Transnationalism and Global Poetics: Research Guide
About This Guide
This research guide is to help individuals interested in researching the transnationalism in the context of global poetics. The guide includes information on what these terms mean in addition to books, articles, key scholars and additional resources that cover the broad scope of transnationalism in global poetics. This research guide was produced by Aja Topps-Harjo as an assignment for the Global Poetics Class at Washington University in St. Louis. I hope you enjoy my curated research guide!
What is Transnationalism?
“Transnationalism refers to that which takes place across national borders. It can be used to describe both material ties and symbolic flows and interconnections. As a concept transnationalism is used most frequently to describe a form of contemporary migration in which migrants form long-standing social ties and allegiances to more than one national community. Transnationalism also delineates new forms of governance and the development of institutions and social spaces that are organized across borders and which either facilitate or resist cross-border flows. As a widely used interdisciplinary term it captures an epistemological shift away from methodological nationalism—the implicit reliance on the nation state as the backstop or container of social processes.”
https://geography.washington.edu/research/publications/transnationalism
Transnational Literature: The Basics by A.S. Bhalla
Bhalla, A. S. Transnational Literature: The Basics. Routledge, 2017.
What is Global Poetics?
Global poetics is a term that refers to the study of poetry as a global phenomenon and a form of cultural expression that transcends national and linguistic boundaries. It involves examining poetry from various cultures and traditions, as well as the ways in which poets engage with issues of globalization, migration, and transnationalism. Global poetics also considers how poets respond to political and social issues, including human rights, environmentalism, and social justice, and how their work reflects the diversity and complexity of the world we live in. Overall, global poetics seeks to understand the role of poetry in shaping and reflecting our understanding of global culture and society.
Books and Journal Articles
Transnational Poetics by Jahan Ramazani
This collection of essays explores the ways in which poetry responds to and reflects issues of migration, diaspora, and transnationalism. Ramazani argues that poetry has always been a transnational form of artistic expression, as poets have drawn on diverse cultural and linguistic traditions to create their work.
Ramazani, Jahan. A Transnational Poetics. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2009. Print.
Nations of Nothing but Poetry: Modernism, Transnationalism and Synthetic Vernacular Writing by Matthew Hart
The book examines the relationship between modernism, transnationalism, and synthetic vernacular writing in poetry. Hart argues that modernist poets have used synthetic vernacular writing to create a new kind of transnational poetry that draws on a range of linguistic and cultural traditions to produce a hybrid form of literary expression.
Hart, Matthew. Nations of Nothing but Poetry : Modernism, Transnationalism, and Synthetic Vernacular Writing. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. Modernist Literature & Culture.
Transnationalism, Activism, Art by Kit Dobson and Aine McGlynn
“Transnationalism, Activism, Art” is a book co-authored by Kit Dobson and Áine McGlynn, published in 2013. The book examines the relationship between transnationalism, activism, and art in contemporary cultural production. The authors argue that transnationalism has become a crucial element in contemporary art and activism, as artists and activists have become increasingly engaged in global issues and movements.
Dobson, Kit, Áine. McGlynn, and EBook Academic Collection – North America. Transnationalism, Activism, Art (2013). Web.
Between the Lines: Literary Transnationalism and African American Poetics by Monique-Adelle Callahan
Monique-Adelle Callahan’s book “Between the Lines: Literary Transnationalism and African American Poetics” explores the relationship between transnationalism and African American poetry. The book argues that African American poets have engaged with transnational themes and ideas throughout history, and that this engagement has been an important part of their poetic expression and cultural identity.
Callahan, Monique-Adelle. Between the Lines : Literary Transnationalism and African American Poetics. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print. Imagining the Americas.
