Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. D.Appleton and Company, 1895. First American edition.
Stephen Crane seated at desk with papers in front of him.
Source: Stephen Crane Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries
We are pleased to announce that the book for the 20th annual John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Program is The Red Badge of Courage. Celebrating its 125th anniversary, Stephen Crane's classic novel is known for its early modernist portrayal of the Civil War, and its psychological perspectives on the mythmaking of heroism and cowardice. Still, in many respects The Red Badge of Courage goes beyond history, suggesting relevance over a century later, by speaking to issues of our day, specifically, a country that is visibly divided along ideological lines, which, for many, seem irreconcilable. In revisiting The Red Badge of Courage, one can't help but be prompted to ask, "Is our country broken?"
The 2020 selection held a special place in the heart of John Howard Birss, Jr. In fact, alumnus Robert Blais ('70) who endowed the program, maintains a collection of Professor Birss's research on The Red Badge of Courage - fitting selection to celebrate twenty years of Birss programming at RWU. - The Birss Committee, 2019
The Red Badge of Courage continues to be a crucial and relevant novel in literary discussion and analysis. A film adaptation was released in 1951 directed by John Huston. In 1955, Classics Illustrated created a comic modeled after the novel, while 20 years later Marvel Comics created its own comic book version. In April of 1982, W.W. Norton & Company published the original version of Crane's novel before it was shortened for publication. Known as the Red Badge, it is 5,000 words longer than Crane's 1895 publication, pieced together from various archives after Cora Crane gave many of the pages away following her partner's death.
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. New York: Marvel Comics Group, 1976, cover. / Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. D. Appleton and Company, 1985. First American edition.
Source: Lijenquist Collection, Library of Congress
Source: Lijenquist Collection, Library of Congress
Source: Lijenquist Collection, Library of Congress