What is "ivory tower"

as a symbol of artistic or intellectual aloofness, by 1889, from French tour d'ivoire, used in 1837 by critic Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804-1869) with reference to the poet Alfred de Vigny, whom he accused of excessive aloofness.\n Et Vigny, plus secret, comme en sa tour d'ivoire, avant midi rentrait. [Sainte-Beuve, "Pensées d'Août, à M. Villemain," 1837]\nUsed earlier as a type of a wonder or a symbol of "the ideal." The literal image is perhaps from Song of Solomon [vii:4]:\n\nThy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.

[KJV]

a. Separated from reality and practical matters; overly academic. n. (context idiomatic English) A sheltered, overly-academic existence or perspective, implying a disconnection or lack of awareness of reality or practical considerations.

n. a state of mind that is discussed as if it were a place; "he lived in the ivory tower of speculation"; "they viewed universities as ivory towers"

"Ivory Tower" is a popular song written by Jack Fulton and Lois Steele. Popular versions by Cathy Carr and Gale Storm, and a rhythm & blues version by Otis Williams all received major popularity in 1956. Carr's version reached #2 and Storm's #6 on the Billboard pop charts, while Williams' version reached #11 on Billboard's R&B chart.

The term ivory tower originates in the Biblical '' Song of Solomon ''(7:4) and was later used as an epithet for Mary. From the 19th century, it has been used to designate an environment of intellectual pursuit disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life. In American English usage it is also used as shorthand for academia or the university, particularly departments of the humanities and the social sciences.

Ivory Tower is a 1998 drama film about young people trying to enter the computer industry in Silicon Valley. The film was directed by Darin Ferriola, and stars Michael Ironside, Patrick Van Horn, Kari Wührer, and James Wilder.

Ivory Tower refers to a world or atmosphere where intellectuals engage in pursuits that are disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life.

Ivory Tower or The Ivory Tower may also refer to:

• Ivory Tower (Antarctica), a peak in Antarctica
• The Ivory Tower, an unfinished novel by Henry James
• Ivory Tower Foundation, an American charitable organization
• The Ivory Tower, a fictional place in the novel The Neverending Story
• Ivory Tower (journal), a literary journal published by the University of Minnesota

In films and entertainment:

• Ivory Tower (1998 film), a 1998 American drama
• Ivory Tower (2010 film), a 2010 Canadian independent film co-written by Gonzales and Céline Sciamma
• Ivory Tower (2014 film), a 2014 American documentary film
• The Ivory Tower (Boardwalk Empire), an episode of the television series Boardwalk Empire
• Ivory Tower (Harvard Undergraduate Television), a long-running college soap opera
• Ivory Tower, a playable area in the multiplayer mode of the game Halo 2
• Ivory Tower (company), a French video game developer

In music:

• "Ivory Tower" (1956 song), a popular song written by Jack Fulton and Lois Steele
• "Ivory Tower", the B-side to the title song " The NeverEnding Story" from the film
• "Ivory Tower" (Van Morrison song)
• The Ivory Tower (album), an album by Takota
• "Ivory Tower", a song from the 2003 album Ghost of a Rose by Blackmore's Night
• "Ivory Tower", a song from the 2007 album Anna Abreu (album) by Anna Abreu
• Ivory Tower (band), a progressive metal band signed to Limb Music

Ivory Tower (for the period of 1999–2003, known as Tales from the Ivory Tower) is a college soap opera. It was first conceived of in 1993 as part of Harvard-Radcliffe Television (now Harvard Undergraduate Television) at Harvard University. The show is currently in its eleventh season.

Ivory Tower is a small peak rising to about , east of Fadden Peak, between the Harold Byrd Mountains and the Bender Mountains in Antarctica. The peak was visited by a United States Antarctic Research Program – Arizona State University geological party, 1977–78, and was so named from its composition of nearly all white marble.

Ivory Tower is a 2010 Canadian feature film and the directorial debut of Adam Traynor, a musician from the German-based hip-hop group Puppetmastaz. The film was co-written by Canadian pianist and rapper Gonzales and French director and screenwriter Céline Sciamma. It is slated for a theatrical release in the Fall of 2010, and stars a variety of Canadian-born musicians, including Gonzales himself, Peaches, Feist and Tiga. Additionally, Gonzales' mother appears in the film.

"Ivory Tower" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1986 album, No Guru, No Method, No Teacher. The song was also released as a single with the B-side "A New Kind of Man", from his previous album A Sense of Wonder. It charted at #21 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1986.

Clinton Heylin writes this about the song "A chorus about how tough 'It really must be/ To be me, to see like me, to feel like me' threatens the spirituality self-effacing mood he had previously maintained." Biographer John Collis takes the same viewpoint by saying "Ivory Tower, totally breaks the mold - it's an r'n'b shaker just like those produced by the Van Morrison of old, though now he suffers from self pity: "Don't you know the price I have to pay/Just to do everything I have to do..."

Ivory Tower SASU is a French video game developer located in Lyon, France.

The company was founded in 2007 by Ahmed Boukhelifa, Emmanuel Oualid, and Stephane Beley. The development team includes members who have previously worked at Eden Games on projects from the Need for Speed, Test Drive Unlimited, and V-Rally game series. Their first game, The Crew, was released on 2 December 2014 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox 360. In October 2015, Ubisoft announced that they had fully acquired Ivory Tower.

Ivory Tower is a 2014 American documentary film written, directed and produced by Andrew Rossi. The film premiered in competition category of U.S. Documentary Competition program at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014.

After its premiere at Sundance Film Festival, Participant Media, Paramount Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films acquired distribution rights of the film. The film had a theatrical release on 13 June 2014 in United States by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Paramount Pictures will handle the international release of the film, while Participant Media will handle the campaign for film's theatrical release. The film was first broadcast on CNN on November 20, 2014.

"Ivory Tower" is a song by Finnish singer Anna Abreu from her debut studio album, Anna Abreu (2007). Rauli Eskolin (known professionally as Rake) wrote and produced the song along with Teemu Brunila. It is a Pop song with R&B rhythms. The song was released on 15 October 2007 in Finland, as the album's second single.