity maintain and coping with loss of her dreams and let’s first know what is the story all about.