It has been clear from the beginning that William Blake was both a political radical and a radical psychologist, and in William Blake on Self and Soul Laura Quinney uses her sensitive, surprising readings of the poet to reveal his innovative ideas about the experience of subjectivity.

It has been clear from the beginning that William Blake was both a political radical and a radical psychologist. In William Blake on Self and Soul, Laura Quinney uses her sensitive, surprising readings of the poet to reveal his innovative ideas about the experience of subjectivity.Blake’s central topic, Quinney shows us, is a contemporary one: the discomfiture of being a self or subject. The greater the insecurity of the “I” Blake believed, the more it tries to swell into a false but mighty “Selfhood.” And the larger the Selfhood bulks, the lonelier it grows. But why is that so? How is the illusion of “Selfhood” created? What damage does it do? How can one break its hold? These questions lead Blake to some of his most original thinking.Quinney contends that Blake’s hostility toward empiricism and Enlightenment philosophy is based on a penetrating psychological critique: Blake demonstrates that the demystifying science of empiricism deepens the self’s incoherence to itself. Though Blake formulates a therapy for the bewilderment of the self, as he goes on he perceives greater and greater obstacles to the remaking of subjectivity. By showing us this progression, Quinney shows us a Blake for our time.

An ARTery Best Book of the Year An Art of Manliness Best Book of the Year In a culture that has become progressively more skeptical and materialistic, the desires of the individual self stand supreme, Mark Edmundson says. We spare little thought for the great ideals that once gave life meaning and worth. Self and Soul is an impassioned effort to defend the values of the Soul. “An impassioned critique of Western society, a relentless assault on contemporary complacency, shallowness, competitiveness and self-regard...Throughout Self and Soul, Edmundson writes with a Thoreau-like incisiveness and fervor...[A] powerful, heartfelt book.” —Michael Dirda, Washington Post “[Edmundson’s] bold and ambitious new book is partly a demonstration of what a ‘real education’ in the humanities, inspired by the goal of ‘human transformation’ and devoted to taking writers seriously, might look like...[It] quietly sets out to challenge many educational pieties, most of the assumptions of recent literary studies—and his own chosen lifestyle.” —Mathew Reisz, Times Higher Education “Edmundson delivers a welcome championing of humanistic ways of thinking and living.” —Kirkus Reviews

A collection of poems describing the curious menagerie of guests and residents, human and animal, at William Blake's inn.

Penetrating commentary on the Job story as a numinous, archetypal event, and as a paradigm for conflicts of duty that can lead to enhanced consciousness.

Step into the visionary world of William Blake with his provocative work, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." This groundbreaking text challenges conventional notions of good and evil, inviting readers to explore the intricate relationship between opposing forces in a quest for enlightenment. As Blake unfolds his revolutionary ideas, you’ll be confronted with the radical proposition that heaven and hell are not opposing realms but rather complementary aspects of the human experience. Are you prepared to question everything you thought you knew about morality and existence?Through a blend of poetry and vivid imagery, Blake dismantles the barriers between the sacred and the profane, urging readers to embrace their passions and desires as essential to the divine. His eloquent verses resonate with the pulse of life itself, capturing the essence of human struggle and aspiration. What if the key to understanding our true selves lies in embracing the chaos of our emotions? Blake's work compels you to acknowledge that love and sin are intertwined in the dance of life.Immerse yourself in the rich symbolism and innovative language of this iconic piece, where each line offers a new perspective on the eternal battle between light and darkness. Blake's brilliance challenges you to rethink the boundaries of art and philosophy. Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey that blurs the lines between heaven and hell? This is your opportunity to delve into a masterpiece that has inspired countless thinkers and artists.Seize the chance to own a copy of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" now, and let Blake's visionary insights guide you towards a deeper understanding of the world and your place within it!

An epic poem touching on issues of racism, intolerance, and environmental destruction, from the Booker Prize–winning author. There is much to celebrate in the human journey so far—art in all its forms, advances made in the fields of technology and medicine, and for many of us, the miracle of freedom. But there is also much to regret—racism, intolerance, the destruction of our environment, the reality and the legacy of slavery. In this long, sustained consideration of the state we find ourselves in, Ben Okri invokes the past to explain the present, and sings out a message of hope. The future is still ours to make. This epic poem, an anthem for the twenty-first century, first appeared in The Times in January 1999. Its message could hardly be more relevant to our present condition. Discover this revised edition of an inspiring and extraordinarily tender work.

William Blake is one of England’s most fascinating writers; he was not only a groundbreaking poet, but also a painter, engraver, radical, and mystic. Although Blake was dismissed as an eccentric by his contemporaries, his powerful and richly symbolic poetry has been a fertile source of inspiration to the many writers and artists who have followed in his footsteps. In this collection Patti Smith brings together her personal favorites of Blake’s poems, including the complete Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, to give a singular picture of this unique genius, whom she calls in her moving introduction “the spiritual ancestor” of generations of poets.