Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art Book

If Neil Gaiman and Michael Chabon haven't read this book and borrowed concepts liberally, then they are operating in a parallel universe, mining the same sources. It's a rich and deep vein.

Hyde rambles through the many ways Trickster figures influence human thought and action. The idea of the disruptive as necessary, even sacred, to life, has wide distribution. "...the origins, liveliness, and durability of cultures require that there be space for figures whose function is to uncover and disrupt the very things that cultures are based on."

Even though many of the Trickster figures were familiar to me--Raven, Coyote, Monkey, Hermes--others were not--Loki, Eshu, Legba--and Hyde makes connections that reveal layers I hadn't known or seen. He also discusses how mythology becomes reality, as humans themselves become shape-shifters, re-aligning the context of their work and their lives, and changing their society/culture in the process. I particularly enjoyed reading about the motivations and working methods of Marcel Duchamp and John Cage, and as a result will always look at their work and lives in an entirely different way. The section on Frederick Douglass also gave me a fuller and more nuanced insight into his influence and life.

"If we think the ideal is real we are seriously mistaken."

Life is messy. Try to control it too tightly and it will burst. Better to laugh and occasionally let Trickster have his way.