The Other Within: The Genius of Deformity in Myth, Culture, & Pscyhe

The Other Within: The Genius of Deformity in Myth, Culture, & Pscyhe by Deardorff, Daniel. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781883991593.

How societys misfits inspire our poetic consciousness. Consciously or not, many street-crazies, homeless and panhandlers embody subversive virtue by adopting the classic Trickster paradigm. In this groundbreaking new study, the author demonstrates that this misfits embody Trickster-wisdom and provide creative and innovative benefits to the same society that invalidates and excludes its practicioners. With examples from myth and poetry, the author identifies and delineates the specific qualities of Tricksters-- as well as the assumptions and behaviors which enable Tricksters to flourish within their oppressed and descended circumstances. He suggests that these Tricksters among us are acting out our collective, subconscious responses to a betrayal of a mythic promised life.