26 Raymond Carver (1938–1988)
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Robert C. Clark
Abstract
Raymond Carver’s short stories generate provocative, impassioned arguments about the interplay of form and content. While he is sometimes thought to be the originator of American literary Minimalism, he is in fact a part of its perpetuation. Following in the stylistic legacy of Ernest Hemingway, William Carlos Williams, and Anton Chekhov, Carver wrote carefully crafted tales in part inspired by his own life experiences. “Cathedral” and “A Small, Good Thing” are among his best. Few edits were made to the original published version of “Cathedral” before its appearance in Cathedral; “A Small, Good Thing” underwent numerous transformations over a two-year period, changes often initiated by Carver’s long-time editor, Gordon Lish. Carver criticism is bifurcated. Scholars have discussed Carver’s themes, politics, use of symbol, and stylistic choices, but in the last twenty years, it has become increasingly important to examine Lish’s role in the development of Carver’s fiction.
Abstract
Raymond Carver’s short stories generate provocative, impassioned arguments about the interplay of form and content. While he is sometimes thought to be the originator of American literary Minimalism, he is in fact a part of its perpetuation. Following in the stylistic legacy of Ernest Hemingway, William Carlos Williams, and Anton Chekhov, Carver wrote carefully crafted tales in part inspired by his own life experiences. “Cathedral” and “A Small, Good Thing” are among his best. Few edits were made to the original published version of “Cathedral” before its appearance in Cathedral; “A Small, Good Thing” underwent numerous transformations over a two-year period, changes often initiated by Carver’s long-time editor, Gordon Lish. Carver criticism is bifurcated. Scholars have discussed Carver’s themes, politics, use of symbol, and stylistic choices, but in the last twenty years, it has become increasingly important to examine Lish’s role in the development of Carver’s fiction.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Editors’ Preface V
- Contents VII
- 0 Introduction: The American Short Story – Past and Present 1
-
Part I: Systematic Questions
- 1 Of Sketches, Tales, and Stories: Theoretical Reflections on the Genre of the Short Story 19
- 2 Canon Formation and the American Short Story 39
- 3 Current Approaches to the American Short Story 55
- 4 Textual Materiality, Magazine Culture, and the American Short Story 73
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Part II: Close Readings
- 5 Washington Irving (1783–1859) 103
- 6 Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) 119
- 7 Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) 133
- 8 Herman Melville (1819–1891) 153
- 9 Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens, 1835–1910) 171
- 10 Charles W. Chesnutt (1858–1932) 197
- 11 Kate Chopin (1850–1904) 209
- 12 Henry James (1843–1916) 227
- 13 Jack London (1876–1916) 249
- 14 Zitkala-Ša (1876–1938) 269
- 15 Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) 289
- 16 Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) 305
- 17 Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) 319
- 18 William Faulkner (1897–1962) 343
- 19 Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) 361
- 20 James Baldwin (1924–1987) 385
- 21 Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) 403
- 22 Bernard Malamud (1914–1986) 425
- 23 Grace Paley (1922–2007) 445
- 24 Donald Barthelme (1931–1989) 461
- 25 Tim O’Brien (1946–) 477
- 26 Raymond Carver (1938–1988) 493
- 27 Alice Walker (1944–) 513
- 28 Leslie Marmon Silko (1948–) 533
- 29 Sandra Cisneros (1954–) 555
- 30 Louise Erdrich (1954–) 573
- 31 Lydia Davis (1947–) 593
- 32 George Saunders (1958–) 613
- 33 Junot Díaz (1968–) 627
- 34 Yiyun Li (1972–) 643
- 35 N.K. Jemisin (1972–) 661
- Index of Names 683
- Index of Subjects 691
- List of Contributors 699
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Editors’ Preface V
- Contents VII
- 0 Introduction: The American Short Story – Past and Present 1
-
Part I: Systematic Questions
- 1 Of Sketches, Tales, and Stories: Theoretical Reflections on the Genre of the Short Story 19
- 2 Canon Formation and the American Short Story 39
- 3 Current Approaches to the American Short Story 55
- 4 Textual Materiality, Magazine Culture, and the American Short Story 73
-
Part II: Close Readings
- 5 Washington Irving (1783–1859) 103
- 6 Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) 119
- 7 Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) 133
- 8 Herman Melville (1819–1891) 153
- 9 Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens, 1835–1910) 171
- 10 Charles W. Chesnutt (1858–1932) 197
- 11 Kate Chopin (1850–1904) 209
- 12 Henry James (1843–1916) 227
- 13 Jack London (1876–1916) 249
- 14 Zitkala-Ša (1876–1938) 269
- 15 Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) 289
- 16 Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) 305
- 17 Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) 319
- 18 William Faulkner (1897–1962) 343
- 19 Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) 361
- 20 James Baldwin (1924–1987) 385
- 21 Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) 403
- 22 Bernard Malamud (1914–1986) 425
- 23 Grace Paley (1922–2007) 445
- 24 Donald Barthelme (1931–1989) 461
- 25 Tim O’Brien (1946–) 477
- 26 Raymond Carver (1938–1988) 493
- 27 Alice Walker (1944–) 513
- 28 Leslie Marmon Silko (1948–) 533
- 29 Sandra Cisneros (1954–) 555
- 30 Louise Erdrich (1954–) 573
- 31 Lydia Davis (1947–) 593
- 32 George Saunders (1958–) 613
- 33 Junot Díaz (1968–) 627
- 34 Yiyun Li (1972–) 643
- 35 N.K. Jemisin (1972–) 661
- Index of Names 683
- Index of Subjects 691
- List of Contributors 699
