Writing Tricksters: Mythic Gambols in American Ethnic Fiction

Writing Tricksters explores the resurgence of tricksters in contemporary cultural and literary scenes, featuring successful and important women writers like Maxine Hong Kingston, Louise Erdrich, and Toni Morrison. It combines critical discourses on marginality, ethnicity, feminism, and folklore to illuminate a trickster aesthetic central to non-Western storytelling traditions and inform American literature today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

Writing Tricksters delves into the captivating revival of tricksters, these enigmatic beings who exist at the intersections of borders, crossroads, and realms. These tricksters are portrayed as characters who navigate a chaotic, multilingual world, where cultures collide and overlap, creating a rich tapestry of diversity. Among the most celebrated and influential women writers in America, many have embraced the role of tricksters in their works. By exploring the writings of Maxine Hong Kingston, Louise Erdrich, and Toni Morrison, Jeanne Rosier Smith skillfully weaves together contemporary critical discourses on marginality, ethnicity, feminism, and folklore, shedding light on a trickster aesthetic that holds significant importance in non-Western storytelling traditions and profoundly influences American literature today.

This book is a part of UC Press' Voices Revived program, a mission to discover and nurture exceptional minds, providing them with a platform to express their ideas, reach a wider audience, and have a lasting impact. Drawing from a rich backlist dating back to 1893, Voices Revived utilizes print-on-demand technology to make high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again. Originally published in 1997, this title continues to resonate with readers and scholars alike.

Tricksters have a long and rich history in storytelling, appearing in various cultures and mythologies worldwide. They are often portrayed as mischievous characters who play pranks, subvert expectations, and challenge the status quo. In the contemporary literary landscape, tricksters have emerged as powerful symbols of resilience, adaptability, and cultural hybridity. They are often depicted as characters who navigate multiple worlds, blurring the boundaries between different cultures and challenging the notion of fixed identities.

One of the key themes explored in Writing Tricksters is the role of tricksters in shaping cultural identity. Tricksters are often seen as boundary-crossers, who navigate between different cultures and challenge the dominant narratives that define them. They are often portrayed as hybrid beings who embody the complexities of cultural identity and who challenge the binary of "us" and "them." By embracing their trickster nature, these characters are able to subvert expectations and create new ways of understanding and appreciating different cultures.

Another theme explored in this book is the power of storytelling to challenge dominant ideologies and power structures. Tricksters are often used as vehicles for subversion, as they are able to use their wit and cunning to undermine the authority of those in power. By employing storytelling techniques that blur the lines between reality and fantasy, tricksters are able to challenge the assumptions that underpin our society and promote social change.

Writing Tricksters is a valuable contribution to the field of literary studies, offering insights into the resurgence of tricksters in contemporary culture and literature. Through its exploration of trickster characters and their role in shaping cultural identity and challenging dominant ideologies, this book provides a fresh perspective on the power of storytelling to promote social change and promote understanding across different cultures.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 210 x 140 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520365797