Arborealism, or do novels do trees?. Issue 9 (2nd September 2022)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Arborealism, or do novels do trees?. Issue 9 (2nd September 2022)
- Main Title:
- Arborealism, or do novels do trees?
- Authors:
- Schoene, Berthold
- Abstract:
- ABSTRACT: What makes a realist novel an arborealist novel? What does narrative and, in particular, what does the novel need to learn or unlearn in order to 'do' trees? This article looks at two contemporary novels – Annie Proulx's Barkskins (2016) and Richard Powers' The Overstory (2018) – whose main interest has shifted from predominantly portraying human affairs to mobilising a more-than-human eco-narratological dynamic. By invoking the possibility of a plant-led creative impetus, their arborealist outlook and orientation take the traditional novel form out of its realist comfort zone and probe its deeply-ingrained anthropocentric limitations. Following a critical review that examines a wide range of ideas about vegetal agency, and the communicative and inscriptive capabilities of plants, Proulx is shown to experiment with arborealism within the paratextual framework of her novel, while Powers appears embarked upon a full-on, state-of-the-art instantiation of the arboreal sublime.
- Is Part Of:
- Textual practice. Volume 36:Issue 9(2022)
- Journal:
- Textual practice
- Issue:
- Volume 36:Issue 9(2022)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 36, Issue 9 (2022)
- Year:
- 2022
- Volume:
- 36
- Issue:
- 9
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2022-0036-0009-0000
- Page Start:
- 1435
- Page End:
- 1458
- Publication Date:
- 2022-09-02
- Subjects:
- Arborealism -- plant writing -- Annie Proulx -- Richard Powers -- dendrography -- the ecological sublime -- eco-narratology
Literature, Modern -- 20th century -- History and criticism -- Periodicals
Criticism -- Periodicals
Criticism, Textual -- Periodicals
Semiotics -- Periodicals
801.95 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rtpr20/current ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/0950236X.asp ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1080/0950236X.2021.1900379 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0950-236X
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 8813.780460
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 23989.xml