The Cambridge Companion to Transnational American Literature
Cambridge Companions to Literature Series

For two decades, the 'transnational turn' in literary studies has generated enormous comment and controversy. This Companion provides a comprehensive account of the scope, impact, and critical possibilities of the transnational turn in American literary studies. It situates the study of American literature in relation to ethnic, postcolonial, and hemispheric studies. Leading scholars open up wide-ranging examinations of transnationalism in American literature - through form and aesthetics, theories of nation, gender, sexuality, religion, and race, as well as through conventional forms of historical periodization. Offering a new map of American literature in the global era, this volume provides a history of the field, key debates, and instances of literary readings that convey the way in which transnationalism may be seen as a method, not just a description of literary work that engages more than one nation. Contributors identify the key modes by which writers have responded to major historical, political, and ethical issues prompted by the globalization of literary studies.

Introduction. The transnational turn Yogita Goyal; Part I. Shape of the Field: 1. Rethinking nation and empire Shelley Fisher Fishkin; 2. American literature, world literature Wai Chee Dimock; 3. The transnational turn and postcolonial studies Yogita Goyal; 4. Transnational aesthetics Russ Castronovo; Part II. Literary Histories: 5. Transnationalism and nineteenth-century literature Johannes Voelz; 6. Transnational modernisms Jessica Berman; 7. Transnational postmodern and contemporary literature David James; Part III. Critical Geographies: 8. Black Atlantic and diaspora literature Destiny Birdsong and Ifeoma Nwankwo; 9. Borders and borderland literature John Alba Cutler; 10. American Indian transnationalisms Jodi Byrd; 11. Pacific Rim and Asian American literature Viet Nguyen; 12. Hemispheric literature Josefina Maria Saldaña; Part IV. Literature and Geopolitics: 13. Transnational feminism Crystal Parikh; 14. Queer transnationalism Petrus Liu; 15. Islam and transnationalism Timothy Marr.

Yogita Goyal is Associate Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the author of Romance, Diaspora, and Black Atlantic Literature (Cambridge, 2010) and editor of the journal Contemporary Literature.