Literary Neurodiversity Studies: Current and Future Directions

by Bradley J. Irish

This book is a concise but comprehensive introduction to the field of literary neurodiversity studies, a growing approach to literary criticism that has emerged in the past decade. Its three parts are designed 1) introduce readers both to the general concept of neurodiversity and to current outlooks, approaches, and key scholarship from literary neurodiversity studies; 2) to present one possible vision of the future of literary neurodiversity studies, by offering an argument about how the field might further entwine with more general research on literary cognition, literary emotion, and literary sensation; and 3) to model for readers how one might perform a neurological reading of a literary text, by offering a sustained analysis of Shakespeare’s Othello. It also contains an extensive bibliography of existing scholarship from literary neurodiversity studies, which will provide an indispensable resource for new and experienced researchers in the field.

115 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2025

Reviews

[Aleksander Piber]

A fantastic introduction for anyone new to literary neurodiversity studies, as well as an exciting and intellectually stimulating proposal for the (possible) future growth of the field. The case study on Othello is particularly incisive and clearly demonstrates the relevant theory. No notes!

[Hannah]

4.5 stars