Literary urban studies and how to practice it / Jason Finch.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Literary Urban Studies and How to Practice It is the first textbook in literary urban studies (LUS). It illuminates and investigates this exciting field, which has grown since the humanities' 'spatial turn' of the 1990s and 2000s. The book introduces city literature, urban methods of reading, classics in LUS, and new directions in the field. It outlines the located qualities of literary narratives, texts and events through three units. First, the concept of the city and the main methods and terms needed as tools for investigating city literatures are introduced. A second section, ordered historically, shows how notions like pre-modern, realist, modernist, postcolonial and planetary actually work in nuanced explorations of actual writers, texts and places. Thirdly, the volume covers literary urban modes: fictional and non-fictional prose in multiple genres; poetry and the idea of the city; dramatic city representation and the theatre as urban place. Key categories of place explored are multiple: the sacred spaces of religion; entry points such as railway stations and junctions; residential areas such as the 'slum', suburb and mass housing district; hubs of publishing and performance; categories of city such as the port and resort. Each chapter aids reference and learning via structured highlighting, reflection questions and tasks labelled 'Research It'. Some 'Research It' tasks enable readers to enter new areas of LUS including by engaging with neighbouring disciplines like human geography, cultural history, sociology, and urban studies. Others equip readers by sharpening particular skills of writing or documentation. A thorough glossary of key terms and concepts aids the reader. Literary Urban Studies and How to Practice It is designed for application to literatures and cities in any period and part of the world. Armed with it, humanities researchers at any career stage can develop their interdisciplinary skills and ability to participate in activism and public debates while becoming specialised in LUS. The book is a gateway to practicing LUS and spatial literary research"-- Provided by publisher.