Epimodernism: Six Memos for Literature Today

Emmanuel Bouju's book "Epimodernism" identifies six new values for literature in the twenty-first century, based on the principal meanings of the Ancient Greek prefix epi - surface, contact, origin, extension, duration, authority, and finality. These values represent six different ways of relating to the legacy of modernist utopias and rebooting postmodern critique. The book is equal parts cultural criticism and literary creation, and helps us to understand what literature can describe, imagine, and invent in our challenging times.

Format: Hardback
Length: 218 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

Postmodernism has come and gone, giving way to a new era called epimodernism. In his acclaimed book, Emmanuel Bouju reinterprets the six "memos" proposed by Italo Calvino more than thirty years ago for the "new Millennium." These memos offer valuable insights into the values that should guide literature in the twenty-first century. Bouju identifies six new values: superficiality, secrecy, energy, acceleration, credit, and follow-through. These values are derived from the Ancient Greek prefix "epi," which means surface, contact, origin, extension, duration, authority, and finality. By embracing these values, Bouju suggests that literature can reconnect with the legacy of modernist utopias, reorient postmodern critique, and revitalize its forms of engagement and empowerment.

This essay is a blend of cultural criticism and literary creation, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary European literature. It is rigorous, humorous, provocative, and playful, helping readers understand what literature can describe, imagine, and invent in our challenging times. Epimodernism is a timely and thought-provoking exploration of the literary landscape, and it will undoubtedly inspire and engage readers for years to come.

Weight: 432g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031099236
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023