Leo Braudy is an American scholar of British literature and mass media. He is University Professor Emeritus in the departments of English and art history at the University of Southern California, and the former holder of the Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature at USC.
Background Braudy was born in Philadelphia in 1941. After contracting polio at a young age, he took up reading to get through times when he was confined to bed. He received his B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1963 and his M.A. 1963 and Ph.D. 1967 from Yale University. He joined the USC faculty in 1983. He is married to the painter Dorothy Braudy.
Braudy was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010. He retired from USC, becoming a professor emeritus, in 2024.
Books Braudy has authored books including: Narrative Form in History and Fiction: Hume, Fielding & Gibbon (1970); 2nd ed., The Plot of Time: Narrative Form in Hume, Fielding, and Gibbon (2003)Narrative Form in History and Fiction: Hume, Fielding & Gibbon, Princeton University Press, 1970. The Plot of Time: Narrative Form in Hume, Fielding, and Gibbon, Figueroa Press, 2003. Reviews: Martin C. Battestin (1970), Modern Language Quarterly, Benjamin Boyce (1970), South Atlantic Quarterly, John A. Dussinger (1971), The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, M. Maridon (1972), Études Anglaises, George H. Nadel (1972), The American Historical Review, Philip Stevick (1971), Novel, Grant L. Voth (1971), Eighteenth-Century Studies, Hayden White (1979), Style, Jean Renoir: The World of His Films (1972)Jean Renoir: The World of His Films, Doubleday, 1972. Reviews: William Gilcher (1974), Cinema Journal, Jonathan Rosenbaum (1973), Film Comment, Film Quarterly (1972), Kirkus Reviews, The World in a Frame: What We See in Films (1977)The World in a Frame: What We See in Films, Anchor, 1977. Reviews: Ernest Callenbach (1978–1979), Film Quarterly, Louis D. Giannetti (1977), Western Humanities Review, Ralph Harper (1977), MLN, Carrie Rickey (1978), Art Journal, Robert Silberman (1978), Cinéaste, Kirkus Reviews, The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and its History (1986)The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and its History, Oxford University Press, 1986. Reviews: Raymond Carney (1986), Los Angeles Times, Robert D. Richardson Jr. (1987), The Journal of American History, Seth L. Schein (1988), Criticism, Native Informant: Essays on Film, Fiction and Popular Culture (1990)Native Informant: Essays on Film, Fiction and Popular Culture, Oxford University Press, 1990. Reviews: Paul J. Lindholdt (1993), "Animal Energies and Tribal Rhythms", The Sewanee Review, Christopher Sharrett (1992), Cinéaste, From Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity (2003)From Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity, Alfred E. Knopf, 2003. Reviews: Joanna Bourke (2003), "The measure of a man", Los Angeles Times, Linda Colley (2004), Este país, Jeffrey A. Hall (2004), Journal of Communication, Gregory L. Kaster (2004), History, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly On the Waterfront (2005)On the Waterfront, BFI Publishing, 2005. Reviews: Sue Brower (2007), Journal of Film and Video, Charles Maland (2009), Film Quarterly, , The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon (2011)The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon, Yale University Press, 2011. Reviews: Casey Bayer (2011), Booklist, *Ron Briley (2013), Film & History, Paul Brownfield (2011), Los Angeles Times, Edward Buscombe (2012), Film Quarterly, , Chris Yogerst (2013), Journal of Film and Video, , Trying to be Cool: Growing Up in the 1950s (2013)Trying to be Cool: Growing Up in the 1950s, Asahina and Wallace, 2013. Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural Worlds (2016)Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural Worlds, Yale University Press, 2016. Reviews: Aaron Botwick (2016), Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, Matthew Bowman (2018), Nova Religio, Robyn Reed (2018), The Antioch Review, , Carrie Rickey (2017), Film Quarterly,
His edited volumes include: Norman Mailer: A Collection of Critical Essays (1972)Norman Mailer: A Collection of Critical Essays, Prentice-Hall, 1972. Focus on: Shoot the Piano Player (1972)Focus on: Shoot the Piano Player, Prentice-Hall, 1972. Great Film Directors: A Critical Anthology (1978)Great Film Directors: A Critical Anthology, edited with Morris Dickstein, Oxford University Press, 1978. Review: Paisley N. Livingston (1978), MLN,
References
External links Braudy's web site