Anglo-Saxon Styles by Catherine E. Karkov , George Hardin Brown (review)
Christine Rauer
MLR, 100.3, 2005 757 book invites us to watch two video testimonials, Tongues Untied and Black Is, Ain't, of Essex Hemphill, a Black, gay, HIV-positivepoet, with the parting sentence: 'Try look at them sometime. Try look, in order see.' Timely reading. Nottingham Trent University Jean-Pierre Boule Anglo-Saxon Styles. Ed. by Catherine E. Karkov George Hardin Brown. (SUNY Medieval Studies) Albany: State New York Press. 2003. viii + 32opp. $71.5o(pbk$23.95). ISBN0-7914-5869-5(pbk0-7914-5870-9). This multidisciplinary volume essays on style is defmitely good idea, even when read from cover cover, notwithstanding disparate nature various contributions: roughly third concentrate art history (Leslie Webster small-scale artefacts, Fred Orton sculpture, Jane Hawkes stone constructions , Perette Michelli ivories), several manuscript production (Carol Farr illumination, Michelle P. Brown 'house style', William Schipper page layout); remainder are literary (Nicholas Howe its limitations, Sarah Larratt Keefer The Dream Rood, Jonathan Wilcox humour Andreas, Carin Ruffon Aldhelmian colour terms, Roberta Frank weak adjectives, Haruko Momma rhythm,and Andy Orchard shared formulas). Whereas some contributors make do theory intensive self-reflection (Webster, Howe, Farr, Keefer), others examine more technical aspect which then has stylistic argument superimposed (Hawkes, Ruff, Orchard); again combine practice evenly (Orton, Brown, Frank). personal styles themselves thus successfully complement each other, elegantly brought together under this simple title (thankfully without subtitle time), following an interesting appropriately light introduction (Catherine Brown). One theoretical themes used recurrently definition 'style' Meyer Schapiro ('Style', Anthropology Today: An Encyclo? pedie Inventory, ed. A. L. Kroeber (Chicago, 1953), pp. 287-312), 'the constant form?and sometimes elements, qualities, expression?in individual or group', paraphrased as ordering form, both verbal visual' (p. 3). Some readers may object fact that no recent aesthetics stylistics was preferred here (see dates reading cited 9-10), none voluminous medieval understanding beauty fea? tures either, obvious handbooks 'verbal ordering', such Bede's De schematibus et tropis arte metrica, mentioned only be specifically excluded. Nevertheless, what offered instead clearly stood test time indeed seems work, least applied period genres have proved difficultto subdivide stylistically. Concepts Epochenstil ekphrasis remain elusive within culture, problem for cannot held responsible. 'Is there anything we can identify characteristically about ways artists authors chose ordered form?' Notwithstanding thematic question, not all contributions comparative, those use variety comparanda : Carolingian, Celtic, Scandinavian style, bad taste, chaos? Often implied comparison modern style: 'we say general characterised (1) ambiguity (2) love complex pattern surface ornament. These interrelated phenomena' Riddlingand problems taxonomy feature prominently contributions, does Katherine O'Brien O'Keeffe's Visible Song, Cambridge Studies England, 4 (Cambridge: Press, 1990). noticeable strength anthology lies 758 Reviews generously unifying will open door further interdisci? plinary exchange, while also offeringsomething disciplinary level. There is, instance, very welcome creative discussion authorial Momma's Orchard's examinations ^lfric Cynewulf, should luck difference discipline replete anonymous misattributed texts...
Modern Language Review