Description
Book SynopsisThe Fabric of Subcultures reflects on the state of the postcolonial signature behind stylistic refinements a world of letters relatively dependent on the West for economic and political realms, and in which language systems, aesthetic orders, and genres struggle for dominance. Rejecting facile talk of postmodernism, with its suggestion of a happy melting pot of literature, this book exposes an emerging regime of inequality in the world of letters, where minor languages and literatures are subject to the invisible but implacable violence (of the letter) of their dominant counterparts. Inspired by the writings of Pierre Bourdieu, the book develops the first clear model for understanding the real value of the republic of postcolonial letters (if it ever existed). It proposes a baseline from which we might measure the validity of the emergent, as opposed to residual, signature, while arguing for the importance of literary capital and its role in giving legitimacy to developing peop
Trade Review«If you cannot imagine the study of literature as a practice of everyday life, read ‘The Fabric of Subcultures’. If you can, read it. A surprising lesson, it makes one smile and this might turn up hurting. And when it hurts, the pain might lead to a surprised joy. This is comparative literature at its unexpected best. ‘The Fabric of Subcultures’ means to be about people without power, and demonstrates what it stands for, who is not in power?» (V-Y Mudimbe, PhD)
