The Muse is one of the oldest archetypes in human civilization, and, in the past, was a representation of an idealized woman - blessed with beauty and creativity and exerting irresistible attraction for many a man. Nowadays, in the wake of feminism, the idea of the Muse seems a bit obsolete, quaint or downright sexist, and is said to enhance a vicious stereotype of the creative, productive and active man and the passive, submissive and docile woman. However, this book shows that this, in fact, was rarely the case. The contributions brought together here focus on "Muses, Mistresses and Mates" whose vivid personalities and exceptional talent brought them into creative and fruitful partnership with men who were equally remarkable, though sometimes more renowned. The authors examine intellectual (and sometimes) erotic currents flowing between the Muse and the man or woman she inspired, and often dissect mythologies that have so far surrounded this relationship and offer a corrective view of widely circulated biographies. As such, the essays collected in this volume prove that, in many cases, these fascinating women lived not only in the shadow of their partners, but also cultural stereotypes. This volume was inspired by Stefan and Franciszka Themerson, Polish intellectuals and avant-garde artists, whose collaborative and ambitious ventures serve as a paragon of a long-standing and mutually enriching partnership.
About the Author: Anna Suwalska-Kolecka, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer at the State School of Higher Professional Education in Plock, Poland. She has published widely in the areas of modern British and American drama, with a particular emphasis on Beckett, Albee, Stoppard and Churchill. Her research interests include the construction and representation of space, the surreal flights from realism on contemporary stages, and physical theatre. Izabella Penier has a PhD in American Literature. Her research is focused on African American and postcolonial scholarship, and particularly concerns the transformations that black studies has recently undergone due to critical interventions from global frameworks of analysis such as postcolonialism, black Atlantic and cultural studies. Her research also looks at American black feminist scholarship through the lenses of postcolonial gender and nation studies, with a view to examining the relationship of gender and black cultural nationalism.