WHAT THE CRITICS SAY ABOUT
                                               SEEING BEYOND: MOVIES, VISIONS, AND VALUES

 "...Each essay is a small gem. Taken together as a whole they form a persuasive argument that movies are a fundamentally revolutionary moral force in contemporary life. Seeing Beyond: Movies, Visions, And Values is an invaluable contribution
to film theory and criticism, and a highly recommended addition to both academic and community film library reference collections."
                                                                                --Thomas G. Whelan,
                                                                                  The Midwest Book Review  "Reviewers Bookwatch" Online
                                                                                   http://www.execpc.com/~mbr/bookwatch/

        At a time when postmodern theory and cultural studies threaten to obscure the luminous and haunting images that once enthralled my generation, Professor Sugg's anthology reminds us of the pioneering role William Robinson played in elevating the status of movies as objects of academic discourse.  The essays that follow Robinson's collected work attest to the personal as well as professional impact of his vision on a wide range of important scholars whose critical interests he helped to liberate.  Although I have never met Professor Robinson, after reading SEEING BEYOND I felt as if, along with the other contributors to this volume, he had been my mentor, too.
                                                                                  --Lloyd Michaels, Editor

  Film Criticism

        "Not too long ago there was no film theory," William R. Robinson wrote years ago in his book MAN AND MOVIES (1967), but Robinson, a pioneer in cinema studies, helped to change all that and was luckier than some other pioneers who were eventually discarded and hung out to dry.  SEEING BEYOND, a collection of 26 essays, includes 11 by Robinson himself (some hitherto unpublished) and 15 more by scholars he influenced, such as editor Richard P. Sugg, and other well-known critics and writers, including Annie Dillard, Frank Burke, George Garrett, R.H.W. Dillard, J.P. Telotte, and David Lavery.  Some were his students, others well-published colleagues and "friends of Bill."  This anthology offers a glimpse into the development and history of American academic film theory and criticism--up close and personal.  This loving and respectful tribute will be of interest to anyone who knows Robinson, in person, or through his work.
                                                                                 --James M. Welsh, Editor
                                                                                   Literature/Film Quarterly