Description
Book SynopsisUpdike & Politics presents the first collection of essays devoted to the political aspects of Updikeâs work and showcases a variety of international perspectives.
Trade ReviewThis collection of essays adds depth to our understanding of Updike as a political writer. The book is especially valuable to scholars of late-twentieth and early twenty-first century literature for its investigations of intersections between the personal and the political. It exposes Updike's nuanced perspectives on institutions such as the American presidency, and it provides thought-provoking explorations of politically charged and transformative American experiences including the War in Vietnam, the Cold War, and the attacks of September 11, 2001. -- Liliana M. Naydan, Penn State Abington
This collection provides a timely and much-needed perspective on Updike and political life. The editors have selected impressive essays from established Updike critics, international scholars, and some newer voices to display a rich range of interpretations. The essays are elegantly framed by the introduction, and they collectively advance an urgent critical conversation. Updike and Politics: New Considerations is an important contribution: it sharpens our understanding of an essential American writer through a crucial context. -- Quentin Miller, Suffolk University
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Updike and the American Presidency Chapter 2: “We’re None of Us Perfect”: Watergate and Adultery in John Updike’s A Month of Sundays and Memories of the Ford Administration Chapter 3: Presidential Politics as Sexual Politics: Memories of the Ford Administration Chapter 4: Updike, Obama and the Poetics of Hope Chapter 5: Updike on Demagoguery Chapter 6: ‘Love it or leave it’: America in red, gray and blue in Rabbit Redux Chapter 7: ‘Mail’ Chauvinism: John Updike’s Postal Fetish and the Unrealizable Vision of American Democracy Chapter 8: The Failure of Moderation in Buchanan Dying and Memories of the Ford Administration Chapter 9: Inside Reagan’s ‘Placid, Uncluttered Head’: Roger’s Version and the Rise of Neoliberalism Chapter 10: The Politics of Vulnerability in The Afterlife and Other Stories Chapter 11: John Updike’s Terrorist and the Politics of Hygiene Chapter 12: Updike’s Middle East: A Neoliberal Approach to Conflict Resolution Chapter 13: Updike “Third-Worlds It”: Staging The Coup as Political Satire Chapter 14: The Three Mile Island Accident and the Man from Toyota: American Cold War Cultural Politics,Ressentiment, and the Uncanny Double in Rabbit Is Rich and Rabbit at Rest Chapter 15: John Updike and the World: The Politics of Identity in Brazil
