Toward an Anti-Racist Poetics

By Wayde Compton (Author)

Description

In this critical analysis of the masked and inherent value systems within Canadian poetry and literature, Compton reflects on what is lost when writing is only held to the standards of universalism. By interrogating popular assumptions made in what the author calls the “white avant-garde,” and in the Western lyric canon that this avant-garde responds to, this text asks readers to “let the fallacy of universalism in literature go.” Compton discusses everything from chains of influence in dub poetry, the postmodern questioning of subjectivity, and the Western tendency to overvalue aesthetic and technological innovations—while convincingly arguing his vision of an anti-racist poetics for all. While this short volume is well suited for use in English language arts classes, it requires some background knowledge in academic concepts and terms found in poetry and literature, making it more suitable for older learners. The book’s critical discussions of race, whiteness, and Western value systems would also complement social studies classes.

Formats
Paperback
ISBN
9781772127430
List Price
$14.99
Accessible eBook
ISBN
9781772127669
List Price
$14.99