Apt Imaginings
Feelings for Fictions and Other Creatures of the Mind
Jonathan Gilmore
Reviews and Awards
Winner of the American Society for Aesthetics Outstanding Monograph Prize for 2021
"A fascinating and invigorating book that shows the bonds between philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences at their best... Not only does Gilmore's book reveal much about our everyday cognitive and emotional processes, thus enabling us to better understand our reactions toward non- fictional entities, it has the capacity to address some of the most pressing questions regarding the cultural, educational, and ethical relevance of art and art-engagements" -- Philosophy in Review
"Gilmore raises a very interesting set of issues, and does so in a thoughtful way, so that we may imagine possibilities for understanding human character." -- Keith Oatley, Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture
"What you really want to know is, should you read this book? Yes, of course you should...The book is rewarding and engaging." -- Nicholas Wiltsher, The European Journal of Aesthetics
"Jonathan Gilmore's new book, Apt Imaginings: Feelings for Fictions and Other Creatures of the Mind, is a treat: it is bold, compelling, and carefully argued. It makes important contributions to a variety of different debates in and around the philosophy of art, including the status of imagined or quasi-emotions, the (so-called) paradox of tragedy, the debate over artistic functions, and the problem of moral and aesthetic interaction. It is beautifully written, filled with vivid and apt examples from the arts and thoughtful application of results from the sciences." -- James Harold, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism