The CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Elizabeth Alsop, assistant professor and academic director of the School’s BA in Communication and Media program, has published the book Elaine May.
Released by University of Illinois Press, the book takes an in-depth look at the nonconformist and uncompromising vision of the celebrated comedian, writer, and film director Elaine May. May was one of the few women who managed to make studio films in 1970s Hollywood, including A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, and Mikey and Nicky, but the poor reception of her 1987 film Ishtar brought a premature end to her directing career.
"I decided to write this book after seeing Ishtar for the first time. I wanted justice for this movie!” said Dr. Alsop. “I was also motivated by the discovery that despite the growing fandom for Elaine May's films, they had not yet received the sustained scholarly attention they deserved."
In the book, Dr. Alsop examines May’s four films in the context of classic and postclassical Hollywood, and explores the ways that May’s background in improv comedy, as well as writing and performing, informed her filmmaking.
As part of the publication launch, Dr. Alsop also spoke at a Public Programs event on February 19 at The Graduate Center, where she discussed May’s work and shared clips from her films. Watch a recording of the event here.
Prior to Elaine May, Dr. Alsop had also released the book Making Conversation in Modernist Fiction, an analysis of character dialogue in modernist novels. Published in 2019, the book highlighted the way that well-known authors like Henry James, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, William Faulkner, and Gertrude Stein structured fictional conversation and used it as a channel of communication with readers.
Both books are drawn from Dr. Alsop’s research interests in 20th-century American and British literature, narrative theory, and film and television studies. In addition to these books, she has also published essays and reviews for both scholarly journals and publications like The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, The LA Review of Books, and Bookforum.
For more information and to order the book, visit the publisher’s website.
About the CUNY School of Professional Studies
As New York's leading online school since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor's and master's degree options at the City University of New York, and serves as the University's first undergraduate all-transfer college. With 26 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor's degree, progress from an associate's degree, earn a master's degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its online offerings, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School's renowned and affordable online programs ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.
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