Elizabeth Bishop in Context

This collection demonstrates the centrality of Elizabeth Bishop's poetry and prose to twentieth-century culture.

Angus Cleghorn (Edited by), Jonathan Ellis (Edited by)

9781108811378, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 February 2023

497 pages
22.9 x 15.3 x 2.5 cm, 0.72 kg

'Carefully edited with thoughtful consideration given to readability, this volume will be of great value to literary students and scholars … Recommended.' R. M. Roberts, Choice Connect

Elizabeth Bishop is increasingly recognised as one of the twentieth century's most original writers. Consisting of thirty-five ground-breaking essays by an international team of authors, including biographers, literary critics, poets and translators, this volume addresses the biographical and literary inception of Bishop's originality, from her formative upbringing in New England and Nova Scotia to long residences in New York, France, Florida and Brazil. Her poetry, prose, letters, translations and visual art are analysed in turn, followed by detailed studies of literary movements such as surrealism and modernism that influenced her artistic development. Bishop's encounters with nature, music, psychoanalysis and religion receive extended treatment, likewise her interest in dreams and humour. Essays also investigate the impact of twentieth-century history and politics on Bishop's life writing, and what it means to read Bishop via eco-criticism, postcolonial theory and queer studies.

Introduction Angus Cleghorn and Jonathan Ellis
Part I. Places: 1. Nova Scotia Sandra Barry
2. New England Heather Treseler
3. New York Jo Gill
4. Paris, France Lisa Goldfarb
5. Florida Sarah Kennedy
6. Brazil Neil Besner
Part II. Forms: 7. Lyric poetry Gillian White
8. Prose Vidyan Ravinthiran
9. Letters Langdon Hammer
10. Translation Mariana Machova
11. Visual art Linda Anderson
12. Archives Bethany Hicok
Part III. Literary Contexts: 13. Romantic and Victorian poetry Peter Swaab
14. Surrealism and the Avant-Garde Andrew Epstein
15. Modernism Philip McGowan
16. Mid-Century Poetics Kamran Javadizadeh
17. Brazilian literature Maria Lúcia Milléo Martins
Part IV. Politics, Society and Culture: 18. War Charles Berger
19. The cold war Steven Axelrod
20. Music Christopher Spaide
21. Psychoanalysis Lorrie Goldensohn
22. Religion Cheryl Walker
23. Anthropology Barbara Page
24. Travel Jeffrey Gray
Part V. Identity: 25. Dreams Bonnie Costello
26. Humor Rachel Trousdale
27. Gender Deryn Rees-Jones
28. Queerness Michael Snediker
29. Race Sandeep Parmar
30. Nature Angus Cleghorn
31. Animals Marianne MacRae
Part VI. Reception and Criticism: 32. Bishop studies Thomas Travisano
33. Criticism and reviews Jonathan Ellis
34. 'My saving grace': On editing Elizabeth Bishop Lloyd Schwartz
35. Bishop's influence Stephanie Burt.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: poetry & poets [DSC], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literature: history & criticism [DS], Literature & literary studies [D]