MURRAY, Christopher John

(Chris Murray)

PERSONAL: Male.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Fitzroy Dearborn/Routledge, 270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016-0602.

CAREER: Independent scholar and editor.

WRITINGS:

(Editor, under name Chris Murray) Encyclopedia ofLiterary Critics and Criticism, two volumes, Fitzroy Dearborn (London, England), 1999.

(Editor, under name Chris Murray) Key Writers onArt: From Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century, Routledge (London, England), 2002.

(Editor, under name Chris Murray) Key Writers onArt: The Twentieth Century, Routledge (London, England), 2003.

(Editor) Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850, two volumes, Fitzroy Dearborn (New York, NY), 2003.

(Editor) Encyclopedia of Modern French Thought, Fitzroy Dearborn (New York, NY), 2004.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A companion to twentieth-century French theater and a collection of essays on French theories of art.

SIDELIGHTS: Christopher John Murphy works primarily in the fields of intellectual and cultural history. He is the editor of a number of volumes, including the Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850, a two-volume history of nearly eight hundred articles focusing on individuals, cultural development, events, and works of art, literature, and music of the period. A Booklist reviewer noted that Murray's intent is to consider this timeframe in as broad a manner as possible in order to study the changes in philosophy, art, politics, and literature. The critic said that this approach "allows the encyclopedia to cover diverse topics and people, such as Napoleon, Lord Byron, the French Revolution, landscape design, and the symphony."

The majority of the entries are concerned with the artists, writers, poets, and musicians of the era from Great Britain, western Europe, and America. The articles about individual works of music, art, or literature have been chosen because they are historically important or because they are representative of the period. "Probably the most valuable articles are the broad surveys that cover such topics as American Romanticism, drama, fiction, German idealism, literary criticism, and science," concluded the Booklist contributor. Library Journal contributor Manya Chylinski said that Murray "has made a commendable effort not only to cover all major developments that took place at the time but also to include entries for terms that are not strictly Romantic but are essential for a better understanding of the period."

Murray is also editor of the Encyclopedia of Modern French Thought, which collects 234 alphabetically arranged entries of between 1,000 and 5,000 words by more than 150 scholars that examine multidisciplinary themes such as language, sexuality, and media. Murray's scope is again wide ranging, with topic-focused articles that include "Philosophy of Science," "Political Movements and Debates," and "Feminism." Other schools of thought that have a place here include Marxism, deconstructionism, and theology. Also studied are influential individuals, such as political engineer Alain Lipietz and psychoanalyst Julia Kristeva. The entry titled "Existentialism" focuses on the influences of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus. Individuals whose influence is felt to this day include psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan and novelist Marcel Proust. Library Journal writer Ali Houissa called the reference "an essential resource."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Architectural Review, June, 2004, Timothy Brittain-Catlin, review of Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850, p. 105.

Booklist, March 1, 2004, review of Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850.

Choice, October, 2004, R. T. Ivey, review of Encyclopedia of Modern French Thought, p. 266.

Library Journal, March 15, 2004, Manya Chylinski, review of Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850, p. 64; April 15, 2004, Ali Houissa, review of Encyclopedia of Modern French Thought, p. 70.*