The prevailing view is that existentialism is a product of post World War II Europe and had no significant presence in the United States before the 1940s. Jean-Paul Sartre and associates are credited with establishing the philosophy in France, and later introducing it to Americans. But conventional wisdom about existentialism in the United States is mistaken. The United States actually developed its own unique brand of existentialism several years before Sartre and company published their first existentialist works.

Film noir, and the hard-boiled fiction that served as its initial source material, represent one form of American existentialism that was produced independently of European philosophy. Hard-boiled fiction introduced the tough and savvy private detective, the duplicitous femme-fatale, the innocent victim of circumstance, and the confessing but remorseless murderer. Creators of this uniquely American crime genre engaged existential themes of isolation, anxiety, futility, and death in the thrilling context of the urban crime thriller. The film noir cycle of Hollywood cinema brought these features to the screen, and offered a distinctively dark visual style compatible with the unorthodox narrative techniques of hard-boiled fiction writers.

http://www.cambriapress.c...=4&bid=264
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My younger brother's book (his doctoral thesis) has just been released at "The Nice Price".
I'm guessing anyone interested in the subject matter should be able to find it in their local public library soon.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

WOW !! Very interesting and cool

TY

This looks very fascinating ~ something I would love. The title is especially intriguing. I'll watch out for it.

Give him big congrats on the publication!

What was his program?

Mach said:

Thanks (for him).


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

MoonSongs said:

It's a deep read in parts but I think you'd enjoy it.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Lammastide said:

I have (before, during & after).

Philosophy.

From the book's back cover...

Stephen Faison is a lecturer in the department of philosophy at the Pennsylvania State University. He holds a PhD in philosophy from Vanderbilt University, and a BA in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Denver. Dr. Faison specializes in philosophical literature and film. He has published essays in Monty Python and Philosophy, and Overheard in Seville.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

This is fantatstic, I am certainly going to check it out. I am intruiged by the concept of the lack of existentialism in US society, not having thought past its European roots.
[Edited 4/17/09 9:01am]

looks like a cool reading (together) of some cool and very interesting topics.

congrats to your bro.

I've always loved the movie Blade Runner for it's attempts at Film Noir set in my favorite genre---sci-fi.

Wow, that's impressive ...I'm gonna try and pick up a copy.

Does he talk about the movie Kiss Me Deadly in the book? (LOVE that movie)