Narrative Theory Unbound: Queer and Feminist Interventions

by Robyn R. Warhol, Susan S Lanser

Under the bold banner of Narrative Theory Queer and Feminist Interventions, editors Robyn Warhol and Susan S. Lanser gather a diverse spectrum of queer and feminist challenges to the theory and interpretation of narrative. The first edited collection to bring feminist, queer, and narrative theories into direct conversation with one another, this anthology places gender and sexuality at the center of contemporary theorizing about the production, reception, forms, and functions of narrative texts.   
 
Through twenty-one essays prefaced by a cogent history of the field, Narrative Theory Unbound offers new perspectives on narrative discourse and its constituent elements; on intersectional approaches that recognize race, religion, and national culture as integral to understanding sexuality and gender; on queer temporalities; on cognitive research; and on lifewriting in graphic, print, and digital constellations. Exploring genres ranging from reality TV to fairy tales to classical fiction, contributors explore the thorny, contested relationships between feminist and queer theory, on the one hand, and between feminist/queer theory and contemporary narratologies, on the other. Rather than aiming for cohesiveness or conclusiveness, the collection stages open-ended debates designed to unbind the assumptions that have kept gender and sexuality on the periphery of narrative theory.

Genres: Nonfiction

456 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2015

Reviews

[Rome · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about two years ago, which is interesting because I ended up specializing in narrative theory eventually, even though I was reading this for the queer theory aspects and how it related to the novel. This collection is particularly intriguing, looking at media like reality television and situational comedy's relationships with gender and sexuality. I'd never encountered anything like it in my academic career at the time when I read it, and was particularly enthralled by the idea of No future vs. It gets better campaigns, especially as I'd just finished No Future. A very intriguing collection of essays that feels almost tailor-made for my own interests.