Amid all that has been published about William Faulkner, one subject--the
nature of his thought--remains largely unexplored. But, as Daniel Singal's
new intellectual biography reveals, we can learn much about Faulkner's art
by relating it to the cultural and intellectual discourse of his era, and
much about that era by coming to terms with his art. Through detailed analyses of individual texts, from the earliest poetry through Go Down, Moses, Singal traces Faulkner's attempt to liberate himself from the repressive Victorian culture in which he was raised by embracing the Modernist culture of the artistic avant-garde. To accommodate the conflicting demands of these two cultures, Singal shows, Faulkner created a complex and fluid structure of selfhood based on a set of dual identities--one, that of a Modernist author writing on the most daring and subversive issues of his day, and the other, that of a southern country gentleman loyal to the conservative mores of his community. Indeed, it is in the clash between these two selves, Singal argues, that one finds the key to making sense of Faulkner. Daniel J. Singal, author of The War Within: From Victorian to Modernist Thought in the South, is professor of history at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. "Written with calm authority." --Kirkus Reviews
"In this book, Dan Singal brings a professional lifetime of researching,
thinking, and writing about the intellectual culture of the South to bear
on the life and works of William Faulkner. With a sure hand he weaves
Faulkner into the tortured efforts of the South to pass from a Victorian
to a Modernist order. He offers us a bold and sweeping interpretation. It
is carefully wrought, and it is persuasive."--Joel Williamson, author of
William Faulkner and Southern History
From the book, here is the
contents and list of illustrations.
Excerpt from Chapter 7, The Making of a Modernist Identity William Faulkner Online 1-800-848-6224 If you would like to receive more information about this book, send us an email. Be sure to include your mailing or email address.
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