Author: Bob Garfield
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
ISBN: 9780684832180
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
In this bitingly funny look at American culture, NPR's "All Things Considered" commentator Bob Garfield wanders the nation in search of its eccentrics, oddities, and dreamers. He finds, among others, a psychic for pets, wealthy earthworm ranchers, and the folks of Hamilton!, Ohio, who hope that an exclamation point will revitalize their town's economy as well as its name.
Waking Up Screaming from the American Dream
Author: Bob Garfield
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
ISBN: 9780684832180
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
In this bitingly funny look at American culture, NPR's "All Things Considered" commentator Bob Garfield wanders the nation in search of its eccentrics, oddities, and dreamers. He finds, among others, a psychic for pets, wealthy earthworm ranchers, and the folks of Hamilton!, Ohio, who hope that an exclamation point will revitalize their town's economy as well as its name.
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
ISBN: 9780684832180
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
In this bitingly funny look at American culture, NPR's "All Things Considered" commentator Bob Garfield wanders the nation in search of its eccentrics, oddities, and dreamers. He finds, among others, a psychic for pets, wealthy earthworm ranchers, and the folks of Hamilton!, Ohio, who hope that an exclamation point will revitalize their town's economy as well as its name.
Waking Up from the American Dream
Author: Gregory Hood
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781940933269
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 180
Book Description
It's a time of transition for the American Right. The old ideas are failing. The conservative movement is disintegrating. And the European Americans who defined and created the United States are rising in defense of their own identity and interests. Gregory Hood is one of the most eloquent and insightful of the writers defining and promoting this transition. Waking Up from the American Dream, his first book, collects some of his most important work, including the legendary "A White Nationalist Memo to White Male Republicans," and a new essay, "Trump: The Last American," on the meaning of Donald Trump's nationalist-populist insurgency. The target of Hood's withering critique is "Americanism" itself, the classical liberal ideology that is dissolving America's white ethnic and cultural core. Hood explains his intellectual path from conservatism to White Nationalism-and why you should follow. For those seeking to understand the emerging White Right, Gregory Hood is one voice you can't afford to ignore. "In our movement, Gregory Hood is unquestionably the best writer of his generation. Indeed, he could be the best writer in the entire movement."-Jared Taylor, author of White Identity "Gregory Hood is a brilliant stylist with a great sense of humor as well as a firm grasp of the issues facing white America. I found these essays a pleasure to read, and I was impressed again and again by the depth of his insight into complex issues."-Kevin MacDonald, author of The Culture of Critique "Political theater in America is usually insufferably boring and smarmy, if occasionally comical and sometimes absurd. But when Gregory Hood weighs in, I pay attention. He has an insider's grasp of the political scene and a talent for teasing the farce out of the most dismal current affairs. But he's no mere heckler. He's got a dream for America and the West, too, and he employs humor and insight to reveal what is wrong and what could very well be the New Right."-Jack Donovan, author of Becoming a Barbarian "Gregory Hood is quite simply the best political columnist to have emerged on the authentic Right since the death of Sam Francis. He is free of illusions concerning not only the regime under which we live but also the confidence tricksters of the 'conservative movement' who makes such a comfortable living shadow-boxing with it. For countless European-descended Americans gradually coming to realize they have been lied to since birth, but unsure what to do next, Hood will be an invaluable guide."-F. Roger Devlin, author of Sexual Utopia in Power "Reading Gregory Hood's Waking Up from the American Dream has reawakened the pain of an old wound. For I am old enough to remember the old America. The America that sent a man to the Moon. The America of endless possibilities. And, yes, the America that was 90% white. And that America is gone. The new America is based on anti-white envy and sexual degeneracy pushed on our smallest children. The flag may still be the same, but the old America, the Dream, is dead. Gregory Hood has written a powerful and poignant book about what we have lost. I highly recommend this book."-Ramzpaul "Calling Mr. Hood's work 'must read' doesn't quite do it justice. Perhaps no voice has been as prescient in detailing the crisis unfolding in America for its historic majority population, and in noting the proposition nation is irredeemable. This is the seminal political work for understanding the situation white people face in America."-Paul Kersey, author of Escape from Detroit "Prolific. Punchy. Powerful. Gregory Hood is one of the most insightful and entertaining writers in the Alt Right."-Richard Spencer, National Policy Institute
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781940933269
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 180
Book Description
