Carruth long had an interest in the philosophy of existentialism, and its influence on his work is discernible from the time of his 1964 publication of a book-length imaginary dialogue with the French author and philosopher Albert Camus (1913–1960) entitled After “The Stranger”: Imaginary Dialogues with Camus.

Existentialism is a philosophy that attempts to understand the fundamentals of the human condition and its relation to the world. It eschews externally located absolute values such as reason and religious doctrine and rejects the notion that life has an inherent meaning, instead emphasizing that each individual must evolve his or her own subjective values. As a result, subjective experience is seen as being of paramount importance. According to music critic Annie Holub in her review of “Nowhere Man: Considered to Tears (I Like Red Recordings)” for the Rhythm & Views section of the Tucson...