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Edition 7 (1957) Winner
John Roderigo Dos Passos
ジョン・ロデリゴ・ドス・パッソス
John Roderigo Dos Passos
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1896-01-14 （Chicago, Illinois, U.S.）
- Died
- 1970-09-28 （Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.） age 74
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Chicago (birthplace) → Paris (studies at the Sorbonne) → Montparnasse, Paris → Maine (artwork and residence periods) → Spence's Point, Virginia (estate/home in later life) → Baltimore, Maryland (place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, playwright, poet, journalist, painter, translator
- Active Years
- 1916-1970
- Affiliations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters, League of American Writers
- Memberships
- League of American Writers, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Associated with Young Americans for Freedom, Citizens Committee for a Free Cuba
- Influenced By
- Blaise Cendrars, Modernist writers and movements
- Influenced
- Work noted as influence on Alfred Döblin, Influenced Jean-Paul Sartre's views on narrative technique, Influenced American writers such as Mary McCarthy, Influenced later science fiction writers (e.g. John Brunner) in collage techniques
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choate Rosemary Hall (formerly Choate School) | — | — | — | 1907–1912 | United States |
| Harvard College | — | Humanities (studies in literature and related fields) | B.A. (cum laude) | 1912–1916 | United States |
| Sorbonne (University of Paris) | — | Anthropology (studies/courses) | — | 1918（在学・研修） | France |
Choate Rosemary Hall (formerly Choate School)
Period:
1907–1912
Year of Graduation:
1912
Country:
United States
Secondary education; later matriculated to Harvard.
Harvard College
Humanities (studies in literature and related fields)
Degree:
B.A. (cum laude)
Period:
1912–1916
Year of Graduation:
1916
Country:
United States
Graduated cum laude in 1916; classmates included e.e. cummings.
Sorbonne (University of Paris)
Anthropology (studies/courses)
Period:
1918（在学・研修）
Country:
France
Studied anthropology after World War I under U.S. Army education program; degree status unclear.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Antonio Feltrinelli Prize | — | — | Accademia/Fondazione Antonio Feltrinelli (Italy) | 受賞 |
Antonio Feltrinelli Prize
1967
Organization:
Accademia/Fondazione Antonio Feltrinelli (Italy)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Three Soldiers
1921 War novel / anti-war novel 312 pagesAn anti-war novel drawn from Dos Passos's World War I ambulance and medical corps experience, portraying soldiers' perspectives and the realities of war.
war and its effectsindividuals and the militaryreturn and transformation
Translations
- Three Soldiers
Manhattan Transfer
1925 Urban novel / Modernism 480 pagesA novel portraying New York urban life using montage and experimental techniques to construct a chorus of characters and the city's bustle.
urbanization and anonymitymodern capitalismbreakdown of human relationships
Translations
- Manhattan Transfer
U.S.A. trilogy (The 42nd Parallel, 1919, The Big Money)
1938 Modernism / experimental fiction 1216 pagesAn experimental three-volume work combining montage, news clippings, biography, and fiction to depict American society and the transformations of capitalism in the early twentieth century.
American Dream and disillusionmentcritique of capitalismintersection of generations and history
Translations
- U.S.A. trilogy
The Devil Is a Woman (screenplay)
1935 film screenplayContributed to the screenplay of the film directed by Josef von Sternberg starring Marlene Dietrich; adapted from Pierre Louÿs's novel.
power and desirecultural adaptations
Adaptations
- [Film] The Devil Is a Woman / Josef von Sternberg (1935)
Bibliography
- One Man's Initiation: 1917 (1920)
- Three Soldiers (1921)
- Streets of Night (1923)
- Manhattan Transfer (1925)
- The 42nd Parallel (1930)
- Nineteen Nineteen (1932)
- The Big Money (1936)
- Adventures of a Young Man (1939)
- Number One (1943)
- The Grand Design (1949)
- Chosen Country (1951)
- The Head and Heart of Thomas Jefferson (1954)
- Most Likely to Succeed (1954)
- The Great Days (1958)
- Midcentury (1961)
- The Best Times: An Informal Memoir (1966)
Adaptations
- The Devil Is a Woman (film; screenplay involvement)
- The Odyssey of John Dos Passos (documentary film, 1994)
Translations by Author
- Translations of Blaise Cendrars (e.g. La Panama) into English
- Other translations of French-language works into English
Translations of Works
- Japanese translations of Manhattan Transfer
- Japanese translations of the U.S.A. trilogy
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- modernist experimental techniquesmontage and collage methodsfragmentary and nonlinear narration
- Recurring Motifs
- cities and ensemble castscapitalism and the working classeffects of war and returning veteransintersection of American history and personal histories
Health
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Loss of vision in one eye (automobile accident)1947–1970A 1947 automobile accident cost him sight in one eye, affecting his subsequent life and work.
Legacy
A major modernist figure in twentieth-century American literature. The U.S.A. trilogy is widely regarded for its experimental techniques and critique of American society and has influenced later writers and filmmakers. His political shifts affected reception, but his place in literary history is secure.
Museums
- Spence's Point (estate) Westmoreland County, Virginia Opened in 1971
- Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library (holds John Dos Passos papers) University of Virginia (Charlottesville), Virginia
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
Archives
- Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library (University of Virginia)
- University of Maryland Libraries (John Dos Passos papers)
- University of South Carolina (Richard Layman collection)
In Popular Culture
- Cited as an influence by filmmakers such as Adam Curtis for narrative techniques
- Influence on works using collage techniques, e.g. John Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar
Quotes
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I have come to think, especially since my trip to Spain, that civil liberties must be protected at every stage. In Spain, I am sure that the introduction of GPU methods by the Communists did as much harm as their tank men, pilots, and experienced military men did good.
Source: Essay / statement about the Spanish Civil War (1937)
Trivia
- Dos Passos created many of his own book jackets and illustrations.
- He produced over forty books, numerous poems, essays and plays, and more than 400 pieces of art.
- The John Dos Passos Prize, awarded by Longwood University, is named in his honor.