James Boylan,Columbia Journalism Review,
".'Runyonese,' evoke[s] a perhaps mythical Manhattan occupied by amusing, sometiimes violent or greedy perps."
Review
".'Runyonese,' evoke[s] a perhaps mythical Manhattan occupied by amusing, sometiimes violent or greedy perps."
Review
"...thought-provoking examination of Runyon and his historical context..."--T.D. Beal, Choice
"...shows how Runyon captured--and in some ways created--the sights and sounds of New York City..."--Frank Herron, Syracuse Post-Standard
"If you love anything to do with the history of New York City, Dan Schwarz has written just the book for you."--Union College
"...'Runyonese,' evoke[s] a perhaps mythical Manhattan occupied by amusing, sometimes violent or greedy perps."--James Boylan, Columbia Journalism Review
"Runyon exerted influence far beyond writing a story and had an enormous impact on popular culture in America. Recommended..."--Katherine E. Merrill, Library Journal
"In the vagaries of literary reputation, Damon Runyon survives today more as a byword and a legend than as an author. He is best remembered for his flashy or shady characters, his half-mythical Broadway terrain, and most of all the indelible adaptations of his work, especially Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls. Daniel Schwarz's book makes a lively case for Runyon as a vernacular poet, a quirky character in his own right, and, with Walter Winchell, a great reporter-impresario of New York's midtown demimonde during its golden years." --Morris Dickstein, CUNY Graduate Center, author of Gates of Eden and Leopards in the Temple
"This fascinating and comprehensive study of Damon Runyon at last gives us a scholarly study that places him in company like Aaron Copeland and other major cultural figures that would have surprised him but probably, secretly, delighted him too. Bravo!" --William R. Taylor, author of In Pursuit of Gotham and editor of Inventing Times Square
Book Description
While analyzing Damon Runyon’s work in terms of historical contexts, popular culture, and of the changing function of the media, Schwarz argues that Runyon was an indispensible figure in creating enduring images of New York City culture, which spurred an interest in the demi-monde and underworld exposed in The Godfather films and The Sopranos. In lively and exuberant chapters that include a panoramic view of New York City between the World Wars--and its colorful nightlife--Schwarz examines virtually every facet of Runyon’s career from sports writer, daily columnist, trial reporter, and Hollywood figure to the author of the still widely read short stories that were the source of the Broadway hit Guys and Dolls. As part of his discussion of Runyon’s art and artistry of Runyon’s fiction, he skillfully examines the special language of the Broadway stories known as “Runyonese” and explains how “Runyonese” has become an adjective describing flamboyant behavior.
About the Author
Daniel R. Schwarz is Professor of English and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell University, where he has taught since 1968. He has received Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences Russell award for distinguished teaching. His prior previous books include Imagining the Holocaust (1999), Reconfiguring Modernism: Exploring the Relationship Between Modern Art and Modern Literature (1997). He has directed nine NEH seminars, and has lectured widely in the United States and abroad. He lives in Ithaca, New York.
Broadway Boogie Woogie: Damon Runyon and the Making of Broadway Culture FROM THE PUBLISHER
While analyzing Damon Runyon's work in terms of historical contexts, popular culture, and of the changing function of the media, Schwarz argues that Runyon was an indispensible figure in creating enduring images of New York City culture, which spurred an interest in the demi-monde and underworld exposed in The Godfather films and The Sopranos. In lively and exuberant chapters that include a panoramic view of New York City between the World Wars--and its colorful nightlife--Schwarz examines virtually every facet of Runyon's career from sports writer, daily columnist, trial reporter, and Hollywood figure to the author of the still widely read short stories that were the source of the Broadway hit Guys and Dolls. As part of his discussion of Runyon's art and artistry of Runyon's fiction, he skillfully examines the special language of the Broadway stories known as "Runyonese" and explains how "Runyonese" has become an adjective describing flamboyant behavior.
SYNOPSIS
A fresh look at the works and legacy of a beloved New York writer.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
This intriguing scholarly study of Damon Runyon, a newspaper reporter, columnist, and short story writer, examines his contributions to New York City culture and identity in the early part of the 20th century. Schwarz (English, Cornell) considers Runyon's work in shaping urban culture from 1910 until his death in 1946, arguing that his subject was "high lowbrow," a cultural identity that shaped the media and created work that had "historical importance in forming the genres that still dominate mass culture today." His argument is supported by a critical and engaging study of the Runyon oeuvre, including short stories and newspaper columns. Readers are introduced to gangsters like "Harry the Horse," domestic stories featuring the Turps, and sentimental pieces featuring Waldo Winchester, based on real-life columnist Walter Winchell. Schwarz points out that Runyon's popularity originated in his understanding of readers' cultural and economic values. He wrote his stories as escapist literature, and in this sense, he was able to construct lessons from the stories and to define moral behavior resulting from the consequences of characters' actions. In this way, Runyon exerted influence far beyond writing a story and had an enormous impact on popular culture in America. Recommended for academic libraries.-Katherine E. Merrill, Milne Lib., SUNY Geneseo Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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