American Literature and Irish Culture, 1910–1955 The Politics of Enchantment

American Literature and Irish Culture, 1910–1955: The Politics of Enchantment discusses how and why American modernist writers turned to Ireland at various stages during their careers. By placing events such as the Celtic Revival and the Easter Rising at the centre of the discussion, it shows how Irishness became a cultural determinant in the work of American modernists. It is the first study to extend the analysis of Irish influence on American literature beyond racial, ethnic or national frameworks.

Through close readings and archival research, American Literature and Irish culture, 1910–1955 provides a balanced and structured approach to the study of the complexities of American modernist writers' responses to Ireland. Offering new readings of familiar literary figures – including Fitzgerald, Moore, O'Neill, Steinbeck and Stevens – it makes for essential reading for students and academics working on twentieth-century American and Irish literature and culture, and transatlantic studies.

Tara Stubbs is a University Lecturer in English Literature at Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education, UK.

Preface: The Politics of Enchantment
Introduction: 'Why do we like being Irish?'
1. Cultural and Racial (dis)affiliations
2. American Modernists and the Celtic Revival
3. Rural Ireland, Mythmaking, and Transatlantic Translation
4. Enchantment and Disenchantment in Political Poetry
5. The Legacy of Yeats's Poetic Conviction
Conclusion: Cultural Credibility in America's Ireland – and Ireland's America
Bibliography
Index