The Academic Avant-Garde: Poetry and the American University

The Academic Avant-Garde explores the relationship between experimental poetry and literary studies, arguing that literary scholarship can provide a foundation for poetic practice. It traces academic labor and methodological work in the works of authors such as Claudia Rankine and John Ashbery, providing fresh readings of celebrated and difficult poets.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2023
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

The surprising story of the relationship between experimental poetry and literary studies is explored in Kimberly Quiogue Andrews' groundbreaking book, "The Academic Avant-Garde." Andrews makes a compelling argument for the radical poetic possibilities of literary scholarship and presents a foundational theory of literary production within the university context. Through her examination of the cross-pollination between the analytic humanities and the craft of poetry writing, Andrews tells a bold story about some of today's most innovative literary works.

This pathbreaking intervention into contemporary American literature and higher education demonstrates that experimental poetry not only reflects nuanced concerns about creative writing as a discipline but also utilizes the critical techniques of scholarship as a cornerstone of poetic practice. The book is structured around the concepts of academic labor (such as teaching) and methodological work (such as theorizing), tracing these practices in the works of authors ranging from Claudia Rankine to John Ashbery, providing fresh readings of some of our era's most celebrated and difficult poets.

In conclusion, "The Academic Avant-Garde" is a groundbreaking work that challenges traditional notions of the relationship between experimental poetry and literary studies. By demonstrating the radical poetic possibilities of literary scholarship and utilizing the critical techniques of scholarship as a cornerstone of poetic practice, Andrews offers a new perspective on contemporary American literature and higher education. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of creativity, scholarship, and literary production.

Weight: 499g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421444932