Muriel Rukeyser and Documentary - by Catherine Gander (Paperback)

About the Book

This study of twentieth-century American poet Muriel Rukeyser explores the multiple avenues of her 'poetics of connection' to reveal a profound engagement with the equally intertextual documentary genre.

Book Synopsis

This study of twentieth-century American poet Muriel Rukeyser explores the multiple avenues of her 'poetics of connection' to reveal a profound engagement with the equally intertextual documentary genre. It examines previously overlooked photo narratives, poetry, prose and archival material and demonstrates an enduring dialogue between the poet's relational aesthetics and documentary's similarly interdisciplinary and creative approach to the world. By considering the sources of documentary in Rukeyser's work, the study provides insight into her guiding poetic principles, situating her as a vital figure in the history of twentieth-century American literature and culture, and as a pioneering personality in the development of American Studies.

From the Back Cover

'This especially rich work takes on Rukeyser's uses of documentary forms (filmic, photographic, journalistic, historical, biographical) to argue for their persistence throughout her career. It is presented with patient clarity and substantial archival research which underpin agile conceptualisations and powerful close readings of the poetry.' Professor Ian F. A. Bell, School of English, Keele University Provides a new perspective on the documentary diversity of Muriel Rukeyser's work and influences This study of twentieth-century American poet Muriel Rukeyser explores the multiple avenues of her 'poetics of connection' to reveal a profound engagement with the equally intertextual documentary genre. It examines previously overlooked photo narratives, poetry, prose and archival material and demonstrates an enduring dialogue between the poet's relational aesthetics and documentary's similarly interdisciplinary and creative approach to the world. By considering the sources of documentary in Rukeyser's work, the study provides insight into her guiding poetic principles, situating her as a vital figure in the history of twentieth-century American literature and culture, and as a pioneering personality in the development of American Studies. Key Features Provides a new, interdisciplinary perspective situating Rukeyser firmly within the canon of essential twentieth-century American poets Examines Rukeyser's photo narratives, poetry, prose, and archival material Outlines the development of documentary in the 1930s, and its role in the formation of an American literary and cultural aesthetic Catherine Gander works in the American and Canadian Studies department of the University of Nottingham.

Review Quotes

This especially rich work takes on Rukeyser's uses of documentary forms (filmic, photographic, journalistic, historical, biographical) to argue for their persistence throughout her career. It is presented with patient clarity and substantial archival research which underpin agile conceptualisations and powerful close readings of the poetry.--Ian F. A. Bell, Keele University

Wide-ranging, meticulously researched, ground-breaking. Catherine Gander's Muriel Rukeyser and Documentary: The Poetics of Connection is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in Rukeyser's work and in documentary poetics.--Elisabeth Däumer, Founder of Muriel Rukeyser: A Living Archive

About the Author

Catherine Gander is Associate Professor of American Literature at Maynooth University, Ireland. She is author of several journal articles and chapters on Don DeLillo, American poetry and the interarts. She is the author of Muriel Rukeyser and Documentary: The Poetics of Connection (EUP, 2013; winner of the IAAS book award) and Extending the Document: Contemporary Transmedial Poetics (forthcoming). She is co-editor and contributor to Mixed Messages: American Correspondences in Visual and Verbal Practices (2016) as well as editor of special journal issues on Muriel Rukeyser and on the American Imagetext. She is the Chair (2019-) of the Irish Association for American Studies (IAAS).