There has been a lot more interest in the philosophy of touch in recent years. Books like Constance Classen's Book of Touch have raised the bar on scholarship in this area (also see Classen's 'Centre for Sensory Studies' at Concordia Uni). A lot of interest has focused on the meaning of touch; something I've been interested in as a historian and philosopher of physiotherapy (link). Now a new book has been published by OUP that looks really interesting and well worth a read if you are interested in attitudes towards touch over time. Feeling Pleasures: Sense of Touch in Renaissance England Joe Moshenska The sense of touch had a deeply uncertain status in the sixteenth and … [Read more...] about New book – Feeling pleasures: The sense of touch in Renaissance England
I love superstitions – Oscar Wilde (and here's why)
“Bring something incomprehensible into the world!” ― Gilles Deleuze, Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia Founded in the 1880s by Manhattan rationalists, the 13 Club held a regular dinner on the 13th of each month, seating 13 members at each table deliberately to laugh at superstition. “I have given some attention to popular superstitions, and let me tell you that argument is powerless against them,” founding member Daniel Wolff told journalist Philip Hubert in 1890. “They have a grip upon the imagination that nothing but ridicule will lessen.” As an example he cited the tradition that the mirrors must be removed from a room in which a corpse is lying. “Make the experiment … [Read more...] about I love superstitions – Oscar Wilde (and here's why)
The remarkable Flo Fox
[vimeo 89258867 w=500 h=281] The celebrated New York City street photographer Flo Fox is partially blind, has lung cancer and has been living with multiple sclerosis since the age of 30. In a wheelchair since 1999 and unable to handle her camera on her own, she needs help – from her attendants, friends, even passersby – to take photographs. Amazingly, Fox not only remains humorous and energetic, she has also retained her keen sense for reframing moments, people and places in an endlessly chronicled city, bringing surprising new life to her subjects. Intimately shot with a focus on how Fox navigates the streets of New York City, Riley Cooper’s short documentary was a festival favourite in … [Read more...] about The remarkable Flo Fox