Explore the noir novel through Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, and Sara Paretsky’s Indemnity Only. From hardboiled detectives navigating gritty cityscapes to Paretsky’s feminist reimagining of the genre, this course traces the evolution of noir fiction. Film clips from classic adaptations will highlight the genre’s impact on both literature and cinema
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YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Peter Kaye, PhD
Peter Kaye, PhD, is a retired faculty member from Northwestern University, where he combined administrative and teaching roles. He earned his doctorate in English literature and humanities from Stanford University, and his research led to the publication of Dostoevsky and English Modernism by Cambridge University Press. Over nearly 40 years in higher education, he taught a wide range of literature and interdisciplinary courses, with a focus on 19th- and 20th-century fiction. Now teaching online, he remains committed to lively, engaging instruction.