Loading
|
Loading
|
American Cinema
Friedman describes himself as "classically-trained" in literature -- after all, he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the venerable Milton and Shelley -- and "self-taught" in cinema. "Media was the 'dark side' when I was in college," he jokes. "There were few programs in media until the late sixties and seventies, when film became a high art and people wanted to learn more about it." Now, Friedman himself is deeply involved with HWS's Media and Society program and serves as its chair.
Though Friedman only joined the HWS faculty a few years ago in 2005, he has extensive experience in education. "I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher," he explains. "I had a formative experience with a high school teacher, and I originally wanted to teach high school as well, but eventually decided to pursue teaching on a higher level." He has teaching experience at prestigious universities and has written numerous vanguard publications in his field. Friedman has offered his well-rounded expertise in the classrooms of Syracuse University, Northwestern University, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Feinberg School of Medicine and the SUNY Upstate Medical Center.
His ongoing work as a series co-editor of the Screen Decades series has been the largest critical undertaking in the history of cinema studies scholarship, covering American cinema from 1895-2009 in essays from more than 100 top film scholars. He is also currently completing a textbook on Film Genres for W.W. Norton and Company.
Friedman's scholarly writing includes:
Film Series
Some fun facts about Friedman include that during active duty in the U.S. Army, Friedman served as a journalist. He is also a Jeopardy! champion and was only knocked out of the competition after betting it all in Final Jeopardy.
Lester Friedman in the News
Chicago Tribune:
Indiana Jones and That Spielberg Ending
Susan Sarandon's `incredible sense of loneliness'
NPR:
Indiana Jones, Another Hit for Spielberg
Senses of Cinema:
Clever Meets Stupid: Criticism, Theory, and Spielberg Apologists
Related Links
Rock n Roll in the Sunken Garden
An Olympic Year
HWS and Smith Opera House host Spielberg film discussion, screening
Friedman Helps Get Spielberg into Focus
Friedman Provides Spielberg Insight on NPR
Friedman's books now available at College Store
Nine Faculty Promoted by Board of Trustees
Interview opportunities and additional background information may be requested through the Office of Communications, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York. Phone: (315) 781-3540. After business hours, Communications staff members are accessible through contact information on their answering machine at that number.
Friedman is a consummate scholar and educator in film and media's role in society. He is one of the foremost scholars on the life and works of Steven Spielberg.
In the classroom, he has taught Cinema of Steven Spielberg, America in the Seventies, Jews in the American Media, Introduction to Media and Society and Imagining the West.
He is a member of the Society of Cinema and Media Studies, the American Film Institute, the Film Center of Lincoln Center, the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities and also reviews articles for the Journal for Medical Humanities.
Friedman received his Ph.D. and M.A. from Syracuse University and his B.A. from Alfred University. All of his degrees are in English, furthering his scholarly breadth.