Trickster Makes This World

This book, from the author of The Gift, explores imagination and philosophy through the figure of the trickster. It revisits traditional trickster stories—Coyote, Eshu and Hermes—and places them beside the life and work of modern creators such as Picasso, Duchamp, Cage, Ginsberg and Kingston. Described by Margaret Atwood as a masterpiece, Trickster Makes This World presents a scholarly yet fluid and engaging argument about how tricksters disrupt and reshape culture.

Through authoritative research and a lively writing style, the author argues that tricksters are both troublesome and essential to cultural progress. The work invites readers to rethink notions of creativity, culture and morality by drawing connections across myth, art and contemporary life. It serves as a bridge between mythological analysis and modern artistic practice, offering fresh perspectives for readers interested in philosophy, culture and art history.

Features

• Author explores trickster figures like Coyote, Eshu and Hermes
• Compares mythic tricksters with Picasso, Duchamp, Cage and others
• Described by Margaret Atwood as a masterpiece
• Authoritative scholarship with a supple, dynamic style
• 432-page paperback, Canongate Canons edition