The Art of Living: Falstaff, the Fool and Dino

by Starr Goode

The Art of Living: Falstaff, the Fool and Dino asks the question what virtues should a person cultivate in order to live a happy life? Instead of looking to the powerful or successful or even the wise, the book advises us to turn to the fools. The essential quality of the archetype of the Fool (whether in literature, the Tarot, or as a medieval court jester) is freedom. They can speak the truth and accept themselves as they are. Falstaff, the literary star of Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays, perhaps the greatest comic character ever written, keeps his equanimity no matter the circumstances through his supreme wit. Dino, in his prime, the most popular star in Hollywood, follows the maxim: your life belongs to you. With a lightness of spirit and the courage it takes to stand outside the social order, they delight in the blessing of life. With over 125 illustrations to vivify these irresistible characters, The Art of Living blends scholarship, esoteric studies, cultural critique with the spirit of play, humor, and personal stories. It invites readers to partake in the renewing experience of meeting the fool in themselves.

150 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2016

About the author

Starr Goode, MA, teaches writing and literature at Santa Monica College. Winner of The David L. Kubal Memorial Essay Prize, she wrote "The Fable of the Invisible Woman" for The Rule of Mars: Readings on the Origins, History and Impact of Patriarchy. She is also a recipient of The Henri Coulette Memorial Poetry Award from The Academy of American Poets. As a poet, her work has appeared in numerous publications, most recently in Expanding Circles: Women, Art & Community and Sage Woman and was commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to create a bookmark from her poem "Gossip." Producer and moderator for the cable TV series, The Goddess in Art, the programs are now available on YouTube. She has been profiled for her work as a cultural commentator in the LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker. Her latest essay, "Adventures She Has Brought My Way" appears in Elders and Visionaries Anthology published by Cambria Press. Now available is her meditation on the masculine, The Art of Living: Falstaff the Fool and Dino. Her new book, Sheela na gig, The Dark Goddess of Sacred Power, will be published in October 2016 by Inner Traditions.