Michael Chabon's America : magical words, Secret worlds, and sacred spaces / edited by Jesse Kavadlo, Bob Batchelor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Kavadlo, Jesse, 1971- editor.

Batchelor, Bob, editor.

Series:

Contemporary American literature (Rowman & Littlefield, Inc.)

Contemporary American Literature

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Chabon, Michael--Criticism and interpretation.

Chabon, Michael.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xvi, 264 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham, MD : Rowman & Littlefield, [2014]

Summary:

Author Michel Chabon is acutely attuned to life in contemporary America, providing insight into the history of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries in novels such as The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (1988), Wonder Boys (1995), and Telegraph Avenue (2012). The Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Chabon follows in the footsteps of past stylists, writing across multiple genres that include young-adult literature, essays, and screenplays. Despite his broad success, however, Chabon's work has not been adequately examined from a critical perspective. Michael Chabon's America: Magical Words, Secret Worlds, and Sacred Spaces is the first scholarly collection of essays analyzing the work of the acclaimed author. This book demonstrates how Chabon uses a broad range of styles and genres, including detective and comic book fiction, to define the American experience. These essays assess and analyze Chabon's complete oeuvre, demonstrating his deep connection to the contemporary world and his place as a literary force. Providing a context for understanding the author's work from cultural, historical, and stylistic perspectives, Michael Chabon's America is a valuable study of a celebrated author whose work deserves close examination. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Real Maps of Imaginary Worlds; or, Michael Chabon, Shadowtail / Jesse Kavadlo Kavadlo, Jesse 1

Part I Chronicling Popular Culture 17

2 The Dudes Abide: Examining Clinton-Era Identity in Wonder Boys and The Big Lebowski / Bob Batchelor Batchelor, Bob 19

3 Quentin Tarantino and the Paradox of Popular Culture in Michael Chabon's Telegraph Avenue / John Joseph Hess Hess, John Joseph 31

4 Driving Away: Muscle Cars, Loss, and Unrequited Travels with Chabon / Charli Valdez Valdez, Charli 49

5 "Guess Who I Am Now": On Communication and Childhood in Michael Chabon's "Lost World" Stories / Mike Witcombe Witcombe, Mike 63

Part II Chabon's Mysteries: Comics and Genre 79

6 Comix Remix; or, The Strange Case of Mr. Chabon / Stephen Hock Hock, Stephen 81

7 "An American Golem": The Necessity of Myth in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay / Seth Johnson Johnson, Seth 97

8 The Chatter of an African Gray Parrot: The Final Solution as Postmodern Detective Fiction / Marjorie Worthington Worthington, Marjorie 111

9 Genre for Justice: The Final Solution and The Yiddish Policemen's Union as Reflections of Golden Age Detective Fiction Texts / Monica Lott Lott, Monica 127

Part III Ethnicity, Gender, and Masculinity in Chabon's Oeuvre 141

10 Michael Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road and the Rejection of Communal Identity as Heroic Quest / Eric Sandberg Sandberg, Eric 143

11 Solving the Jewish Case: Metaphorical Detection in Michael Chabon's The Final Solution and The Yiddish Policemen's Union / Inbar Kaminsky Kaminsky, Inbar 159

12 Not Growing Old but Growing Up: Appropriate Masculine Identity in Michael Chabon's Wonder Boys / Alex Hobbs Hobbs, Alex 173

13 Queer Masculinities in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Manhood for Amateurs / Josef Benson Benson, Josef 187

Part IV Chabon's American Expression 199

14 Write What You Don't Know: Wonder Boys and Therapeutic Creative Writing / David McKay Powell Powell, David McKay 201

15 American Prowess Deconstructed: Michael Chabon and the Merger of Naturalism and Fantasy / Jake Sudderth Sudderth, Jake 217

16 "Hope Unfulfilled, Not Yet Betrayed": Michael Chabon's Nostalgia for the Future / Matt Kavanagh Kavanagh, Matt 235.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781442236042

1442236043

OCLC:

870439349