Hi George,
Your view of Noir is interesting and, I believe, probably
correct to a greater or lesser degree. Like pornography, noir
has many definitions but it is also something we all know
"when we see it".
My novel, "Original Sin" is published by Harvest House ( a
Christian publisher), and features a hardboiled PI named
Colton Parker. Colton is a product of the "group" home
scenario. Never knew his father, and his mother didn't want
him. He was shuttled from home to home and now has a
significantly hard time developing relationships. He is, in
short, a pot of boiling water with the lid ready to fly
off.
"Original Sin" deals with his issues, as well as the case he
investigates
(the savage murder of a high school guidance counselor) which
leads him to internet pornography, strip clubs, mob
activities etc. I wrote it with the "feel" of noir (again,
something we all know when we see it), and have tried to stay
true to the original format as it was developed by Hammett,
Chandler et al. Anything in a 1940's "noir" film, is
generally acceptable to a Christian publishing house,
including violence. After all, David cut off Goliath's head
and you can't get much more violent than that.
I would invite you to read "Original Sin" and email your
opinion to me at: www.brandtdodson.com or
bldodson@adelphia.net.
----- Original Message ----- From: "George C. Upper III"
<
gcupper3@yahoo.com> To: <
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, March
22, 2006 2:58 PM Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: noirs
>I have trouble thinking of Christianity as noir, but
that's partly a
> result of my definitions of Christianity and noir.
(Disclaimer: I
> work as the Principal of a private Christian high
school, so I have a
> very specific definition of
Christianity.)
>
> Noir, to me, seems to fit the pattern of
"protagonist wins, is
> screwed anyway." (I know we've gone over possible
definitions of
> noir and hard-boiled over and over again on this
list, and I'm not
> attempting to re-open this line of inquiry.) This is
not a
> definition, exactly, but a framework. If a plot fits
this framework,
> it is--as far as I'm concerned--noir. Maltese Falcon
fits--Spade
> solves the crime (wins), has to give up the girl (is
screwed). Many
> of the Travis McGee novels, taken independently, fit
this pattern
> pretty well, although I'd argue that the series
taken as a whole
> presents a more optimistic view of life.
>
> Christianity, on the other hand, fits the
opposite
> pattern: "protagonist is screwed, wins anyway." I
call this
> the "Good Morning, Vietnam" pattern, and for some
reason, I hate it
> in fiction--and particularly in film--despite the
fact that I think
> it fits my personal beliefs pretty well. The name
derives from the
> film, of course, in which Robin Williams loses his
personal battle,
> but wins anyway because he has refused to
compromise--or some such
> thing.
>
> So, anyway, I think of Christianity as sort of
anti-noir, but, again,
> that statement hinges solely (or dually?) on my
definitions of those
> two words.
>
> I'm in the process of selling my house and moving,
so I'll probably
> slip back into lurker mode. But I read the digest
daily, and I'd
> love to hear anyone's thoughts on this
subject--particularly on a
> name for what I consider the ill-named "Good
Morning, Vietnam"
> pattern.
>
> G.
>
>
>
>
>
> RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
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