A Poetics of Borderlands

The book examines issues that recur in the works of the women writers separated by the Atlantic:language, identity and motherhood are issues under scrutiny. A poetics of borderlands hinges on nomadic subjectivity and nepantla condition. Both also pervade the works of Polish authors, not that widely researched in the mainstream literary studies.

The book explores the notion of borderlands and the concept of nomadic subjectivity as manifested in selected novels by Chicana/Latina and contemporary Polish women authors. It seeks to propose a poetics of borderlands that emerges from the condition of nepantla (being torn, not belonging anywhere). Language, collective identities and motherhood are the main issues under scrutiny. Application of feminist literary criticism, postcolonial criticism and comparative literature studies in examination of literary works reveals interesting parallels between works of authors that have little in common at first glance. One of the book objectives is to draw attention to contemporary Polish writers, whose oeuvre is not widely researched in the mainstream literary studies.

Autorentext

Aleksandra Holubowicz does research in the field of literary studies, specializing in contemporary American literature and border studies. She earned her PhD at Gdan sk University and is currently employed at Charles University in the Czech Republic.

Inhalt
Introduction. The Concept of Borderlands - Chapter 1. Language of the Borderlands - Chapter 2. National Identity, Race, and Class - Chapter 3. Borderland Motherhoods - Chapter 4. Nomadic Subjectivity in Borderland Poetics