Background
Lehan, Richard D'Aubin was born on December 23, 1930 in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Ralph A. and Mildred Lehan.
( While there has been a great deal written about the inf...)
While there has been a great deal written about the influence of French existentialism on modern fiction, Lehan’s new book is strikingly different from other interpretations. With over twenty-five articles published on the topic, Lehan is an authority on the subject and an expert in American literature. He brings to this exciting new approach a knowledge and an awareness of the reciprocal influence of French philosophers and American novelists never before shown. As he moves from Nietzsche’s superman to Heller’s functionaries, Lehan presents the complete chronology as well as the full spectacle of literary existentialism. Exceptionally well written, his book is especially valuable for the clear perspective he thus provides.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0809306077/?tag=2022091-20
( A fresh and unusual study of Dreiser which stresses the...)
A fresh and unusual study of Dreiser which stresses the political and philosophical theories basic to his novels. Theodore Dreiser, one of our foremost writers, has been read and reread, and abundant biographical details have been made known to shed light on his work. Yet what has remained to be done is what Richard Lehan has done here in this fresh and unusual portrait of Dreiser—to re-create and relate to the works themselves the usable past out of which Dreiser wrote, the turn-of-the-century America with all of its materialism, crassness, and business immorality which attracted and repelled Dreiser and out of which came his created world of fiction. A unique feature of this book which will be of interest to Dreiser scholars is the generous use made here of original holographs from the Theodore Dreiser Collection at the University of Pennsylvania. Dreiser’s characters must be understood for what they tell us about the success-driven men and women of America, Mr. Lehan maintains. They do not retreat into the world of the dead past in search of genteel fulfillment, in search of “consciousness.” They struggle in the modern city, chase the fantasies of their desire, and break down the doors of convention—very much as Dreiser himself did in his personal escape and struggle and conflict with materialistic and altruistic motives which drove him compulsively and made a tormented man of him—a point missed by many critics.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0809303825/?tag=2022091-20
( This sweeping literary encounter with the Western idea ...)
This sweeping literary encounter with the Western idea of the city moves from the early novel in England to the apocalyptic cityscapes of Thomas Pynchon. Along the way, Richard Lehan gathers a rich entourage that includes Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, Emile Zola, Bram Stoker, Rider Haggard, Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Raymond Chandler. The European city is read against the decline of feudalism and the rise of empire and totalitarianism; the American city against the phenomenon of the wilderness, the frontier, and the rise of the megalopolis and the decentered, discontinuous city that followed. Throughout this book, Lehan pursues a dialectic of order and disorder, of cities seeking to impose their presence on the surrounding chaos. Rooted in Enlightenment yearnings for reason, his journey goes from east to west, from Europe to America. In the United States, the movement is also westward and terminates in Los Angeles, a kind of land's end of the imagination, in Lehan's words. He charts a narrative continuum full of constructs that "represent" a cycle of hope and despair, of historical optimism and pessimism. Lehan presents sharply etched portrayals of the correlation between rationalism and capitalism; of the rise of the city, the decline of the landed estate, and the formation of the gothic; and of the emergence of the city and the appearance of other genres such as detective narrative and fantasy literature. He also mines disciplines such as urban studies, architecture, economics, and philosophy, uncovering material that makes his study a lively read not only for those interested in literature, but for anyone intrigued by the meanings and mysteries of urban life.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520212568/?tag=2022091-20
(Written in an easy-to-read, accessible style by teachers ...)
Written in an easy-to-read, accessible style by teachers with years of classroom experience, Masterwork Studies are guides to the literary works most frequently studied in high school. Presenting ideas that spark imaginations, these books help students to gain background knowledge on great literature useful for papers and exams. The goal of each study is to encourage creative thinking by presenting engaging information about each work and its author. This approach allows students to arrive at sound analyses of their own, based on in-depth studies of popular literature. Each volume: -- Illuminates themes and concepts of a classic text -- Uses clear, conversational language -- Is an accessible, manageable length from 140 to 170 pages -- Includes a chronology of the author's life and era -- Provides an overview of the historical context -- Offers a summary of its critical reception -- Lists primary and secondary sources and index
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805780130/?tag=2022091-20
writer English language educator
Lehan, Richard D'Aubin was born on December 23, 1930 in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Ralph A. and Mildred Lehan.
Bachelor of Arts, Stonehill College, 1952; Master of Arts, Boston College, 1953; Doctor of Philosophy, University Wisconsin, 1958.
Member of faculty, University of Wisconsin -Madison, 1953-1957; member of faculty, University Texas-Austin, 1958-1962; member of faculty department English, University of California at Los Angeles, since 1962; Professor of English, University of California at Los Angeles, since 1969; department chairman English, University of California at Los Angeles, 1971-1973. Fulbright exchange professor Moscow State University, Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, 1974-1975.
(Written in an easy-to-read, accessible style by teachers ...)
( While there has been a great deal written about the inf...)
( This sweeping literary encounter with the Western idea ...)
( A fresh and unusual study of Dreiser which stresses the...)
Married Ann Evans, June 11, 1960. 1 son, Edward Scott.