The Transglossic: Contemporary Fiction and the Limitations of the Modern

Abstract

In the past twenty years, the continued relevance of the term postmodernism for literary studies has increasingly been called into question. In the wake of this re-evaluation of literary terminology, many new terms have been coined, frequently associated still with a "-modern" suffix. This paper suggests that while the new modernisms hold relevance for specific concerns of contemporary literature, they have yet to provide an alternative framing for dominant trends. This is the case even when, as for metamodernism, a term has begun to move into general usage. The new modernisms, we suggest, are caught in a reductive association to the past which minimises their applicability to the dynamic newness of contemporary writing, particularly as it responds to ethico-political concerns. As an alternative to these terminologies we suggest "transglossic", capturing the movement across forms and identities that uniquely defines contemporary literature.

“For the planet. For home”: Generating planetary responsibility in the climate fiction of Los Angeles

“…While Gun Island is a self‐consciously global novel, whose links between different continents are overt, Escandon, Kleeman, and Beatty adopt a more region‐oriented approach to the representation of the Anthropocene. The planetary outlook of their novels can be interpreted through the filter of Kristian Shaw and Sara Upstone's ‘transglossic’, a term to categorise contemporary fiction after postmodernism (2021). One of the six defining traits of the transglossic is ‘planetary consciousness’ (p 583).…”

“…I then show how the sense of planet exhibited in this literature responds to prominent critical contexts that have emerged in the 21st century, in reaction to climate change and the Anthropocene. Specifically, I draw on Kristian Shaw and Sara Upstone's ‘transglossic’ framework (2021) and Elias and Moraru's notion of ‘planetarity’ (2015). Moving onto close readings of the novels, I argue that these examples of L.A. climate fiction reveal the global scale of the climate crisis and encourage a sense of planetary responsibility.…”

Dialect Diversity in Modern English Literature: A Study of "Shuggie Bain" and "There There"

“…For instance, Agnes's dialect is instrumental in conveying the tumultuous nature of her battle with alcoholism. Her speech becomes increasingly slurred and disjointed as she succumbs to her addiction, and this deterioration is mirrored in her deteriorating physical and emotional state (Shaw & Upstone, 2021). Paul's analysis highlights how Agnes's dialect serves as a poignant reflection of her inner turmoil, allowing readers to witness the devastating effects of addiction up close.…”