Books › News from nowhere and selected writings and designs
News from nowhere and selected writings and designs
320 pages
An immersive journey into the mind of a visionary who believed that art, labor, and society could be beautifully and equitably redesigned.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like stepping into the workshop of a visionary where political idealism and aesthetic beauty are inextricably linked. The pace is leisurely, inviting the reader to linger over utopian fiction, poetic verses, and the foundational texts of British socialism. It carries an earnest, intellectual tone, steeped in the hopeful atmosphere of the Arts and Crafts movement. The prose shifts between the lyrical rhythms of nineteenth-century poetry and the structured arguments of Marxist thought, all unified by a deep reverence for craftsmanship. It is a deeply contemplative experience, perfect for readers who are captivated by the intersection of art, labor, and the dream of a perfectly designed, equitable society.
- Mood
- contemplative
- hopeful
- artistic
- utopian
- Tone
- earnest
- visionary
- idealistic
- intellectual
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- utopian visions · socialist ideals · intersection of art and labor · aesthetic beauty · political emergence
- The writing
- A blend of poetic utopian fiction and intellectual political essays, reflecting a deep appreciation for craftsmanship.
- The arc
- Moves from a contemplation of societal structures to an idealistic vision of a beautifully designed, equitable future.
- Who it's for
- Readers fascinated by the English Arts and Crafts movement, 19th-century socialist thought, and the intersection of design and utopian politics.
Content notes
- political ideology
About the book
William Morris was an English architect, furniture and textile designer, artist, writer, socialist and Marxist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris wrote and published poetry, fiction, and translations of ancient and medieval texts throughout his life. His best-known works include The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems (1858), The Earthly Paradise (1868–1870), A Dream of John Ball and the utopian News from Nowhere. He was an important figure in the emergence of socialism in Britain, founding the Socialist League in 1884, but breaking with the movement over goals and methods by the end of that decade. He devoted much of the rest of his life to the Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1891. The 1896 Kelmscott edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer is considered a masterpiece of book design.
"William Morris, designer" by Graeme Shankland: [32] p. includes plates of Morris' designs.
First published as: William Morris: selected writings and designs. - 1963.
Includes bibliography
Reprint. Originally published: Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1963, c1962. (Pelican books, A521)
Description from Open Library.
Books like News from nowhere and selected writings and designs
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