The Trickster: How this Ancient Archetype Helps Us to Imagine a Better World

What do Loki, Banksy, Bugs Bunny, Thelonious Monk, Mae West, Yoko Ono, Raven, Eshù Elégba, and Muhammad Ali all have in common? Whether deity or human, all bring Trickster magic to our world.  

The Trickster, a character who animates and enlivens humanity’s oldest stories, is frequently misunderstood. Wander and wonder with author Shepherd Siegel through the paradoxes, art, tricks, backfires, pranks, pratfalls, and messianic acts that together form this indestructible component of our collective psyche. From that common ground, we’ll share our own personal encounters with tricksterism and come to an understanding of how the journey from moral indeterminacy to moral discovery can inspire us to imagine and create a better world. 

Shepherd Siegel (he/him) is an author and activist. He started off as a professional rock and jazz musician before becoming a teacher for incarcerated youth and students with disabilities. He earned his doctorate at University of California, Berkeley, with studies in anthropology and special education. His recent books, Disruptive Play and Tricking Power into Performing Acts of Love (a Bronze Winner for an INDIES Book of the Year Award and Silver winner of a CIPA Evvy), explore the Trickster in politics and culture.