Coomaraswamy was perhaps the greatest philosopher-theologian of recent times to have emerged from the East. This ambitious work is the first to present a selection of Coomaraswamy's letters to mystics, theologians, art critics, painters, philosophers, writers, and religious thinkers and scholars. No other source reveals the author's erudition, as well as facets of his life and thought, as completely and delightfully as this collection.
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy was engaged in the world not only as a scholarly expositor of traditional culture and philosophy, but also as a radical critic of contemporary life.
For Charles Olson, letters were not only a daily means of communication with friends but were at the same time a vehicle for exploratory thought. In fact, many of Olson's finest works, including Projective Verse and the Maximus Poems, were formulated as letters. Olson's letters are important to an understanding of his definition of the postmodern, and through the play of mind exhibited here we recognize him as one of the vital thinkers of the twentieth century. In this volume, edited and annotated by Ralph Maud, we see Olson at the height of his powers and also at his most human. Nearly 200 letters, selected from a known 3,000, demonstrate the wide range of Olson's interests and the depth of his concern for the future. Maud includes letters to friends and loved ones, job and grant applications, letters of recommendation, and Black Mountain College business letters, as well as correspondence illuminating Olson's poetics. As we read through the letters, which span the years from 1931, when Olson was an undergraduate, to his death in 1970, a fascinating portrait of this complex poet and thinker emerges.
" ... Documents the history and development of [Post-colonial literatures in English, together with English and American literature] and includes original research relating to the literatures of some 50 countries and territories. In more than 1,600 entries written by more than 600 internationally recognized scholars, it explores the effect of the colonial and post-colonial experience on literatures in English worldwide.
Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) was one of the most famous scholars of Indian art, culture, and religion. He served for many years as the Keeper of Indian and Islamic Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, establishing one of the most impressive collections of oriental artifacts in the world. This anthology contains thematically arranged excerpts from his many writings, letters, and speeches, making it a uniquely accessible collection of his wisdom and insight. It is richly illustrated with over 140 black-and-white historical photographs and paintings.
The section of previously published letters and unpublished ones that were sealed by his will for 25 years after his death, are presented chronologically. The American poet Winters (1900-68) chronologically ensured his own voice posthumous dominance in any correspondence by burning all letters he received, including those from his wife. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR
Predicated on the immemorial core or "first" principles of the universal perennial philosophy, which finds expression from Lao Tzu to Ramana Maharshi in the East and from Pythagoras to René Guénon and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy in the West, The Higher Spiritual Path details how those on the higher spiritual path must address and master its requirements. This book is as practical as it is philosophical -- or theosophical -- since it is based on the specifics of “sacred science,” or spiritual science, an inextricable component of the perennial philosophy. Many of the requirements of the higher spiritual path are based on the truths of this ancient spiritual science, formulated over millennia by jivanmukti, or liberated beings, who serve as the teachers of those currently engaged in treading this hieratic path. The goals of ascending this path are the loftiest; the hierarchical order of its spiritual teachers is the holiest; and the totality of its evolutionary and compassionate purpose is the most sacred.
