The Other Within: The Genius of Deformity in Myth, Culture, and Psyche [Paperback]

Daniel Deardorff (Author), Robert Bly (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2008

Daniel Deardorff knows otherness firsthand. This highly regarded “singer” in the old sense of that word—musician, storyteller, maker of ritual—had polio as an infant and has used a wheelchair most of his life, giving him a lived perspective that deeply informs his views on this subject. In The Other Within, Deardorff starts with a radical notion: to disclose the blessings of outsiderhood, the many gifts and insights contributed to culture by the marginalized and outcast. Unlike studies that stress the plight of the outsider, this one asserts that to be cast down and out of the consensus-worldview affords a difficult yet significant opportunity: to encounter oneself, not as defined by society but as one actually is. An eloquent spokesman for “the man or woman on the weird road,” Deardorff presents dozens of powerful examples from myth and literature to illustrate his message in a richly allusive, complex series of essays. Drawing on the work of mythologians, poets, psychologists, and scholars, The Other Within takes readers on an initiatory journey, uncovering the roots of human identity and imagination and offering insights–including “trickster wisdom”—revealing the mythic underpinnings of everyday life. This second edition includes updated text, a new introduction, and a helpful glossary.

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About the Author

Daniel Deardorff is a composer, producer, and performer who has toured with the band Seals and Crofts. An independent scholar who has become a prominent figure in the mythopoesis movement, he lives in Port Townsend, WA. Robert Bly is one of America’s preeminent poets. He lives in Minneapolis, MN.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books; 2nd edition (December 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556437609
• ISBN-13: 978-1556437601
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,544,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Deardorff is a "Singer" in the old sense of the word, which involves being a musician, a storyteller, and a maker of ritual. He has been a composer and a performing artist for more than four decades. As an independent scholar of myth Deardorff's emphasis is on associativity and the performative aspects of mythic expression. He is the author of The Other Within: The Genius of Deformity in Myth, Culture, & Psyche. He is also the founder of The Mythsinger Foundation http://www.mythsinger.org and the Mythsinger Consortium http://www.mythsinger.net an online community devoted to myth, ritual, and the mythopoeic arts.