The first group of essays address Benet's life, times, and personal relationships. Thomas Carr Benet reminisces about his father in the first essay, and others consider Benet's marriage to his wife Rosemary; Archibald MacLeish, Thornton Wilder and Benet as friends, liberal humanists and public activists; and his friendships with Philip Barry, Jed Harris, and Thornton Wilder. The second group contains essays about Benet's poetry, fiction, and drama. They discuss Benet's role in the development of historical poetry in America, John Brown's Body and the Civil War, Hawthorne, Benet and historical...

Writer Henry James (1843-1916) was born in America but preferred to live in Europe; he finally become a British subject near the end of his life. His status as a permanent outsider is responsible for the recurring themes in his writing dealing with European sophistication (decadence) compared to American lack of sophistication (or innocence). He is respected in modern times for his psychological insight, for being able to reveal his characters' deepest motivations. These 11 essays, along with an introduction and an afterword, examine James's work through the prism of the author's latest...

This book discusses the relationships between the philosophy of Mysticism and more traditional philosophy and literature. The author examines the works of Heraclitus, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Iris Murdoch, Yeats, AE (George Russell), Woolf, T.S. Eliot, Auden, Huxley, Lessing, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Tony Kushner, among others.

Though he was the first African-American writer of fiction to win major acclaim, recent history has largely ignored the writings of Charles Chesnutt. This collection of essays seeks to confirm and reevaluate the stature of this great American novelist. With essays on his stories and novels, as well as his non-fiction works, this volume looks at topics as diverse as phenomenology, race relations, American historical memory, the Wilmington Race Riots, and the presence of women in Chesnutt's writings, and all with the intent of reaffirming the power of this too easily forgotten chronicler of the...

Those new to Auden and his writing will find in this book a comprehensive introduction, whilst for Auden scholars the book offers quick access to the details of all his writings, along with entries on the people and events in his life.

The historic election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States had a significant impact on both America and the world at large. By voting an African American into the highest office, those who elected Obama did not necessarily look past race, but rather didn't let race prevent them for casting their ballots in his favor. In addition to reflecting the changing political climate, Obama's presidency also spurred a cultural shift, notably in music, television, and film. In Movies in the Age of Obama: The Era of Post-Racial and Neo-Racist Cinema, David Garrett Izzo presents a varied...

This collection of essays looks at how films in the last few years have reflected and juxtaposed the ascent of Barack Obama and his administration. The films examined here include The Help, Django Unchained, Lincoln, The Mist, Invictus, Black Dynamite, and The Great Gatsby.