War and Imagination - by Ronald Koury (Paperback)

About the Book

"Paying particular attention to the twentieth century and prioritizing the writings of civilians, the works highlighted in this title offer an opportunity to challenge representations of well-known conflicts with a wide variety of pieces from the frontlines and beyond. The selections chosen from this anthology make real the unimaginable horrors of survival during wartime while showcasing unique interpretations that allow readers to ponder the mystery from another point of view. Includes selections from Tennessee Williams, Louis Simpson, Nina Bogin, Leo Tolstoy, Lara Prescott, Maxine Kumin, Benjamin Fondane, Maria Terrone, Brooke Allen, and more."--

Book Synopsis

Stories of war and conflict form the backbone of much of the Western literary canon, portraying a certain image of heroism, stoicism, and survival in the face of violence. War and Imagination challenges the canon with essays, short stories, and a wide variety of perspectives.

Paying particular attention to the twentieth century and prioritizing the writings of civilians, the works highlighted in War and Imagination offer an opportunity to challenge representations of well-known conflicts with a wide variety of pieces from the frontlines and beyond, such as letters from German soldiers at the siege of Stalingrad, a Holocaust memoir by physicist Abraham Pais, a previously unpublished story by Tennessee Williams, a haunting tale of the Spanish Civil War, and a fresh translation of the final act of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The selections chosen from this anthology make real the unimaginable horrors of survival during wartime while showcasing unique interpretations that allow readers to ponder the mystery from another point of view.

War and Imagination includes selections from Tennessee Williams, Louis Simpson, Nina Bogin, Leo Tolstoy, Lara Prescott, Maxine Kumin, Benjamin Fondane, Maria Terrone, Brooke Allen, and more.

Review Quotes

In a field often dominated by the single perspective--that of the combat soldier or veteran--this anthology instead calls attention to the many distinct voices that all claim the right to speak on their experience of war. Combatants, veterans, and civilians all claim the authority to write about war in this anthology, and the best connections emerge when pieces challenge each other's authority.-- "Brian Williams, Tennessee Tech University"

About the Author

Ronald Koury is the managing editor of the Hudson Review and editor of Literary Awakenings: Personal Essays from the Hudson Review and Places Lost and Found: Travel Essays from the Hudson Review, both published by Syracuse University Press.