Of Corpse: Death and Humor in Folkore and Popular Culture [Paperback]

Peter Narvaez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0874215595 | ISBN-13: 978-0874215595 | Edition: 1

Laughter, contemporary theory suggests, is often aggressive in some manner and may be prompted by a sudden perception of incongruity combined with memories of past emotional experience. Given this importance of the past to our recognition of the comic, it follows that some "traditions" dispose us to ludic responses. The studies in Of Corpse: Death and Humor in Folklore and Popular Culture examine specific interactions of text (jokes, poetry, epitaphs, iconography, film drama) and social context (wakes, festivals, disasters) that shape and generate laughter. Uniquely, however, the essays here peruse a remarkable paradox---the convergence of death and humor.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Narváez is a Professor in the Department of Folklore, Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he has taught for 30 years. He is the audio-visual editor for Ethnologies (Folklore Studies Association of Canada), the record review editor for the Journal of American Folklore, and has edited (with Martin Laba) Media Sense: The Folklore-Popular Culture Continuum and The Good People: New Fairylore Essays. He is also an accomplished blues musician and songwriter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 366 pages
• Publisher: Utah State University Press; 1 edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874215595
• ISBN-13: 978-0874215595
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,164,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)