Signifying without specifying : racial discourse in the age of Obama / Stephanie Li.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Li, Stephanie, 1977-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American literature--21st century--History and criticism.

American literature.

Race in literature.

Post-racialism--United States.

Post-racialism.

Politics and literature--United States--History--21st century.

Politics and literature.

United States--Race relations.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (218 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Stephanie Li argues that American politicians and writers are using a new kind of language to speak about race. Challenging the notion that we have moved into a "post-racial" era, she suggests that we are in an uneasy moment where American public discourse demands that race be seen, but not heard. Analyzing contemporary political speech with nuanced readings of works by such authors as Toni Morrison, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Colson Whitehead, Li investigates how Americans of color have negotiated these tensions, inventing new ways to signal racial affiliations without violating taboos against open discussions of race.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 - Violence and Toni Morrison's Racist House

2 - Hiding the Invisible Hurt of Race

3 - The Unspeakable Language of Race and Fantasy in the Stories of Jhumpa Lahiri

4 - Performing Intimacy

Conclusion - The Demands of Precious

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-198) and index.

ISBN:

1-283-86456-8

0-8135-5210-9

OCLC:

785785246