Introduction

Abstract

Introduction Arielle C. McKee (bio) Iread Tracy Deonn's article, 'Every King Arthur Retelling is Fanfic About Who Gets to be Legendary,' 1 with my fists in the air. Well, they weren't literally suspended aloft—that makes it very hard to scroll—but metaphorically? Metaphorically those hands were up there, waving like I cared very much. Why? Because Deonn's piece articulates what it is that makes Arthuriana so engaging, generative, and teachable: 'Arthurian stories' are 'shared, flexible narratives,' 'fanfiction' that refuses to be bound by a singular or 'original text. Instead, 'the imagined Arthur … resists a single story as a matter of course, making him the perfect epicenter for inclusive reimaginings, reinterpretations, and remixes …'. 2 Teaching the Arthurian Tradition means embracing this complexity and making space for students to find the joy, freedom, and possibility in having more than one 'right' answer (or, in this case, more than one 'right' narrative). For instance, how are the Gawain of The Carle of Carlisle and the Gawain of Malory's Morte both Gawain? Yet they are; imagine the Into the Gawain-verse potential! This cluster recognizes the exciting promise of a tradition that spans centuries and is available for varied and various retellings. The pieces included here guide readers through these complexities, their content ranging from exercises for analyzing early globalities, gendered language, and world-building in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival (Neufeld and Rasmussen) to suggestions for guiding student examinations of the intersections between knightliness and gendered violence in George Saunders' 'My Chivalric Fiasco' (Wuest). The cluster as a whole offers rich context and suggestions for tackling the vastness of the long Arthurian Tradition. For instance, Jane Beal reveals how considering J.R.R. Tolkien's intellectual work, his personal experiences, and his contemporary culture can deepen students' readings of a range of works, including The Fall of Arthur and even 'Farmer Giles of Ham.' Kathryn Starkey and Mae Velloso-Lyons provide a dazzlingly thorough discussion of the Tristan tradition and its pedagogical richness, showing where and how Tristan texts present opportunities for wrestling with questions regarding adaptation, identity and social performance, and, of course, romantic love. The scope of this cluster is vast, covering the medieval Welsh and French Arthurian tradition (Ward and Blacker, respectively); employing lenses from [End Page 3] psychoanalytic gaze theory to moral philosophy (Ackerman and Labbie, respectively); and examining post-medieval Arthuriana, such as the works of T.H. White (Boyle). In addition to being intellectually invigorating and ethically complex, however, Deonn's piece (and her Legendborn series) makes clear that much of Arthuriana's richness stems from its vitality—it is alive and generative. Indeed, creative adaptation is at the core of the Arthurian Tradition, with tales regularly identifiable as retellings or adaptations that themselves spawn further adaptations, and so on. That creative productivity, Deonn observes, allows the Tradition to support resistance and resilience for those experiencing oppression, often through 'inclusive representations.' 3 While not all such works make use of this potential, the potential itself lingers, unerasable: hope once and hope to come. That capacity, moreover, shows us that we are capable of 'legendary lives' and that our 'challenges and triumphs are worthy of remembrance.' 4 Arthuriana, Deonn proves, can make a space for students to find the legend within themselves. Several of the essays in this cluster likewise recognize the imaginative possibilities inherent in the Arthurian Tradition, offering descriptions of lessons and assignments that engage students' curiosity and creativity. Jennifer Goodman Wollock, for instance, engages the educational power of play, offering her students the option of a multi-modal creative project that 'draws on talents that [they] may not otherwise have the chance to use in their undergraduate careers.' 5 Similarly, Laurie A. Finke and Martin B. Shichtman conclude their discussion of the alt-right's obsession with the imagined knight with the description of a meme-making assignment that explores how humor can serve as a foundation for resistance. It is my hope that these essays will serve as guides, inspiration, and assistance as you brave the worthy but turbulent business of teaching and helping students to write their own legends. And if this special issue leaves you wanting more...