Clown Culture

Adam Geczy is Associate Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Sydney.

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Catharsis by Proxy: Punch, the Dolls of Antiquity, and Poltergeist 2. Several Uses of Fool: Shakespeare to Baskets 3. The Aesthetics of Clown, Stage to Screen 4. Special Madness and the Joker's Smile 5. Coulrophobia, Killing, Pennywise, and the Possessed 6. Grand Guignol, Scatology, and Freak Shows 7. Masks: Cover to Uncover Conclusion: Cyberclowns, Automata, and "Us" Bibliography Index

"Reading this book is rewarding because of its effective compilation of the vast literature on clowns and some original perspectives from [Geczy's own] familiarity with relevant philosophical and psychological works. The book has an encyclopedic quality that will be a useful addition to the rich literature on clowns . . . and transcends a purely historical perspective."-Paul Bouissac, author of The End of the Circus: Evolutionary Semiotics and Cultural Resilience "Clown Culture makes a valuable contribution to the literature of clowns and clowning, particularly in tracing the line of development from the Commedia dell'arte to the present, with a strong emphasis on the dark side of the clown. . . . It has an original approach, tackling the complexities of the clown's development in the modern period."-Beatrice Otto, author of Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World