Alfred Appel, Jr. (1934–2009) was an American scholar, professor of English, and author known for his expertise in modern art, literature, and jazz music. He served as a Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University, where he taught for over thirty years. A specialist on the works of Vladimir Nabokov, Appel edited 'The Annotated Lolita' and authored several books on Nabokov's cinema and literary themes. Beyond his literary scholarship, he published significant works on 20th-century art and jazz modernism, including 'Signs of Life' (1983), which explores American popular culture through photography and imagery.[1,2,3,4,6]
Signs of Life1983 · Alfred A. Knopf · book · EnglishISBN 0394507738Explores American popular culture from WWII to the present through photographs and movie stills.
The Annotated Lolita1991 · bookRevised edition of the annotated version of Nabokov's novel.
Nabokov's Dark Cinema1974 · book
The Art of Celebration: The Expression of Joy in 20th Century Art, Literature, Photography and Music1992 · Alfred A. Knopf · book
Jazz Modernism: From Ellington and Armstrong to Matisse and Joyce2002 · bookWon the 2003 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award.
