The Origins of Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction
Authors like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler rose to prominence in pulp magazines like The Black Mask. Writer Ron Goulart's new book, The Dime Detectives, explores this history. Goulart is a genre author who publishes under a variety of different pseudonyms.
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Other segments from the episode on December 14, 1988
William Kittredge on the Mistakes of Westward Expansion
The writer inherited his family's ranch, but later sold it when he moved to Iowa for graduate school. Kittredge critiques the belief that humans have the moral authority to develop and tame the American West. This mythology, he says, has led to ecological destruction and the genocide of American Indians. His new collection of essays about the subject is called Owning it All.
Melodies are Everywhere in Elliott Carter's Music
The experimental composer, who just celebrated his 80th birthday, has largely abandoned conventional technique in his recent work. But after listening back to some of Carter's earlier songs, classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says he can hear traces of melody in his more difficult pieces.
A Second Chance for Barry Fleming's Forgotten Novel
Fleming was a well-regarded author whose book, The Make-Believers, was ignored by large publishing houses and readers alike. Guest critic Stuart Klawans says the novel deserved more attention, and hopes a new reissue will help it find a bigger audience.
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