Lewis Hyde
American poet and cultural critic whose The Gift is the most original examination of the economics of art and creativity. It argues that works of art are gifts, not commodities, and that the market economy threatens the conditions of artistic creation. Trickster Makes This World examines the trickster figure in world mythology and art.
Works
- The GiftStudy of gift-giving as cultural practice and foundation of civilization
- Trickster Makes This WorldExploration of trickster figures across cultures as creative forces
- Common as AirInquiry into intellectual property and cultural commons and creativity
- A Primer for ForgettingMeditation on forgetting and its necessity for creative life and renewal
- Alcohol and PoetryEssays on the relationship between alcohol consumption and poetic creation