Book Hour Returns with Leah A. Milne and Novel Subjects: Authorship as Radical Self-Care in Multiethnic American Narratives

The U.S. Studies Online’s Book Hour is excited to return 8th December 2022 at 7.30pm GMT/2.30pm EST with Dr. Leah A. Milne and Novel Subjects: Authorship as Radical Self-Care in Multiethnic American Narratives (University of Iowa Press, 2021).

Dr. Milne is the Associate Professor of Multicultural American Literature at the University of Indianapolis. Dr. Milne will speak to U.S. Studies Online about her latest book as well as her research which focuses on contemporary ethnic American literature, especially African American and Asian American literature. She also studies postcolonial theory and women’s & gender studies.

#USSOBookHour with Novel Subjects by Dr. Leah A. Milne

Dr. Milne’s latest book, Novel Subjects, tackles questions about such important things as Objectionable Authorship, Against Authenticity, Material Metafiction and Wilful Authors. These topics cover a wider range of American Narratives and Authors, such as Toni Morrison’s Home, Gina Apostol’s Gun Dealers’ Daughter, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything Is Illuminated and Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties: Stories.

These authors and their authorships, among the many more included in Dr. Milne’s research, are explored through considerations such as; How does contemporary literature contend with the power and responsibility of authorship, particularly when considering marginalized groups? How have the works of multiethnic authors challenged the notion that writing and authorship are neutral or universal?

In Novel Subjects, Dr. Milne offers a new way to look at multicultural literature by focusing on scenes of writing in contemporary works by authors with marginalized identities. These scenes, she argues, establish authorship as a form of radical self-care—a term we owe to Audre Lorde, who defines self-care as self-preservation and “an act of political warfare.”

Additionally, Dr. Milne will talk about her experiences with the process of turning a dissertation into a monograph. A topical, important. frustrating and vital talk with insider thoughts and tips that our postgraduate and early career academics can truly benefit from.

The Book Hour is free to attend but registration is required in order for organizers to send you a secure Zoom link.

You can reserve a spot for the Book Hour With Leah A. Milne here!

#USSOBOOKHOUR is an opportunity for scholars to share their most original voices and connect with young researchers and readers, and we are pleased to offer an honorarium for our invited speakers. Anyone is welcome to join the talk.

We invite scholars in American Studies to introduce their latest publications that generate heated debates, innovative ideas, meaningful conversations, and spark thought. Each talk lasts for about 30-40 minutes, followed by a Q&A session (or a roundtable discussion).

Get in touch with Aija Oksman, the Book Hour Organizer and Book Review Editor at usso@baas.ac.uk if you would like to co-host, to take part with your book, or ask questions about #USSOBookhour in general.