Animalities : Literary and Cultural Studies Beyond the Human

Representations of animality continue to proliferate in various kinds of literary and cultural texts. This pioneering volume explores the critical interface between animal studies and animality studies, human-animal studies, and posthumanism, marking out the terrain in relation to twentieth-century literature and film. The range of texts considered here is intentionally broad, answering questions like, how do contemporary writers such as Amitav Ghosh, Terry Tempest Williams, and Indra Sinha help us to think about not only animals but also humans as animals? What kinds of creatures are being constructed by contemporary artists such as Patricia Piccinini, Alexis Rockman, and Michael Pestel? How do ‘animalities’ animate such diverse texts as the poetry of two women publishing under the name of ‘Michael Field’, or an early film by Thomas Edison depicting the electrocution of a circus elephant named Topsy? Connecting these issues to fields as diverse as environmental studies and ecocriticism, queer theory, gender studies, feminist theory, illness and disability studies, postcolonial theory, and biopolitics, the volume explores the future of what the introduction identifies as “animalities” in exciting new ways, highlighting the work of both internationally renowned figures and emerging scholars who go “beyond the human” in literary and cultural studies. Representations of animality continue to proliferate in various kinds of literary and cultural texts. This pioneering volume explores the critical interface between animal and animality studies, marking out the terrain in relation to twentieth-century literature and film. The range of texts considered here is intentionally broad, answering questions like, how do contemporary writers such as Amitav Ghosh, Terry Tempest Williams, and Indra Sinha help us to think about not only animals but also humans as animals? What kinds of creatures are being constructed by contemporary artists such as Patricia Piccinini, Alexis Rockman, and Michael Pestel? How do 'animalities' animate such diverse texts as the poetry of two women publishing under the name of 'Michael Field', or an early film by Thomas Edison depicting the electrocution of a circus elephant named Topsy? Connecting these issues to fields as diverse as environmental studies and ecocriticism, queer theory, gender studies, feminist theory, illness and disability studies, postcolonial theory, and biopolitics, the volume also raises further questions about disciplinarity itself, while hoping to inspire further work 'beyond the human' in future interdisciplinary scholarship.New and cutting-edge work in animality studies, human-animal studies, and posthumanism Representations of animality continue to proliferate in various kinds of literary and cultural texts. This pioneering volume explores the critical interface between animal and animality studies, marking out the terrain in relation to twentieth-century literature and film. The range of texts considered here is intentionally broad, answering questions like, how do contemporary writers such as Amitav Ghosh, Terry Tempest Williams, and Indra Sinha help us to think about not only animals but also humans as animals? What kinds of creatures are being constructed by contemporary artists such as Patricia Piccinini, Alexis Rockman, and Michael Pestel? How do †̃animalitiesâ€TM animate such diverse texts as the poetry of two women publishing under the name of †̃Michael Fieldâ€TM, or an early film by Thomas Edison depicting the electrocution of a circus elephant named Topsy? Connecting these issues to fields as diverse as environmental studies and ecocriticism, queer theory, gender studies, feminist theory, illness and disability studies, postcolonial theory, and biopolitics, the volume also raises further questions about disciplinarity itself, while hoping to inspire further work †̃beyond the humanâ€TM in future interdisciplinary scholarship.Key Features

