Literary and Cultural Responses to Mnemonic Landscapes - by Lourdes López-Ropero & Marzena Sokolowska-Paryż (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book offers a profound exploration of "spaces in transit," a concept that bridges urban spaces, natural environments, and the archival and architectural echoes of the past with their representations in literature, art, and commemorative practices. Through 14 meticulously crafted essays, this volume delves into the intricate interplay between spatial and cultural memory, framed by theories of geocriticism, feminism, race, postcolonialism, and more.

Key concepts such as "deep spaces," "implicative spaces," and "landmark poetic spaces" are introduced, inviting readers to consider the fluidity and mutability of memory-laden sites. The essays critically examine how these spaces are continually reinterpreted and renegotiated, challenging ideologically rigid narratives. The volume is organized into three thematic parts: "Historyscapes," "Artscapes," and "Mythic Urbanscapes and Naturescapes," each offering unique insights into the mnemonic appropriations of physical and literary spaces.

This collection is essential for scholars and students in urban studies, environmental studies, memory, and literary studies, providing a comprehensive study of contemporary cultural and theoretical trends. It invites readers to rethink the sedentary-nomadic continuum of memory and space, offering a fresh perspective on the dynamic nature of cultural and collective memory.

From the Back Cover

This book offers a profound exploration of "spaces in transit," a concept that bridges urban spaces, natural environments, and the archival and architectural echoes of the past with their representations in literature, art, and commemorative practices. Through 14 meticulously crafted essays, this volume delves into the intricate interplay between spatial and cultural memory, framed by theories of geocriticism, feminism, race, postcolonialism, and more.

Key concepts such as "deep spaces," "implicative spaces," and "landmark poetic spaces" are introduced, inviting readers to consider the fluidity and mutability of memory-laden sites. The essays critically examine how these spaces are continually reinterpreted and renegotiated, challenging ideologically rigid narratives. The volume is organized into three thematic parts: "Historyscapes," "Artscapes," and "Mythic Urbanscapes and Naturescapes," each offering unique insights into the mnemonic appropriations of physical and literary spaces.

This collection is essential for scholars and students in urban studies, environmental studies, memory, and literary studies, providing a comprehensive study of contemporary cultural and theoretical trends. It invites readers to rethink the sedentary-nomadic continuum of memory and space, offering a fresh perspective on the dynamic nature of cultural and collective memory.

Lourdes López-Ropero is Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of Alicante, Spain, where she teaches Contemporary and World Literature in English. Her primary research focus has been in the fields of postcolonial studies and memory studies, with an emphasis on Caribbean and Black-British literature. She is the author of The Anglo-Caribbean Migration Novel: Writing from the Diaspora.

Marzena Sokolowska-Paryż is University/Associate Professor at the Institute of English Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland. She is the author of Reimagining the War Memorial and The Myth of War in British and Polish Poetry, 1939-1945. She has co-edited The Great War in Post-Memory Literature and Film and The Enemy in Contemporary Film.

About the Author

Lourdes López-Ropero is Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of Alicante, Spain, where she teaches Contemporary and World Literature in English. Her primary research focus has been in the fields of postcolonial studies and memory studies, with an emphasis on Caribbean and Black-British literature. She is the author of The Anglo-Caribbean Migration Novel: Writing from the Diaspora.

Marzena Sokolowska-Paryż is University/Associate Professor at the Institute of English Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland. She is the author of Reimagining the War Memorial and The Myth of War in British and Polish Poetry, 1939-1945. She has co-edited The Great War in Post-Memory Literature and Film and The Enemy in Contemporary Film.