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Explores how American writers articulate the complexity of
twentieth-century suburbia Examines the ways American writers from
the 1960s to the present - including John Updike, Richard Ford,
Gloria Naylor, Jeffrey Eugenides, D. J. Waldie, Alison Bechdel,
Chris Ware, Jhumpa Lahiri, Junot Díaz and John Barth - have sought
to articulate the complexity of the US suburbs Analyses the
relationships between literary form and the spatial and temporal
dimensions of the environment Scrutinises increasingly prominent
literary and cultural forms including novel sequences, memoir,
drama, graphic novels and short story cycles Combines insights
drawn from recent historiography of the US suburbs and cultural
geography with analyses of over twenty-five texts to provide a
fresh outlook on the literary history of American suburbia The
Literature of Suburban Change examines the diverse body of cultural
material produced since 1960 responding to the defining habitat of
twentieth-century USA: the suburbs. Martin Dines analyses how
writers have innovated across a range of forms and genres -
including novel sequences, memoirs, plays, comics and short story
cycles - in order to make sense of the complexity of suburbia.
Drawing on insights from recent historiography and cultural
geography, Dines offers a new perspective on the literary history
of the US suburbs. He argues that by giving time back to these
apparently timeless places, writers help reactivate the suburbs,
presenting them not as fixed, finished and familiar but rather as
living, multifaceted environments that are still in production and
under exploration.
Explores how American writers articulate the complexity of
twentieth-century suburbia Examines the ways American writers from
the 1960s to the present - including John Updike, Richard Ford,
Gloria Naylor, Jeffrey Eugenides, D. J. Waldie, Alison Bechdel,
Chris Ware, Jhumpa Lahiri, Junot Diaz and John Barth - have sought
to articulate the complexity of the US suburbs Analyses the
relationships between literary form and the spatial and temporal
dimensions of the environment Scrutinises increasingly prominent
literary and cultural forms including novel sequences, memoir,
drama, graphic novels and short story cycles Combines insights
drawn from recent historiography of the US suburbs and cultural
geography with analyses of over twenty-five texts to provide a
fresh outlook on the literary history of American suburbia The
Literature of Suburban Change examines the diverse body of cultural
material produced since 1960 responding to the defining habitat of
twentieth-century USA: the suburbs. Martin Dines analyses how
writers have innovated across a range of forms and genres -
including novel sequences, memoirs, plays, comics and short story
cycles - in order to make sense of the complexity of suburbia.
Drawing on insights from recent historiography and cultural
geography, Dines offers a new perspective on the literary history
of the US suburbs. He argues that by giving time back to these
apparently timeless places, writers help reactivate the suburbs,
presenting them not as fixed, finished and familiar but rather as
living, multifaceted environments that are still in production and
under exploration.
" B]rave . . . plainly the work of an intelligent novelist." -
"Times Literary Supplement"
"It is doubtful whether since male homosexuality was admitted as a
subject for treatment in English fiction it has inspired a more
satisfactory novel than Martyn Goff's "The Plaster Fabric."" -
"Spectator"
"Mr. Goff's earnest handling of his extremely delicate subject,
homosexuality, commends him to serious attention . . . The sense of
impending doom, of the hostility of society, of insecurity, and the
constant terror of betrayal are all well conceived." - John
Betjeman, "Daily Telegraph"
When Martyn Goff's daring first novel, "The Plaster Fabric," was
published in 1957, homosexuality was illegal in Great Britain and
both Goff and his publisher risked prosecution for the book's frank
treatment of gay themes. Laurence "Laurie" Kingston, a former Air
Force pilot now working as a bookseller and artist, is a man with a
secret. Born gay, Laurie has spun a web of lies to conceal his
homosexuality, which, if discovered, could cost him his job, his
friends, and even his freedom. After a chance encounter one foggy
night with Tom Beeson, a rugged soldier, Laurie finds himself
falling in love. But the situation becomes complicated when
Laurie's best friend, Susan, also falls for Tom. When Laurie
becomes involved in this complicated triangle, he runs the risk of
losing everything as the fabric of his carefully constructed life
begins to chip away like flakes of plaster . . .
A novel that deserves a place alongside early gay classics like
Rodney Garland's "The Heart in Exile" (1953) and Mary Renault's
"The Charioteer" (1953), "The Plaster Fabric" is reprinted for the
first time in this new edition, which includes a new introduction
by Martin Dines and a reproduction of the original jacket art by
John Minton.
Exploring fiction, film and art from across the USA, South America,
Asia, Europe and Australia, New Suburban Stories brings together
new research from leading international scholars to examine
cultural representations of the suburbs, home to a rapidly
increasing proportion of the world's population. Focussing in
particular on works that challenge conventional attitudes to
suburbia, the book considers how suburban communities have taken
control of their own representation to tell their own stories in
contemporary novels, poetry, autobiography, cinema, social media
and public art.
Exploring fiction, film and art from across the USA, South America,
Asia, Europe and Australia, 'New Suburban Stories' brings together
new research from leading international scholars to examine
cultural representations of the suburbs, home to a rapidly
increasing proportion of the world's population. Focusing in
particular on works that challenge conventional attitudes to
suburbia, the book considers how suburban communities have taken
control of their own representation to tell their own stories in
contemporary novels, poetry, autobiography, cinema, social media
and public art.
'Mr. Goff writes compassionately and he has a gift for bringing out
the drama in people's ordinary confrontations with each other.' -
"Sunday Times"
'A sophisticated book which demonstrates the conflict between
private desires and public eminence.' - "John O'London's"
' R]ewarding . . . a story that is altogether plausible,
entertaining, and not weighed down with tragedy.' - "Mattachine
Review"
At 32, Leonard Bissel seems to have everything going for him:
newly appointed as the youngest director of a major London
corporation, he has a posh house in Chelsea, a shiny black MG, and
a promising new relationship. There's just one problem: Leonard's
boss and his family expect him to marry, not knowing that he is
secretly gay and wants nothing more than to settle down in a stable
relationship with his partner, John. As Leonard's employer and his
parents increase the pressure on him to marry, he will be faced
with an impossible decision: is he willing to give up his job, his
family, his home, and everything he's worked for in order to remain
true to his own identity and the person he loves?
Published in 1961, when homosexuality was still illegal in
England, Martyn Goff's "The Youngest Director" is a landmark of
British gay fiction. A gripping story exposing the injustice and
prejudice faced by gay men in the mid-20th century, Goff's novel
remains highly topical today as gay rights and the struggle for
marriage equality continue to dominate the headlines. This edition,
the first in 30 years, includes a new introduction by Martin Dines
and an afterword by the author.
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