The cultural dynamics of the commons
Lewis Hyde—a poet, essayist, translator and cultural critic—is the author of The Gift, a seminal 1983 work about the creative commons. He teaches creative writing at Kenyon College and is a Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. His newest book is Common as Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership explores a rich tradition of American culture in which “knowledge was assumed to be a commonwealth, not a private preserve . Hyde was interviewed by Sarah Schultz and Sarah Parker at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Reprinted from the new book Open Field: Conversations on the Commons, an absorbing collection from many authors exploring issues of the arts, the commons, public space and community co-creation.
January 25, 2013