It's a time of transition for the American Right. The old ideas are failing. The conservative movement is disintegrating. And the European Americans who defined and created the United States are rising in defense of their own identity and interests. Gregory Hood is one of the most eloquent and insightful of the writers defining and promoting this transition. Waking Up from the American Dream, his first book, collects some of his most important work, including the legendary "A White Nationalist Memo to White Male Republicans," and a new essay, "Trump: The Last American," on the meaning of Donald Trump's nationalist-populist insurgency. The target of Hood's withering critique is "Americanism" itself, the classical liberal ideology that is dissolving America's white ethnic and cultural core. Hood explains his intellectual path from conservatism to White Nationalism-and why you should follow. For those seeking to understand the emerging White Right, Gregory Hood is one voice you can't afford to ignore. "In our movement, Gregory Hood is unquestionably the best writer of his generation. Indeed, he could be the best writer in the entire movement."-Jared Taylor, author of White Identity "Gregory Hood is a brilliant stylist with a great sense of humor as well as a firm grasp of the issues facing white America. I found these essays a pleasure to read, and I was impressed again and again by the depth of his insight into complex issues."-Kevin MacDonald, author of The Culture of Critique "Political theater in America is usually insufferably boring and smarmy, if occasionally comical and sometimes absurd. But when Gregory Hood weighs in, I pay attention. He has an insider's grasp of the political scene and a talent for teasing the farce out of the most dismal current affairs. But he's no mere heckler. He's got a dream for America and the West, too, and he employs humor and insight to reveal what is wrong and what could very well be the New Right."-Jack Donovan, author of Becoming a Barbarian "Gregory Hood is quite simply the best political columnist to have emerged on the authentic Right since the death of Sam Francis. He is free of illusions concerning not only the regime under which we live but also the confidence tricksters of the 'conservative movement' who makes such a comfortable living shadow-boxing with it. For countless European-descended Americans gradually coming to realize they have been lied to since birth, but unsure what to do next, Hood will be an invaluable guide."-F. Roger Devlin, author of Sexual Utopia in Power "Reading Gregory Hood's Waking Up from the American Dream has reawakened the pain of an old wound. For I am old enough to remember the old America. The America that sent a man to the Moon. The America of endless possibilities. And, yes, the America that was 90% white. And that America is gone. The new America is based on anti-white envy and sexual degeneracy pushed on our smallest children. The flag may still be the same, but the old America, the Dream, is dead. Gregory Hood has written a powerful and poignant book about what we have lost. I highly recommend this book."-Ramzpaul "Calling Mr. Hood's work 'must read' doesn't quite do it justice. Perhaps no voice has been as prescient in detailing the crisis unfolding in America for its historic majority population, and in noting the proposition nation is irredeemable. This is the seminal political work for understanding the situation white people face in America."-Paul Kersey, author of Escape from Detroit "Prolific. Punchy. Powerful. Gregory Hood is one of the most insightful and entertaining writers in the Alt Right."-Richard Spencer, National Policy Institute
Tales of H. P. Lovecraft
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061374601
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
When he died in 1937, destitute and emotionally as well as physically ruined, H. P. Lovecraft had no idea that he would one day be celebrated as the godfather of modern horror. A dark visionary, his work would influence an entire generation of writers, including Stephen King, Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, and Anne Rice. Now, the most important tales of this distinctive American storyteller have been collected in a single volume by National Book Award-winning author Joyce Carol Oates. In tales that combine the nineteenth-century gothic sensibility of Edgar Allan Poe with a uniquely daring internal vision, Lovecraft fuses the supernatural and mundane into a terrifying, complex, and exquisitely realized vision, foretelling a psychically troubled century to come. Set in a meticulously described New England landscape, here are harrowing stories that explore the total collapse of sanity beneath the weight of chaotic events—stories of myth and madness that release monsters into our world. Lovecraft's universe is a frightening shadow world where reality and nightmare intertwine, and redemption can come only from below.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061374601
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
When he died in 1937, destitute and emotionally as well as physically ruined, H. P. Lovecraft had no idea that he would one day be celebrated as the godfather of modern horror. A dark visionary, his work would influence an entire generation of writers, including Stephen King, Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, and Anne Rice. Now, the most important tales of this distinctive American storyteller have been collected in a single volume by National Book Award-winning author Joyce Carol Oates. In tales that combine the nineteenth-century gothic sensibility of Edgar Allan Poe with a uniquely daring internal vision, Lovecraft fuses the supernatural and mundane into a terrifying, complex, and exquisitely realized vision, foretelling a psychically troubled century to come. Set in a meticulously described New England landscape, here are harrowing stories that explore the total collapse of sanity beneath the weight of chaotic events—stories of myth and madness that release monsters into our world. Lovecraft's universe is a frightening shadow world where reality and nightmare intertwine, and redemption can come only from below.