"Transnationalism in American Poetry" by Nina Kremzar
The article “Transnationalism in American Poetry” by Nina Kremžar examines the concept of transnationalism in American poetry. Kremžar argues that transnationalism is a central feature of American poetry, as many American poets have drawn on diverse cultural and linguistic traditions to create their work. The article explores the various ways in which American poets have engaged with transnationalism, including through the themes of migration, exile, and hybridity. Kremžar also discusses the different techniques that American poets have used to create transnational poetry, such as translation, code-switching, and intertextuality. The article provides an analysis of the works of several American poets, including Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and Adrienne Rich, and shows how these poets have used transnationalism in their work to challenge cultural boundaries and explore issues of identity, belonging, and cultural exchange. Overall, Kremžar’s article provides an insightful examination of the role of transnationalism in American poetry and highlights the ways in which poetry can promote cross-cultural understanding and empathy.
Kremžar, Nina. “Transnationalism in American Poetry.” Acta Neophilologica 55.1-2 (2022): 33. Web.
"Barbecued Sunrise: Translation and Transnationalism in Australian Poetry" by Stephanie Guest
Stephanie Guest’s article “Barbecued Sunrise: Translation and Transnationalism in Australian Poetry” examines the relationship between translation, transnationalism, and Australian poetry. Guest argues that translation has played a significant role in shaping the transnational character of Australian poetry, as many Australian poets have drawn on a range of linguistic and cultural traditions to create their work.
Guest, Stephanie. “Barbecued Sunrise: Translation and Transnationalism in Australian Poetry.” Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature : JASAL 18.3 (2018): 1-15. Web.
"The Woman Gardener': Transnationalism, Gender, Sexuality, and the Poetry of Blanaid Salkeld" by Moynagh Sullivan
Moynagh Sullivan’s article “‘The Woman Gardener’: Transnationalism, Gender, Sexuality, and the Poetry of Blanaid Salkeld” explores the relationship between transnationalism, gender, and sexuality in the poetry of Blanaid Salkeld, an Irish poet. The article argues that Salkeld’s poetry engages with transnational themes and ideas, particularly in relation to gender and sexuality. The article provides an analysis of several of Salkeld’s poems and shows how these works engage with a range of transnational themes and ideas, including the experiences of women and LGBT people in different cultural contexts. Sullivan argues that Salkeld’s poetry reflects the complexities of modern life, and the ways in which people navigate diverse cultural and linguistic landscapes.
Sullivan, Moynagh. “‘The Woman Gardener’: Transnationalism, Gender, Sexuality, and the Poetry of Blanaid Salkeld.” Irish University Review 42.1 (2012): 53-71. Web.
"From Grid to Klein Bottle: Poetry, Poetics, and Transnationalism" by Youngmin Kim
Youngmin Kim’s article “From Grid to Klein Bottle: Poetry, Poetics, and Transnationalism” examines the relationship between poetry, poetics, and transnationalism. The article argues that poetry can play an important role in engaging with transnational themes and ideas, and can be a powerful tool for promoting cross-cultural understanding and dialogue. The article provides an analysis of several poems from different cultural contexts, including the United States, Korea, and Europe, and shows how these works engage with transnational themes and ideas, such as migration, identity, and cultural hybridity. Kim argues that poetry’s ability to use language in innovative ways makes it a particularly effective medium for engaging with transnational issues and experiences.
Kim, Youngmin. “From Grid to Klein Bottle: Poetry, Poetics, and Transnationalism.” Wai Guo Wen Xue Yan Jiu (Wuhan Shi, China) 34.4 (2012): 19-28. Web.
Scholars
Rey Chow
Chow is a scholar of literature, film, and cultural theory who has written on the relationship between cultural identity, globalization, and transnationalism.
Judith Butler
Butler is a philosopher and cultural critic who has written on the politics of identity, culture, and globalization, and has explored the ways in which these issues intersect with poetry and literature.
Homi Bhabha
Bhabha is a scholar of postcolonial theory who has written on the intersections of culture, identity, and power in the global context, and has explored the ways in which poetry and literature reflect and challenge these dynamics.
Emily Apter
Apter is a scholar of comparative literature who has written on the relationship between translation, transnationalism, and cultural exchange in literature and the arts.
Tejaswini Niranjana
Niranjana is a scholar of cultural studies who has written on the politics of language, translation, and literary production in the global context, and has explored the ways in which poetry and literature reflect and shape transnational cultural processes.
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