Rings of Desire: Circus History and Representation

One of the most popular forms of international entertainment, the circus remains almost entirely absent from scholarly studies of theatrical forms. Rings of Desire is an introduction to the cultural history of the circus and its aesthetic reaches. Helen Stoddart outlines the particular challenges this live, dangerous, and body-centered form presents to literary and film representation, exploring works by Charles Dickens, Federico Fellini, and Wim Wenders. It offers new ways of thinking about the meaning and significance of the circus as a uniquely modern form of art and entertainment.