The American Dream
Author: Edward L. Pearson
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc
ISBN: 1640273298
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
Two young men were brought to the American colonies, one from England and the other from East Africa. Neither was here by choice since they were both brought here as slaves. That’s right, even the one from England. At this point, life did not offer either of them a great deal of promise. There was no racial distinction, only one of class. The British noblemen running the show had but one objective, and that was to turn the American colonies into their own kingdoms. The patriotic sentiments expressed in our founding documents were chiefly those of the peasantry. The last thing the ruling class sought was liberty and justice for all. Their primary concern was who might serve them in their domains. As the events of America’s history began to unfold, the two young men and their descendants were caught up in the development of our nation. The only guiding principle was a belief in freedom and equality. The peasants were not prepared for the duplicitous designs of their leaders. They went along with the program believing that those in charge had their best interests at heart. Today, we remain victims of that duplicity. It still exists because we are either unaware of it, or we have simply resigned ourselves to the inevitable. We have been conditioned to blame one another for our losses, when in fact we are all victims of the same grand design. The good thing is, we possess the power. In our democratic society, we the people are the ultimate overseers. Though the American dream may differ somewhat from person to person, it is still the guarantee that we will be allowed to achieve our dreams.
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc
ISBN: 1640273298
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
Two young men were brought to the American colonies, one from England and the other from East Africa. Neither was here by choice since they were both brought here as slaves. That’s right, even the one from England. At this point, life did not offer either of them a great deal of promise. There was no racial distinction, only one of class. The British noblemen running the show had but one objective, and that was to turn the American colonies into their own kingdoms. The patriotic sentiments expressed in our founding documents were chiefly those of the peasantry. The last thing the ruling class sought was liberty and justice for all. Their primary concern was who might serve them in their domains. As the events of America’s history began to unfold, the two young men and their descendants were caught up in the development of our nation. The only guiding principle was a belief in freedom and equality. The peasants were not prepared for the duplicitous designs of their leaders. They went along with the program believing that those in charge had their best interests at heart. Today, we remain victims of that duplicity. It still exists because we are either unaware of it, or we have simply resigned ourselves to the inevitable. We have been conditioned to blame one another for our losses, when in fact we are all victims of the same grand design. The good thing is, we possess the power. In our democratic society, we the people are the ultimate overseers. Though the American dream may differ somewhat from person to person, it is still the guarantee that we will be allowed to achieve our dreams.
Realizing the American Dream-The Personal Triumph of a Guyanese Immigrant
Author: Yuvraj Ramsaroop
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 145357736X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 421
Book Description
Immigrants will always be a part of the American landscape and the American Dream will certainly be within reach for anyone with a desire to succeed. Yuvraj Ramsaroop shares his triumph as a Guyanese immigrant as he reveals his journey to realizing the American Dream. In this rich autobiographical account, the author makes a compelling case that will inspire anyone with a gut wrenching saga of courage and determination. Readers will be given a revealing look inside life on a sugar plantation in British Guiana during colonial times. In his own words, Ramsaroop shares a vivid account of how growing up in poor conditions should never be a hindrance to an education. Seeking a better life in Canada and then the United States, his unrelenting quest to overcome the hurdles most immigrants face is a remarkable achievement. -----From successfully completing a college education to owning a home and sending his two daughters to medical schools in the United States----Realizing the American Dream is an uplifting true story. Follow the path that he walked and witness how he beat the odds. Through his experiences you will discover the secrets to success and gain ideas for achieving your own.
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 145357736X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 421
Book Description
Immigrants will always be a part of the American landscape and the American Dream will certainly be within reach for anyone with a desire to succeed. Yuvraj Ramsaroop shares his triumph as a Guyanese immigrant as he reveals his journey to realizing the American Dream. In this rich autobiographical account, the author makes a compelling case that will inspire anyone with a gut wrenching saga of courage and determination. Readers will be given a revealing look inside life on a sugar plantation in British Guiana during colonial times. In his own words, Ramsaroop shares a vivid account of how growing up in poor conditions should never be a hindrance to an education. Seeking a better life in Canada and then the United States, his unrelenting quest to overcome the hurdles most immigrants face is a remarkable achievement. -----From successfully completing a college education to owning a home and sending his two daughters to medical schools in the United States----Realizing the American Dream is an uplifting true story. Follow the path that he walked and witness how he beat the odds. Through his experiences you will discover the secrets to success and gain ideas for achieving your own.
