Role-playing as artform?

[Hatmatter]

I am interested in role-playing as an art form and I was wondering if anybody had read this book. If so, what do they think? It seems like there is little else out there.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Role-Playing-Game-New-Performing/dp/0786408154/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236439976&sr=8-8"]Amazon.com: The Fantasy Role-Playing Game: A New Performing Art: Daniel Mackay: Books[/ame]

 

[Ycore Rixle]

I haven't read that book, but I think that role-playing as an art form deserves a lot more attention than it has received in the last 35 years. There is a journal here that just released its first issue. Its board is mainly European academics, and there are English typos in the abstracts, which may or may not be easy to forgive. Regardless, it is interesting to note if not peruse.

 

[Hatmatter]

Wow, that's great to see a journal devoted to that subject. I think part of the barrier is that because we are talking about a role-playing GAME, the usual emphasis is on the GAME aspect (game design, game marketing, game playing). Of course, it IS a game. But, at the same time, some (but not all) campaigns I have played in have taking story-telling to a level that seems qualitatively different from game-oriented story-telling.

I will begin reading this International Journal of Role-Playing. I notice that Daniel Mackay, the author of the book that I decided I am going to buy, is also on the review board. So, there may be a connection between the book and the journal.