Bøger af Fred Parker

Does the Devil lie at the heart of the creative process? In The Devil as Muse, Fred Parker offers an entirely fresh reflection on the age-old question, echoing William Blake's famous statement: "the true poet is of the Devil's party." Expertly examining three literary interpretations of the Devil and his influence upon the artist--Milton's Satan in Paradise Lost, the Mephistopheles of Goethe's Faust, and the one who offers daimonic creativity in Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus--Parker unveils a radical tension between the ethical and the aesthetic. While the Devil is the artist's necessary collaborator and liberating muse, from an ethical standpoint the price paid for such creativity is nothing less damnable than the Faustian pact--and the artist who is creative in that way is seen as accursed, alienated, morally disturbing. In their own different ways, Parker shows, Blake, Byron, and Mann all reflect and acknowledge that tension in their work, and model ways to resolve it through their writing. Linking these literary conceptions with scholarship on the genesis of the historical conception of the Devil and recent work on the role of "otherness" in creativity, Parker insightfully suggests how creative literature can feel its way back along the processes--both theological and psychological--that lie behind such constructions of the Adversary.

Bridge Bidding Tips is a great addition to the knowledge base for intermediate duplicate bridge players. Players are often in doubt about borderline cases; the tips in this book will address these concerns and improve your bidding.There are many nuances to bidding difficult hands. You have to know when to bid, when to pass, when to be aggressive and when to sit back and let the opponents win the contract. This book will help you in making those decisions and will give you invaluable tips on how to use conventions. The book is full of examples and quizzes to sharpen your skills in making borderline decisions. Here are just a few examples of what an intermediate duplicate bridge player can learn from this book: Which conventions are more useful than othersWhen to use point count and when to use loser countThe opening bid rule of 22When to overcall and when to passHow to be bold when balancingRules for jump bids in your suitTypes of doubles and when to stand for partners' doubleConverting from Standard American to 2/1 systemSlam bidding; when to ask for controls and when to cue bidDefenses against NT openings; when to bid and when to pass.