John Farrell, professor of literature, will discuss What was Postmodernism?, as part of the Claremont Discourse faculty lecture series sponsored by The Libraries of the Claremont Colleges. Farrell's talk will be held at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 8 in the Founder's Room of Honnold/Mudd Library.
Farrell, author of Paranoia and Modernity: Cervantes to Rousseau (Cornell University Press, 2006), will explore theories of what postmodernism meant at the time it was adopted by literary critics to designate such artists and theorists as Pynchon, Cage, and Warhol. Skeptical that postmodernism has really been as important as it is made out to be in Western culture history, Farrell also will counter those theories with his own observations.
A graduate of Brown University, Farrell received his master's and doctorate degrees from Harvard University. His teaching interests include Renaissance and modern poetry, critical theory, and 19th- and 20th-century fiction.
The lecture, to be held in the Founders Room at Honnold, includes refreshments and time for discussion following the presentation.
For more information: 909-621-8150, or visit www.libraries.claremont.edu.
---Alicia Hill '08