Emile Benoit (born 1965) is the pseudonym for the American author of the critically acclaimed Essays and Aphorisms on the Higher Man as well as the full length play A Midsummer Night's Hangover.[1] Fiercely protective of his solitude, Benoit has spent most of his life in relative obscurity, known only to a small group of loyal admirers. Yet, the Internet is largely responsible for circulating Benoit’s work to a larger audience. Eudaimon Press was established in 2009 for the sole purpose of publishing Benoit’s writing and making it available to readers.[2]
Contents |
History has shown examples of man trying to pull himself out of his ignorant bliss and stagnancy, from the philosopher kings and Renaissance man to Nietzsche's Superman. A scant number of individuals have dared to become something more by the unremitting quest for knowledge gained from the arts, religion, philosophy, etc., and the implementation of this knowledge across the broad spectrum of their lives and the lives of others…[H]umanity can go beyond Kant, Hume, Nietzsche's Superman, and the selfishness of Sartre's existential humanism. In a sense, he or she can become a "higher man." Benoit writes, "The evolution of the species will be when man can incorporate and digest all of his religions and live wholly, honestly and peacefully with himself and others…when he accepts all the religions, arts, and sciences as expressions of human greatness; a time when even the truth will no longer be an eternal proposition but simply an expression of mankind’s prominence at making the incomprehensible understood – if but only briefly."[3] As Benoit writes in the preface of the book, his intention is "to inspire, rather than impose, to incite rather than allow man to settle into a comfortable repose, delighted with himself." The book has won critical acclaim from reviewers[4][5] as well as New York Times bestselling authors.[6] In a review from ForeWord (magazine), Lee Gordon writes: "With the brevity of Confucius, the beauty, depth, wit and wisdom of the poet Rumi, and his own succinct, lyrical language, Benoit writes about the human condition."
In A Midsummer Night's Hangover, two young lovers must overcome the religious rigidity of the girl's father in order to be together. Inevitably, they must escape to the woods, fake their own deaths, and summon the devil himself for assistance. Midsummer is a darkly lyrical and comic world inhabited by lonely dreamers, vengeful lovers, rabid feminists, assorted potions, and a statue that springs to life. As a complement to the full length play, Heaven is a comedic one act that imagines a crisis in heaven wherein God Himself is suffering from a creative block and must assemble the great artists of Hell to join Him in Heaven for inspiration. What ensues is a gentle and quirky satire on religion, love, and friendship. These two comedies are both poetic, playful, and irreverent pieces that provide for some thoughtful and comical insight into the human condition.[7]