Paperback Now Available Worldwide

Angels Can Fly, a Modern Clown User Guide, is now available in paperback, ( ISBN: 0957884419 ) on order from bookshops in Australia, New Zealand, America and England, and also available online.

Amazon.com is currently offering a special 34% launch discount, and selling the paperback for an amazing US$16.47.

Those who have signed up for the eBook will be receiving them this week. The eBook is released under the Creative Commons License, that allows the unlimited, noncommercial redistribution.

"Clown is a fascinating, diverse, complex and exciting art form, which has existed around the planet for thousands of years. Like any art form it has to evolve to stay relevant to the culture nurturing it, and at the same time, and by its very nature clown teases and turns upside down the cultural patterns and boundaries around us."

Angels can Fly includes a mix of fiction, following the adventures of ten clowns, some personal clown anecdotes from 19 clowns from around the world, a total of 50 practical clown exercises for use both individually and in workshop groups, and some theory on the nature of modern clown.

For those interested, I am posting the contents page of the book below, so you can browse the chapter headings, the exercises, and the contributors. Some of the exercises and the anecdotes have also been posted in full over the past few months, and you can find them in the archival section of this blog.

Contents

1. Go Your Own Path: 7
Exercise: Ball Circle: 15
Anecdote: Classic Clown, Martin Ewen & Alan Clay, NZ: 16

2. When to Start: 21
Exercise: Slapping Balance: 28
Anecdote: Not My First Book, Alan Clay, NZ: 30

3. Bliss: 33
Exercise: Accepting Attention: 41
Anecdote: Amelia in Bliss, Amelia Cadwallader, Australia: 43

4. Breath: 47
Exercise: Breathing - Voice: 51
Anecdote: Asthma Blessing, Alan Clay, New Zealand: 53

5. Play: 55
Exercise: Regression Play: 60
Anecdote: Weird People, Playspace Theatre, NZ: 62

6. Explore: 65
Exercise: Play with Objects: 70
Anecdote: Female Clown, Sue Broadway, Australia: 71

7. Observe: 79
Exercise: Atmospheres: 84
Anecdote: Avignon Festival, Alan Clay, New Zealand: 85

8. Interact: 89
Exercise: Normal Question: 94
Anecdote: The Untouchables, Amanda Burgess & Alan Clay, Aust: 95

9. Learning: 101
Exercise: Juggling: 106
Anecdote: Realisation of my Clowning Kirk Marsh, USA: 108

10. Trust: 111
Exercise: Running Blind: 116
Anecdote: Imperial Trunk Fools Co, Jonathon Acorn, NZ: 118

11. Growth: 123
Exercise: Mimicry: 128
Anecdote: Snap and Crackle, Alan & Michael Clay, Aust: 130

12. Laughter: 133
Exercise: Ha Ha: 138
Anecdote: Rumpel's Foolosophy, Kangaroo Jester of Oz: 139

13. Emotions: 143
Exercise: Hand / Emotions: 148
Anecdote: Warmth of India, Shobhana Schwebke, USA: 150

14. Body: 155
Exercise: Pair Statues: 159
Anecdote: My Yoga Practice, Alan Clay, Australia: 162

15. Mind: 165
Exercise: Mime Isolation: 170
Anecdote: Mime & Madness, Alan & Kerstin Clay, Sweden/NZ: 172

16. Mistakes: 175
Exercise: Dropping the Ball: 180
Anecdote: Lady Margo, Claire Coleman, England: 181

17. Games: 185
Exercise: Finding a Game: 190
Anecdote: David MacMurray Smith, Training My Clown, Canada: 192

18. Fool: 197
Exercise: Death in a Minute: 202
Anecdote: The Imperial Trunk Fools, Alan Clay, New Zealand: 202

19. Self: 207
Exercise: Wave Characters: 211
Anecdote: Like Herself, Hilary Chaplain, USA: 213

20. Others: 217
Exercise: Mimicry Street: 222
Anecdote: I Don't Juggle, I Stalk Plates, Bill Coleman, USA: 224

21. Expression: 229
Exercise: Emotion Speech: 233
Anecdote: Undercover Clown, Alan and Teresa Clay, New Zealand: 234

22. Communication: 237
Exercise: Comfortable Chair: 243
Anecdote: Philosophy, David MacMurray Smith, Canada: 245

23. Audience: 249
Exercise: Attracting a Crowd: 253
Anecdote: Love and Chaos, Alan Clay, NZ/Australia: 254

24. Rapport: 259
Exercise: Excite the Baby: 264
Anecdote: Fijian Resort, Alan & Kerstin Clay, NZ/Sweden: 265

25. Vulnerability: 269
Exercise: Body / Emotions: 274
Anecdote: Lurkue du Soleil - Part 1, Martin Ewen, NZ/USA: 275

26. Spontaneity: 281
Exercise: Role-play: 285
Anecdote: Celebrate Abandonment, Andrew Cory, Australia: 287

27. Process: 291
Exercise: Swapping Emotions: 296
Anecdote: Seizing the Moment, Shobhana Schwebke, USA: 297

28. Practice: 301
Exercise: Yoga: 304
Anecdote: Playspace Studio, Alan Clay, NZ/Australia: 306

29. Teaching: 311
Exercise: Feedback Session: 316
Anecdote: Clown Classes, Alan Clay, NZ/Aust/Europe/USA: 319

30. Theatre: 323
Exercise: Invisible Theatre: 328
Anecdote: Lurkue du Soleil - Part 2, Martin Ewen, NZ/USA: 330

31. Story: 335
Exercise: Role / Situation Impro: 341
Anecdote: The Weird People Tour, Alan Clay, NZ: 343