American Dreams
Author: Bruce Price
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504024877
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
In the author’s words “American Dreams was a radical experiment, because the whole idea was to let the stories erupt and evolve on their own. I would draw a word and then use that word in the most interesting sentence I could think of, and then create the next most interesting (and connected) sentence I could think of, and so on until the energy ran out. Much to my surprise, I wrote an entire chapter the first time I tried this technique. It was as if I had discovered a magic lamp. And that’s the way it continued: a single word created each chapter. As I created more characters, I made a chart and assigned them numbers and then I rolled dice to decide which character would run into which other character. After all, in real life you’re constantly running into new people. Who knows why?”
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504024877
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
In the author’s words “American Dreams was a radical experiment, because the whole idea was to let the stories erupt and evolve on their own. I would draw a word and then use that word in the most interesting sentence I could think of, and then create the next most interesting (and connected) sentence I could think of, and so on until the energy ran out. Much to my surprise, I wrote an entire chapter the first time I tried this technique. It was as if I had discovered a magic lamp. And that’s the way it continued: a single word created each chapter. As I created more characters, I made a chart and assigned them numbers and then I rolled dice to decide which character would run into which other character. After all, in real life you’re constantly running into new people. Who knows why?”
Edward Albee's The American Dream
Author: Edward Albee
Publisher: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
ISBN: 9780822223917
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 116
Book Description
THE STORIES: THE AMERICAN DREAM. Mommy and Daddy sit in a barren living room making small talk. Mommy, the domineering wife, is grappling with the thought of putting Grandma in a nursing home. Daddy, the long-suffering husband, could not care less.
Publisher: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
ISBN: 9780822223917
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 116
Book Description
THE STORIES: THE AMERICAN DREAM. Mommy and Daddy sit in a barren living room making small talk. Mommy, the domineering wife, is grappling with the thought of putting Grandma in a nursing home. Daddy, the long-suffering husband, could not care less.
The Mike Hammer Collection, Volume I
Author: Mickey Spillane
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440674108
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 529
Book Description
A triple-shot anthology featuring the first three Mike Hammer novels—from the undisputed master of detective fiction. In Mickey Spillane's classic detective novels, the action exploded in a bone-crunching catharsis. Men and women didn't make love, they collided. Tough brutes used their fists to drive home a message. Tougher broads used guile. And no one's morals were loftier than the gutter. No apologies. Little redemption. They rendered critics powerless, shocked intellectuals, inspired a new wave of pulp mayhem, and left the public hungry for more. Given their hot, fever-pitch prose and breathless pacing, Spillane’s Mike Hammer novels quickly became one of the most successful series in publishing history—an innovative, no-holds-barred, ultravisceral explosion of sex and violence that made Hammer a literary legend, and Spillane, one of the bestselling authors of all time. After fifty years, neither has lost their power to sucker punch the reader. Find out for yourself in this omnibus featuring the first three Mike Hammer novels by the living master of the hard-boiled mystery... Includes: I, the Jury My Gun is Quick Vengeance is Mine!
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440674108
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 529
Book Description
A triple-shot anthology featuring the first three Mike Hammer novels—from the undisputed master of detective fiction. In Mickey Spillane's classic detective novels, the action exploded in a bone-crunching catharsis. Men and women didn't make love, they collided. Tough brutes used their fists to drive home a message. Tougher broads used guile. And no one's morals were loftier than the gutter. No apologies. Little redemption. They rendered critics powerless, shocked intellectuals, inspired a new wave of pulp mayhem, and left the public hungry for more. Given their hot, fever-pitch prose and breathless pacing, Spillane’s Mike Hammer novels quickly became one of the most successful series in publishing history—an innovative, no-holds-barred, ultravisceral explosion of sex and violence that made Hammer a literary legend, and Spillane, one of the bestselling authors of all time. After fifty years, neither has lost their power to sucker punch the reader. Find out for yourself in this omnibus featuring the first three Mike Hammer novels by the living master of the hard-boiled mystery... Includes: I, the Jury My Gun is Quick Vengeance is Mine!
