=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= EDline Vol. 7, no. 64 (27 February 2002) Editorial mailing list (digest version) Published by the Electric Editors =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Contents: Q & A [2sw] English and American literature [Offshoot of [2sv] Continents] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ---[2]-- Q & A -------------------------------------------------- ** [2sw] English and American literature [Offshoot of [2sv] Continents] Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 From: Judy Stein, jstein@panix.com John Crane wrote: > When referring to people on the continent, of course, one says > "North Americans." Do you think anyone really thinks "Canada" > when hearing the phrase "American culture"? How about "American literature"? Would that include the writings of Canadian authors? Or would you have to say "North American literature"? We don't usually refer to "U.S. literature." ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: John Crane, jcrane8@bellsouth.net I've always assumed "American literature" to be works by citizens of the U.S. and that writing by Canadians would be "Canadian literature." As above, if "American literature" includes Canadian writers, does it also include Mexicans? ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: Judy Stein, jstein@panix.com If you were distinguishing Canadian authors from U.S. authors, sure. But what if you were speaking broadly about literature in English written in the New World? > As above, if "American literature" includes Canadian writers, > does it also include Mexicans? Not if they write in Spanish. Then it would be Latin American literature, no? ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: Jo Rudd, jorudd@sia.net.au FWIW, I listen to all the book programs and have never heard Margaret Attwood referred to as anything other than 'the Canadian writer ...' ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: Judy Stein, jstein@panix.com But that's a different situation. Certainly you'd make that distinction if you were discussing a specific author. I'm asking whether, if you want to refer broadly to literature written in English in the New World, you would have to say "American and Canadian literature," or would "American literature" cover it? ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: Dawn Loewen, dcl@uvtrl.geog.uvic.ca > How about "American literature"? Would that include the > writings of Canadian authors? Again, absolutely not! We clearly distinguish CanLit (Canadian literature) from American literature, Canadian history from American history, etc. etc. etc. ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: Judy Stein, jstein@panix.com Just to clarify and soothe any raised hackles, I wasn't suggesting that such a distinction wasn't appropriate, only wondering if the phrase might be used as an umbrella term when one wanted to include both Canadian and U.S. literature. ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: David Ibbetson, isserlis@rogers.com Try "North American" when you want an adjective to refer to both Canada and the USA. It's hard on Mexico, but that's the way it is. ---------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 From: Judy Stein, jstein@panix.com I think literature written Spanish in Mexico would have its own designation, "Latin American," wouldn't it? Are we cobbling together our own ad hoc style guide here, or is all this actually covered somewhere? (I don't have Chicago Manual at hand to see if it does.) Offhand I can't recall ever having had to deal with these questions in anything I've worked on. ---------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 From: Nick Hudson, hudson@c031.aone.net.au Even more problematic than "American Literature" is the term "English Literature". Does it refer to the literature of England (as in "English and Scottish Ballads") or to the language (as in "French/English Dictionary")? Fowler wrote a splendid article on the problems arising from this ambiguity, and recommended the use of 'British' for the geographical term. However, when he came to list Americanisms, he headed the columns 'American' and 'English'. ---------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 From: David Ibbetson, isserlis@rogers.com As soon as we go beyond Literature written in a particular language, we have to ask awkward questions about people who change their countries of residence temporarily or permanently. Was GBS English or Irish? One can also ask questions about ESL literature. e.g. Should Conrad be classified as English or Polish? When a good author or a famous person changes countries there's a tendency for the smaller/less powerful country to claim that person. For utmost clarity I fear that we must use convoluted phrases such as "Literature written in English in Canada by Anglophones born in Australia". =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= END OF EDline 7.64 Admin page: < http://www.electriceditors.net/edline/admin.htm > ** The views expressed in this mailing list are strictly those of the individual contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the moderators or of the Electric Editors. ** Articles (c) 2001, 2002, by individual contributors Design (c) 1996--2002 Iain Brown Compilation (c) 2002, Iain Brown / The Electric Editors =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=