32. Character: 345
Exercise: Mimicry Character: 351
Anecdote: Personal Journey, Alan Clay, NZ/Australia: 353

33. Structure: 355
Exercise: Red Nose Entrance: 360
Anecdote: Aussie Clown Tradition, Alan Clay, Australia: 361

34. Tension: 363
Exercise: Nonviolence: 367
Anecdote: Dancing in the Moonlight, Alan Clay, NZ: 368

35. Patterns: 371
Exercise: Expert Double Figures: 375
Anecdote: Take Another Look, Alan Clay, Sweden/NZ: 377

36. Expectations: 381
Exercise: Waiting Impro: 386
Anecdote: Casino Gig, Alan Clay & Amanda Burgess, Aust: 387

37. Risk: 391
Exercise: Games Street: 394
Anecdote: One Foolish Idea, Drew Richardson, USA: 397

38. Release: 399
Exercise: Falling Circle: 402
Anecdote: Clown is the Greatest Actor, Jango Edwards, Holland: 403

39. Failure: 409
Exercise: Slow-motion: 414
Anecdote: Rumpel's Nose, Jolly Goodfellow, Australia: 417

40. Perception: 419
Exercise: Observing Silence: 424
Anecdote: Basque Flowers, Johnny Melville, Scotland/Holland: 425

41. Normal: 429
Exercise: Character Development: 436
Anecdote: Clown Bluey, John Brattle, United Kingdom: 437

42. Taboos: 441
Exercise: Moreno's Chairs: 446
Anecdote: Hey Clown, Daniel Oldaker, Australia: 447

43. Freedom: 451
Exercise: Comfortable Couch Impro: 455
Anecdote: Auckland Fringe Festival, Alan & Teresa Clay, NZ: 456

44. Acceptance: 459
Exercise: Endowments Impro: 463
Anecdote: Rumpel - Jester Of Oz, Jolly Goodfellow, Aust: 465

45. Change: 469
Exercise: Meanwhile Impro: 473
Anecdote: MotionFest, the Finale Alan Clay, NZ/Aust/USA: 474

46. Creativity: 477
Exercise: Devising: 482
Anecdote: Centaurs & Chiron Return, Alan Clay, Planet Earth: 483

47. Art: 487
Exercise: Video Feedback: 491
Anecdote: State Library Collection, Alan Clay, Australia: 492

48. Love: 495
Exercise: Accepting Applause: 501
Anecdote: I Love You Wollie, Jackie Garner, USA: 502

49. Spirit: 507
Exercise: Guided Relaxation: 511
Anecdote: Audience with Dalai Lama, Richard Hughson, USA: 512

50. Faith: 517
Exercise: Two-person Relaxation: 523
Anecdote: Believers in Love, Alan Clay, Australia: 524

Angels Can Fly - Now Published in Australia

Angels Can Fly, a Modern Clown User Guide, (ISBN 0957884419) has now been published in Australia and New Zealand, and the book was well received at the recent Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Conference, and at library events in New Zealand.

"Clown is a fascinating, diverse, complex and exciting art form, which has existed around the planet for thousands of years. Like any art form it has to evolve to stay relevant to the culture nurturing it, and at the same time, and by its very nature, clown teases and turns upside down the cultural patterns and boundaries around us. This book is an attempt to chart the growth of modern clown, and to promote that process by providing, not only practical exercises for individuals and groups, but also reference points for thinking. Angels can Fly includes a mix of fiction, following the adventures of ten clowns, some personal clown anecdotes from clowns from around the world, a total of 50 practical clown exercises, and some theory on the nature of modern clown."

The Australian Edition is now available in paperback, on order from bookshops in Australia and New Zealand. This edition sells for Aus$49.95 and includes colour pictures.

The US and UK editions will be published later this month, when they can be ordered online, and through bookshops, in the USA and England.

The American and UK editions will include only black and white pictures, but will be cheaper as a result. The US edition will sell for US$24.95 and the UK edition for 18.95 pounds. These are the editions you will get through Amazon and online stores later this month.

Because I want to co-ordinate the release of the free eBook with the availability of the paperback, I will be e-mailing the eBook to those on the eBook list later this month. The eBook will include no photos, to keep the file size small enough to email.

The eBook will be released under the Creative Commons license, which, like open source software, means that you are free to copy and forward the eBook to your friends, to post it on newsgroups, and to give it away to as many people as you wish.

I hope that you, and all your friends, will like the eBook so much, (and find reading 540 pages on your computer too limiting), so you will want to buy the paperback. That way you can also support the work I have done in producing the book.

Those in Sydney can also purchase the Australian edition at a discount at a Launch Event at the new Customs House Library, 31 Alfred Street, Sydney, on Tues 21 June, at 12.30pm.

Look out for more launch events in Australia in September, and in USA and Canada in October/November.