Dying for the American Dream
Author: David Brown
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1418406856
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 528
Book Description
Confrontations between nations, which were previously seen as wars on open battlefields, changed dramatically during the Twentieth Century. With "volunteer" units appearing to aid the participants on both sides of the fray. These units varied from the AEF in England prior to the US entry into World War II, and the Flying Tigers fighting the Japanese in China, to the Chinese divisions aiding the North Koreans during the Korean war. Suddenly the line between nations at war and those at peace became blurred, and at times indistinguishable. The true nature of the conflict was contained in the diplomat's pouch. Such confrontations required brilliant and unorthodox solutions to eliminate the threat from hostile governments. While this is a work of fiction, set in the 1951 Korean conflict, it illustrates the lengths to which governments will go to find acceptable resolutions. Belly Of The Dragon is about military personnel "detached" to the CIA and trained as agents. These "civilians" are to destroy a military objective, a jet engine factory deep in the heart of China. The real story emerges after the successful destruction of the target. Two men, of the nine who started, are alive. One, now suffering from a severe head wound, becomes part time brutishly insane, part time childish coward. Strong hatred on one side and deep resentment on the other seethes under the surface as the two must temporarily put aside their differences in order to survive the five hundred-mile trek to the coast. Both are wounded and sick, tall white men in a country of small yellow people. Stolen trucks, stolen motorcycles, and stolen boats are their modes of travel, always accompanied by their fear. Living off the land, they travel by night, in darkened vehicles on unknown roads and trails. Unable to steal enough food, even unable to keep themselves clean. Raiding a herbalist's shop in a small village, they find, by smell, medicine they remember having used as a child. Caught in the act by the "herbalist", they struggle, and accidentally set fire to the village, which burns like tinder bringing all the villagers out of their houses threatening to block their escape. Capture is inevitable, and a river patrol comes upon them as they sleep. Beaten and humiliated, they are being transported to the patrol headquarters, but luck and savage resistance allows them to overpower their captors and steal the boat. An early October winter storm adds to their peril, as the temperature plummets and blinding snow and freezing rain obscures their passage. Their wounds have become worse to the point that neither is able to go on, and the will to live or fight is fast ebbing away. Recklessly, John forces the boat forward, in spite of the weather, and his actions lead to a crash on the rocks of mighty rapids. The boat is destroyed, and they are stranded on the rocks far from the shore. One is trapped inside the boat rubble. The other decides to leave him, assuming he is dead, but what if he is only wounded, the Marine code of honor won't allow him to walk away. Finally, they are assisted by people who have been mistreated by the "New Government of the People." But it is still a long way to the coast and rescue, too far to make it by the time the pick-up team arrives, unless the wounded man is left behind. "Who would ever know?" But, it may be a moot point. In Washington, the President, who knows the mission has been successful, begins to hope that there are no survivors. Survivors could become an embarrassment to the administration, if word of the raid into neutral territory, is discovered by the UN or the opposing political party. Director Dolly of the CIA, points out, that if the President wishes there were no survivors, such a thing can be arranged. Although the thought
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1418406856
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 528
Book Description
Confrontations between nations, which were previously seen as wars on open battlefields, changed dramatically during the Twentieth Century. With "volunteer" units appearing to aid the participants on both sides of the fray. These units varied from the AEF in England prior to the US entry into World War II, and the Flying Tigers fighting the Japanese in China, to the Chinese divisions aiding the North Koreans during the Korean war. Suddenly the line between nations at war and those at peace became blurred, and at times indistinguishable. The true nature of the conflict was contained in the diplomat's pouch. Such confrontations required brilliant and unorthodox solutions to eliminate the threat from hostile governments. While this is a work of fiction, set in the 1951 Korean conflict, it illustrates the lengths to which governments will go to find acceptable resolutions. Belly Of The Dragon is about military personnel "detached" to the CIA and trained as agents. These "civilians" are to destroy a military objective, a jet engine factory deep in the heart of China. The real story emerges after the successful destruction of the target. Two men, of the nine who started, are alive. One, now suffering from a severe head wound, becomes part time brutishly insane, part time childish coward. Strong hatred on one side and deep resentment on the other seethes under the surface as the two must temporarily put aside their differences in order to survive the five hundred-mile trek to the coast. Both are wounded and sick, tall white men in a country of