William T. Vollmann : a critical companion / edited by Christopher K. Coffman and Daniel Lukes.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Coffman, Christopher K., editor.

Lukes, Daniel, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Vollmann, William T--Criticism and interpretation.

Vollmann, William T.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xvi, 366 pages : illustrations ; 24cm

Place of Publication:

Newark : University Of Delaware Press, 2015.

Summary:

The essays in this collection make a case for regarding William T. Vollmann as the most ambitious, productive, and important living author in the US. His oeuvre includes not only outstanding work in numerous literary genres, but also global reportage, ethical treatises, paintings, photographs, and many other productions. His reputation as a daring traveler and his fascination with life on the margins have earned him an extra-literary renown unequaled in our time. Perhaps most importantly, his work is exceptional in relation to the literary moment. Vollmann is a member of a group of authors who are responding to the skeptical ironies of postmodernism with a reinvigoration of fiction's affective possibilities and moral sensibilities, but he stands out even among this cohort for his prioritization of moral engagement, historical awareness, and geopolitical scope. Included in this book in addition to twelve scholarly critical essays, are reflections on Vollmann by many of his peers, confidantes, and collaborators, including Jonathan Franzen, James Franco, and Michael Glawogger. With a preface by Larry McCaffery and an afterword by Michael Hemmingson, this book offers readings of most of Vollmann's works, includes the first critical engagements with several key titles, and introduces a range of voices from international Vollmann scholarship. Book jacket.

Contents:

I Engaging People, Space, and Place 23

1 Egalitarian Longings: The Problem with Pity and the Search for Equality in Poor People / Aaron D. Chandler Chandler, Aaron D. 25

The World According to William T. Vollmann / Heather Corcoran Corcoran, Heather 47

2 The Poetics and Politics of Zoning, Mythography, and Mestizo Space in Imperial / Michael K. Walonen Walonen, Michael K. 53

Vollmann in Russia: On Poor People / Mariya Gusev Gusev, Mariya 67

3 William T. Vollmarm's Search for Truth and Community in Participative Research / Georg Bauer Bauer, Georg 73

Palm Trees / Michael Glawogger Glawogger, Michael 93

II Engaging Narratives: History, Historiography, Ethics 97

4 Vollmarm's Argall-Text: Neo-Elizabethan Form and the Literalist Past in Seven Dreams / Buell Wisner Wisner, Buell 99

Vollmann between the Covers / Carla Bolte Bolte, Carla 117

5 Writing Europe: Death, History, and the Intersecting Intellectual Worlds of William T. Vollmann and Danilo Kis / John K. Cox Cox, John K. 123

6 Kurt Gerstein and the Tragic Parable of "Clean Hands": The Imaginative Role of Fiction in the Moral Calculus of William T. Vollmann / Brvan M. Santin Santin, Brvan M. 141

Reading Rising Up and Rising Down / James Franco Franco, James 167

7 The New Universalism and William T. Vollmarm's Rising Up and Rising Down / Okla Elliott Elliott, Okla 171

III Power, Sex, Politics 189

8 Our Oriental Heritage: Seeking the Postcolonial Postmodern in William T. Vollmann's You Bright and Risen Angels / Miles Liebtag Liebtag, Miles 191

Piss Lime Vitriol / Jordan A. Rothacker Rothacker, Jordan A. 209

9 William T. Vollmann's Paradigms of Power / Joshua C. Jensen Jensen, Joshua C. 217

The Shattered Object: On Representation versus Self-Representation and Becoming Whole / Melissa Petro Petro, Melissa 241

10 "Strange Hungers": William T. Vollmann's Literary Performances of Abject Masculinity / Daniel Lukes Lukes, Daniel 247

A Friendship / Jonathan Franzen Franzen, Jonathan 281

IV Methods and Mores: Texts, Paratexts, Aesthetics 285

William T. Vollmann: Artis's Books / Priscilla Juvelis Juvelis, Priscilla 287

11 Imperial Photography / Françoise Palleau-Papin Palleau-Papin, Françoise 295

Against All Loss: On Kissing the Mask / Mary Austin Speaker Speaker, Mary Austin 317

12 The Ethics of the Archive and the William T. Vollmann Collection / Geoffrey D. Smith Smith, Geoffrey D. 321

Afterword: Beyond the Book; William T. Vollmann's End Matter (Appendices, Glossaries, and Extra Texts) / Michael Hemmingson Hemmingson, Michael 333.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781611495102

1611495105

OCLC:

881656227