• 10 provocative case studies focused on representations and discourses of animals and animality in twentieth- and twenty-first-century literature, art, and film in English
• New work from both internationally renowned and emerging figures in the burgeoning fields of animality studies, human-animal studies, and posthumanism, suggesting innovative and significant new directions to explore
• Broad introduction to the kinds of questions scholars in the humanities have considered in relation to animals and animality Representations of animality continue to proliferate in various kinds of literary and cultural texts. This pioneering volume explores the critical interface between animal and animality studies, marking out the terrain in relation to twentieth-century literature and film. The range of texts considered here is intentionally broad, answering questions like, how do contemporary writers such as Amitav Ghosh, Terry Tempest Williams, and Indra Sinha help us to think about not only animals but also humans as animals? What kinds of creatures are being constructed by contemporary artists such as Patricia Piccinini, Alexis Rockman, and Michael Pestel? How do 'animalities' animate such diverse texts as the poetry of two women publishing under the name of 'Michael Field', or an early film by Thomas Edison depicting the electrocution of a circus elephant named Topsy? Connecting these issues to fields as diverse as environmental studies and ecocriticism, queer theory, gender studies, feminist theory, illness and disability studies, postcolonial theory, and biopolitics, the volume also raises further questions about disciplinarity itself, while hoping to inspire further work 'beyond the human' in future interdisciplinary scholarship. New and cutting-edge work in animality studies, human-animal studies, and posthumanism. Representations of animality continue to proliferate in various kinds of literary and cultural texts. This pioneering volume explores the critical interface between animal and animality studies, marking out the terrain in relation to twentieth-century literature and film. The range of texts considered here is intentionally broad, answering questions like, how do contemporary writers such as Amitav Ghosh, Terry Tempest Williams, and Indra Sinha help us to think about not only animals but also humans as animals? What kinds of creatures are being constructed by contemporary artists such as Patricia Piccinini, Alexis Rockman, and Michael Pestel? How do ÃǾ2Ơ℗animalities' animate such diverse texts as the poetry of two women publishing under the name of ÃǾ2Ơ℗Michael Field', or an early film by Thomas Edison depicting the electrocution of a circus elephant named Topsy? Connecting these issues to fields as diverse as environmental studies and ecocriticism, queer theory, gender studies, feminist theory, illness and disability studies, postcolonial theory, and biopolitics, the volume also raises further questions about disciplinarity itself, while hoping to inspire further work ÃǾ2Ơ℗−beyond the human' in future interdisciplinary scholarship. Key Features. 10 provocative case studies focused on representations and discourses of animals and animality in twentieth- and twenty-first-century literature, art, and film in English New work from both internationally renowned and emerging figures in the burgeoning fields of animality studies, human-animal studies, and posthumanism, suggesting innovative and significant new directions to explore Broad introduction to the kinds of questions scholars in the humanities have considered in relation to animals and animality
  Based on the vastly popular Oxford Companion to English Literature edited by Margaret Drabble, this indispensable volume offers over five thousand alphabetically arranged entries on individual novels, plays, songs, poems, novelists, poets, playwrights, essayists, philosophers, historians, fictional characters, literary movements, legends, and much more.
  Like its parent volume, this abridgement features useful plot summaries, entries on important fictional characters, and countless biographical articles on authors and other influential figures in the world of letters, all presented with the same lightness of touch that has made the original work such a pleasure to read. Fully revised and updated, the third edition features dozens of new entries on writers ranging from literary giant Marcel Proust, to American writers Michael Cunningham, Harper Lee, and Cormac McCarthy, to rising British stars Monica Ali, Hari Kunzru, and Zadie Smith. Readers will now find concise, reliable accounts of postmodern philosopher Jean Baudrillard, literary critic Terry Eagleton, science fiction writer Douglas Adams, fantasy writer Philip Pullman, Jamaican poet Jean "Binta" Breeze, playwright Michael Poliakoff, and children's author J.K. Rowling. In addition, the edition includes updated appendices listing the winners of the Nobel, Booker, and Pulitzer prizes. There is also a new timeline, chronicling the development of literature from its origins right up to the present day.
  With generous coverage of literature from around the world, entries on literary movements, critics, and critical theories, and updated information on modern authors and works, this is a book that readers will find indispensable. Written by a team of more than 140 distinguished contributors, headed by Margaret Drabble, it belongs on the shelves of all lovers of literature.

  Since its appearance in 1932, this volume has been a matchless guide through the myriad paths and byways of England's literary culture.

  Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Each Time Unique: The Poetics Of Extinction / Cary Wolfe -- 2. Posthuman New York: Ground Zero Of The Anthropocene / Neel Ahuja -- 3. J. G. Ballard's Dark Ecologies: Unsettling Nature, Animals, And Literary Tropes / Frida Beckman -- 4. Staging Humanimality: Patricia Piccinini And A Genealogy Of Species Intermingling / Sara E. S. Orning -- 5. Sparks Would Fly: Electricity And The Spectacle Of Animality / Anat Pick -- 6. The Nature Of Birds, Women, And Cancer: Terry Tempest Williams's Refuge And When Women Were Birds / Michael Lundblad -- 7. Animality, Biopolitics, And Umwelt In Amitav Ghosh's The Hungry Tide / Robin Chen-hsing Tsai -- 8. Looking The Beast In The Eye: Re-animating Meat In Nordic And British Food Culture / Karen Lykke Syse -- 9. Love Triangle With Dog: Whym Chow, The Michael Fields, And The Poetic Potential Of Human-animal Bonds / Colleen Glenney Boggs -- 10. Bestial Humans And Sexual Animals: Zoophilia In Law And Literature / Greg Garrard. Edited By Michael Lundblad. ... An International Symposium I Organized On 'animalities' In Oslo In November 2014.--page Vii. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This is an indispensable and compact guide to all aspects of English literature. It provides unrivalled coverage of the lives and works of novelists, poets, and playwrights, as well as characters, plot summaries, literary movements, and criticism. Ideal for students and for anyone interested in literature." "Features: over 5,500 entries, fully revised and updated; covers world fiction, literary theory, historical context, and allusions; new entries include Monica Ali, Dave Eggers, and Philip Pullman, with new highlighted entries on short stories and metre; and new features include a historical timeline charting the development of literature through the ages."--Jacket A new edition of the bestselling Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature, this wide-ranging compact guide to literature has been fully revised and updated. Now includes increased coverage of world literature. Indispensable for English students, teachers, and anyone else who loves literature. This collection of 11 provocative case studies focuses on representations and discourses of animals and animality since the nineteenth century in literary and filmic texts in English