Memory and the Built Environment in 20th-Century American Literature

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Explore the intricate relationship between memory and the urban landscape in "Memory and the Built Environment in 20th-Century American Literature." This insightful book delves into how spatial transformations in mid-20th century America, from urban development projects to social movements, shaped and were reflected in American literature. Alice Levick expertly examines how authors depict the construction, concealment, and remaking of memory within literary texts, intertwined with the evolving built environment. Discover how historical narratives become embedded in urban spaces and how literary works capture this entanglement. The book draws on archival research and interviews with experts to locate the uncanny within the nuances of absent and present, visible and invisible, memory and history in city narratives. It highlights the passage of time and the impact of 20th-century modernism, referencing seminal works by authors like D. J. Waldie, Joan Didion, and Raymond Chandler. Unpack how time manifests visibly in cities like Los Angeles and New York before and after World War II, questioning how these spaces offer access to the past through narrative and spatial forms, and when this access is obstructed. Product Summary: Memory and the Built Environment in 20th-Century American Literature, Hardcover, English, 240 pages, by Alice Levick, published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. Explores the connection between memory, urban development, and American literature in the 20th century.