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“STATES OF THE HUMAN SOUL: WILLIAM BLAKE’S SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE”
Dr. Eugenie R. Freed, of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, has prepared a half-hour video on “States of the Human Soul: William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience.” Taped, edited, and dubbed by Laura Cloete, the video features a host of Blake’s images with a dash of Hogarth and medieval illumination while professional voice-over artists and Freed read from the Songs and offer analysis of the verbal and visual texts. A selection of background music completes this labor of love and expertise.
Through the courtesy of Dr. Freed, the tape was previewed by the 15 participants in the 1993 NEH Summer Seminar of “Blake: Innocence and Experience” (Athens GA). The group agreed in finding the tape accomplished, traditionally-oriented (as in the considerable reference to Milton and Blake’s illustrations to Milton), and eminently useful both in itself and for the questions it can raise. It is an attractive addition to audio-visual resources for Blake.
Dr. Freed has permission to produce copies for schools and other educational institutions on a non-profit basis and would be pleased to hear from anyone interested in obtaining a copy. She may be reached at the Department of English, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, P.O. Wits, South Africa, or (more efficiently) by fax at 27-11-622-3460 (marked “for attention E. Isserow”).