Tracingadevelopingfascinationwithrhythm’ssignificance,itspatterns,anditsmeasures,acrossphilosophy,psychology,science,andthewholerangeofarts,RhythmicalSubjectsshowshowandwhyattentiontorhythmcametoserveasconnectivetissuebetweenfieldsofinquiryatatimewhenmoderndisciplineswerestillintheprocessofformationorconsolidation.Theconcentrationon’rhythm’anditscognateslargelyarose,LauraMarcusdemonstrates,fromthedesiretoreclaimorretainhumanandnaturalmeasuresinthefaceofthecomingofthemachineandthespeedoftechnologicalinnovation.RhythmicalSubjectsuncoversthedisparateroutesbywhichrhythmacquireditsnewfoundabilitytolinkancientandmodernformsofintellectualinquiry,andtofathomandre-invigoratetemporalarticulationsofmodernsubjectivelife.Amongthenumerousintellectualandartisticdevelopmentssetinanewlightbythisbrilliantlywide-rangingbookare:thelonglineofphilosophicalandtheoreticalwritingonrhythm,fromNietzschetoBergsonandtheirtwentieth-centuryinterlocutors;psychologicalexplorationsofrhythmasthefundamentallawoflife,fromHerbertSpencerandRalphWaldoEmersontoElsieFogarty;moreexperimentalengagementswithpsychology’srhythms,fromWilhelmWundt,Th矇oduleRibot,andKarlGroostotheaestheticwritingsofVernonLee;thehistoryofprosody;pioneeringapplicationsofrhythmstudiestosocialandsexualreform,byHavelockEllis,MarieStopes,D.H.Lawrence,andMaryAustin(amongothers);LebensreformmovementsandthecontributionofRudolfSteinerandEmileJaques-Dalcroze;andnumerousendeavoursinartisticandcriticalinnovation,fromthesmallmodernistmagazinesofBloomsburyandParistoartsalonsanddancestudiosacrossBritain,ContinentalEurope,andAmerica.
