On The Ecstatic

Lisa Dusenbery bio ↓  ·  September 8th, 2011  ·  filed under books

“From the Greek ek-stasis, it means “standing outside of,” as in separation from the common, or, in the Hellenic religious understanding, a hiatus from cognition in celebration of the visceral and mystical.”

Interpreting Euripedes’ The Bacchae as “a masterful homage to the necessity of ecstasy,” William Giraldi dives into the evolving meaning of ecstasy, and its centrality in the realms of religions, music, dance, and literature. The author implores us to embrace our inner Dionysus; to “honor the power you have to leave yourself before you weep from an abject repression.”

(Via Book Bench)

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Lisa Dusenbery is the assistant editor at The Rumpus. Besides writing, her interests include dancing, practicing winking, and the smell of basements. She is a recent convert to San Francisco, CA. More from this author →

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