1. Biographical Sketch – Joseph Campbell 1904-1989
Kayla Westra

2. The Early Years –Historical Context
Born 1904 in White Plains, NY
Irish Catholic upbringing
Influenced at age 9 by Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
Began college at Dartmouth, but transferred to Columbia
Influence of the “roaring 20s”
1924, left to study in Europe (medieval literature)
Met J. Krishnamurti on the voyage
Upon return, Walden-like experience for two years
Also influenced by the Great Depression

3. Early Career – Educational Experiences
1934 – began teaching at Sarah Lawrence (taught there 38 years)
Married Jean Erdman, a dancer in Martha Graham’s troupe
Influenced by Freud and Jung
Influenced by modernist theories
Literature, philosophy, and mythology were areas of focus
Development/refinement of monomyth and hero’s journey ideas

4. Writing, Teaching, and Speaking -- Significance
Wanted people to connect with age old stories (myths)
This was a new concept in education
Monomyth – one mythology
Hero’s Journey
Focused on human behavior, human potential, and the factors that impact a person’s life
Self fulfillment

5. Leadership Attributes

6. Follow Your Bliss

7. Books – over 30

8. Impact on Popular Culture
Hero’s Journey
Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey and application at Disney

9. George Lucas – Star Wars Impact
George Lucas at Joseph Campbell’s 85th birthday party:

10. Resources
About Joseph Campbell. (2015, March 2). Retrieved from Joseph Campbell Foundation: An overview of Krishnamurti's life and work. (2014). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from J. Krishnamurti: The official repository of the authentic teachings of J. Krishnamurti: Bancks, T. (2003, Spring). Beyond the hero's journey. Australian Screen Education, 33, Campbell, J. (1990). Transformations of myth through time. New York, New York: Harper & Row Publishers. Dinges, W. D. (1993, February 20). American Catholics and the Joseph Campbell phenomenon. America, Hudlin, E. W. (1989). The mythology of Oz: An interpretation. Papers on Language and Literature, 25(4), Lefkowitz, M. R. (2001). The myth of Joseph Campbell. The American Scholar, Morong, C. (1994, Winter). Mythology, Joseph Campbell, and the socioeconomic conflict. Journal of Socio-Economics, 23(4), Palumbo, D. (2008). The monomyth in James Cameron's The Terminator: Sarah as monomythic heroine. Journal of Popular Culture, 41(3), Palumbo, D. (2013). The Monomyth in Star Trek (2009): Kirk and Spock together again for the first time. Journal of Popular Culture, 46(1), Perspectives on Myths and Sacred Texts. (2015, March 2). Retrieved from Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason:

11. Additional Resources
Photos from Joseph Campbell Foundation web site:
Book covers from amazon.com
Quotes retrieved from Pinterest
Videos available on YouTube