small yellow people. Stolen trucks, stolen motorcycles, and stolen boats are their modes of travel, always accompanied by their fear. Living off the land, they travel by night, in darkened vehicles on unknown roads and trails. Unable to steal enough food, even unable to keep themselves clean. Raiding a herbalist's shop in a small village, they find, by smell, medicine they remember having used as a child. Caught in the act by the "herbalist", they struggle, and accidentally set fire to the village, which burns like tinder bringing all the villagers out of their houses threatening to block their escape. Capture is inevitable, and a river patrol comes upon them as they sleep. Beaten and humiliated, they are being transported to the patrol headquarters, but luck and savage resistance allows them to overpower their captors and steal the boat. An early October winter storm adds to their peril, as the temperature plummets and blinding snow and freezing rain obscures their passage. Their wounds have become worse to the point that neither is able to go on, and the will to live or fight is fast ebbing away. Recklessly, John forces the boat forward, in spite of the weather, and his actions lead to a crash on the rocks of mighty rapids. The boat is destroyed, and they are stranded on the rocks far from the shore. One is trapped inside the boat rubble. The other decides to leave him, assuming he is dead, but what if he is only wounded, the Marine code of honor won't allow him to walk away. Finally, they are assisted by people who have been mistreated by the "New Government of the People." But it is still a long way to the coast and rescue, too far to make it by the time the pick-up team arrives, unless the wounded man is left behind. "Who would ever know?" But, it may be a moot point. In Washington, the President, who knows the mission has been successful, begins to hope that there are no survivors. Survivors could become an embarrassment to the administration, if word of the raid into neutral territory, is discovered by the UN or the opposing political party. Director Dolly of the CIA, points out, that if the President wishes there were no survivors, such a thing can be arranged. Although the thought
Nightmare Alley
Author: Mark Osteen
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421408325
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
Classic film noir offers more than pesky private eyes and beautiful bad girls—it explores the quest for the not-so-attainable American dream. Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL Desperate young lovers on the lam (They Live by Night), a cynical con man making a fortune as a mentalist (Nightmare Alley), a penniless pregnant girl mistaken for a wealthy heiress (No Man of Her Own), a wounded veteran who has forgotten his own name (Somewhere in the Night)—this gallery of film noir characters challenges the stereotypes of the wise-cracking detective and the alluring femme fatale. Despite their differences, they all have something in common: a belief in self-reinvention. Nightmare Alley is a thorough examination of how film noir disputes this notion at the heart of the American Dream. Central to many of these films, Mark Osteen argues, is the story of an individual trying, by dint of hard work or, more often, illicit enterprises, to overcome his or her origins and achieve material success. In the wake of World War II, the noir genre tested the dream of upward mobility and the ideas of individualism, liberty, equality, and free enterprise that accompany it. Employing an impressive array of theoretical perspectives (including psychoanalysis, art history, feminism, and music theory) and combining close reading with original primary source research, Nightmare Alley proves both the diversity of classic noir and its potency. This provocative and wide-ranging study revises and refreshes our understanding of noir's characters, themes, and cultural significance.
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421408325
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
Classic film noir offers more than pesky private eyes and beautiful bad girls—it explores the quest for the not-so-attainable American dream. Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL Desperate young lovers on the lam (They Live by Night), a cynical con man making a fortune as a mentalist (Nightmare Alley), a penniless pregnant girl mistaken for a wealthy heiress (No Man of Her Own), a wounded veteran who has forgotten his own name (Somewhere in the Night)—this gallery of film noir characters challenges the stereotypes of the wise-cracking detective and the alluring femme fatale. Despite their differences, they all have something in common: a belief in self-reinvention. Nightmare Alley is a thorough examination of how film noir disputes this notion at the heart of the American Dream. Central to many of these films, Mark Osteen argues, is the story of an individual trying, by dint of hard work or, more often, illicit enterprises, to overcome his or her origins and achieve material success. In the wake of World War II, the noir genre tested the dream of upward mobility and the ideas of individualism, liberty, equality, and free enterprise that accompany it. Employing an impressive array of theoretical perspectives (including psychoanalysis, art history, feminism, and music theory) and combining close reading with original primary source research, Nightmare Alley proves both the diversity of classic noir and its potency. This provocative and wide-ranging study revises and refreshes our understanding of noir's characters, themes, and cultural significance.