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HN got me into dancing. Around five years ago there was a thread about books that changed your lives. Someone wrote about Impro by Keith Johnstone - an introdu

HN got me into dancing. Around five years ago there was a thread about books that changed your lives. Someone wrote about Impro by Keith Johnstone - an introduction to improvisational theater interspersed with a lot of personal stories. I read it and fell in love with the honesty and the new view of social interaction the book offered. I found a dance theater studio near me - the closest thing to impro theater that was available - and went there. It was there that I met some of my most important friends and developed practices that I use to this day in my artistic projects as well as in interaction design. Thanks, unknown HN user!

amsilprotag 9y ago
What a coincidence. I just started reading and bookmarked the archive.io of Impro yesterday after seeing used copies on Amazon starting at $25. I'm assuming it's out of print? https://archive.org/stream/pdfy-KIkLrSPi_3lzPl5v/Keith%20Johnstone-Impro_%20Improvisation%20and%20the%20Theatre-Methuen%20Drama%20%281981%29_djvu.txt https://archive.org/stream/pdfy-KIkLrSPi_3lzPl5v/Keith%20Joh...
- spython 9y ago
  The 2007 reprint is available in Europe for around 12 Euro, and libgen.io has an old edition as pdf.
ThrustVectoring 9y ago
"an introduction to impro theater interspersed with a lot of personal stories" seems like a technically accurate but misleading description of the book to me. I struggle to capture the essence of the book, but I'd add that it shows a lot of insight into creativity, relationships, and the human condition.
- spython 9y ago
  You are right, and it is indeed quite hard to describe this book. It is less monolithic, more like a collection of short stories each offering unique insight into a topic. Here is one of my favorite stories from the book: https://books.google.de/books?id=j0n2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PT15&dq=%22I+once+had+a+close+rapport+with+a%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuu6fqtLLZAhUrAsAKHdVjDhkQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=%22I%20once%20had%20a%20close%20rapport%20with%20a%22&f=false https://books.google.de/books?id=j0n2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PT15&dq=%22...
supermdguy 9y ago
Found the thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5570013 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5570013 The "unknown HN user" is bambax
- spython 9y ago
  You made me look back and I think it was gruseom from the thread Surprisingly undervalued books https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4651165 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4651165
  - gruseom 9y ago
    Yippee!
    - spython 9y ago
      Hah, wow, now I can thank you in person! Thanks to your well written comment I read the book, learned to move and dance, fell in love, got amazing friends, went skinny dipping with beautiful dancers in the summer, got heartbroken, learned to accept change, and started developing objects that behave and choreograph the user through their behavior. And all for the want of a nail.. Thank you!
      - acct1771 9y ago
        What order did all that shit happen in, exactly? Y'know. For a friend.
        spython 9y ago
        It was just as much about loss as it was about the good things. Go write your own story!
        acct1771 9y ago
        Few things pull a genuine smile from me. Peace and prosperity, my friend.
abhishekjha 9y ago
I joined this year and I am still intimidated that I might say something trivial or stupid. Just trying to get a depth of this community. Programming/ML related posts are always fun to read here.

amsilprotag 9y ago

What a coincidence. I just started reading and bookmarked the archive.io of Impro yesterday after seeing used copies on Amazon starting at $25. I'm assuming it's out of print? https://archive.org/stream/pdfy-KIkLrSPi_3lzPl5v/Keith%20Johnstone-Impro_%20Improvisation%20and%20the%20Theatre-Methuen%20Drama%20%281981%29_djvu.txt https://archive.org/stream/pdfy-KIkLrSPi_3lzPl5v/Keith%20Joh...

spython 9y ago
The 2007 reprint is available in Europe for around 12 Euro, and libgen.io has an old edition as pdf.

ThrustVectoring 9y ago

"an introduction to impro theater interspersed with a lot of personal stories" seems like a technically accurate but misleading description of the book to me. I struggle to capture the essence of the book, but I'd add that it shows a lot of insight into creativity, relationships, and the human condition.

spython 9y ago
You are right, and it is indeed quite hard to describe this book. It is less monolithic, more like a collection of short stories each offering unique insight into a topic. Here is one of my favorite stories from the book: https://books.google.de/books?id=j0n2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PT15&dq=%22I+once+had+a+close+rapport+with+a%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuu6fqtLLZAhUrAsAKHdVjDhkQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=%22I%20once%20had%20a%20close%20rapport%20with%20a%22&f=false https://books.google.de/books?id=j0n2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PT15&dq=%22...

supermdguy 9y ago

Found the thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5570013 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5570013 The "unknown HN user" is bambax

spython 9y ago
You made me look back and I think it was gruseom from the thread Surprisingly undervalued books https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4651165 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4651165
- gruseom 9y ago
  Yippee!
  - spython 9y ago
    Hah, wow, now I can thank you in person! Thanks to your well written comment I read the book, learned to move and dance, fell in love, got amazing friends, went skinny dipping with beautiful dancers in the summer, got heartbroken, learned to accept change, and started developing objects that behave and choreograph the user through their behavior. And all for the want of a nail.. Thank you!
    - acct1771 9y ago
      What order did all that shit happen in, exactly? Y'know. For a friend.
      - spython 9y ago
        It was just as much about loss as it was about the good things. Go write your own story!
        acct1771 9y ago
        Few things pull a genuine smile from me. Peace and prosperity, my friend.

abhishekjha 9y ago

I joined this year and I am still intimidated that I might say something trivial or stupid. Just trying to get a depth of this community. Programming/ML related posts are always fun to read here.