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vol. 5
Theory, (Post)Modernity, Opposition: An
“Other” Introduction to Contemporary Literary and Cultural Theory
Mas’ud Zavarzadeh and
Donald Morton
Library of Congress
Catalog Number PN98.P67Z38
248 pages
Publication date Sept. 1, 1991
Library Binding $38.95
ISBN 0-944624-11-1 or ISBN-13 9780944624111
Paperback $15.95 ISBN
0-944624-12-X or ISBN-13 9780944624128
A provocative
interrogation of contemporary theory which demonstrates how arguments “against
theory” of humanist critics (Ellis, Steiner, Abrams), of “anti-theory” theorists
(Fish, Rorty, Knapp, Michaels), and of the poststructuralist “resistance to
theory” (de Man, Derrida, Foucault, Lyotard) serve to de-politicize literary
debate. To recover the transformative potential of theory, the authors call for
a postmodernism based on resistance and an opening of spaces for oppositional
practice and critical cultural studies.
“I was very
interested in the debate so clearly articulated. . . . It is important
that what has been a sort of sub-text at a lot of professional meetings
. . . is finally out in the open.”
— E. Ann Kaplan,
Director, Humanities Institute, SUNY-Stony Brook
“Theory,
(Post)Modernity, Opposition introduces a much needed
reconsideration of postmodern theory, illuminating the polemical
nature of many theoretical discourses widely accepted as
politically correct.”
— Pamela
A. Genova, World Literature Today
“A book
of unusual energy and innovative intelligence.” – Catharine R. Stimpson,
author of Where the Meanings Are
“Zavarzadeh and Morton create, in this
accessible and thoroughly researched study of literary and cultural
theory, an eminently challenging reading. What they propose is a (re)viewing
of “theory” as not a rarefied, ivory tower abstraction, but instead a
definite method of interrogation, open to all. By clearly and
patiently explaining theory as a critique of social, historical, and
political practices, they open a space from which to challenge the
“accepted” status quo, be it humanism, (post)modernism, or a range of
other perspectives.
The real value in this text may be found in the level of its
discourse. The text bills itself as an “introduction” to theory, but
it never condescends to its reader, nor does it follow tangents or
flights of fancy. Rather, it drives toward a clearer understanding of
current theory, the place that postmodernism has claimed, and,
finally, a study of “Radical Critique-al Theory.” This last is where
Zavarzadeh and Morton make their strongest challenges as they advocate
a model of reading literature and culture which is not content to
merely examine, but which engages the subject with historical and
contemporary conditions. This is a powerful tool for critique, and the
clarity with which it is explained is welcome in the face of so much
postmodern clutter.
Finally, and in the interest of transparency, I had the honor to study
with Professor Morton at
Syracuse
University. This text is a faithful representation of his pedagogy and
style.”
— Jason Malikow,
Amazon.com review
Click
here to see the Table of Contents.
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