Episode 16: Classics of American Noir Artwork

Great American Novel

Few literary terms are more hotly debated, discounted, or derided than the "Great American Novel." But while critics routinely dismiss the phrase as at best hype and as at worst exclusionary, the belief that a national literature commensurate with both the scope and the contradictions of being American persists. In this podcast Scott Yarbrough and Kirk Curnutt examine totemic works such as Herman Melville's Moby-Dick and Toni Morrison's Beloved that have been labeled GANs, exploring their themes, forms, and reception histories, asking why, when, and how they entered the literary canon. Readers beware: there be spoilers here, and other hijinks ensue...

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Great American Novel

Episode 16: Classics of American Noir

November 02, 2022 • Scott Yarbrough and Kirk Curnutt • Season 2 • Episode 16

The Great American Novel podcast is an ongoing discussion about the novels we hold up as significant achievements in our American literary culture. Additionally, we sometimes suggest novels who should break into the sometimes problematical canon and at other times we’ll suggest books which can be dropped from such lofty consideration. Your hosts are Kirk Curnutt and Scott Yarbrough, professors with little time and less sense who nonetheless enjoy a good book banter.

For this 16th episode we went a different route and discuss a smorgasbord of fine American Noir, novels about detectives and criminals and femme fatales and button men, gunsels and grifters, sharps and snakes. We discuss works by Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, Dorothy B. Hughes, Vera Caspary, Patricia Highsmith, Chester Himes, Jim Thompson, and Horace McCoy.

Film audio clips are from Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944) and The Big Sleep (Howard Hawkes, 1946).

All show music is by Lobo Loco. The intro song is “Old Ralley”; the intermission is “The First Moment,” and the outro is “Inspector Invisible.” For more information visit: https://locolobomusic.com/.

We may be contacted at greatamericannovelpodcast (@) gmail.com. As always, the views of the hosts do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions.