Contemporary Writers Research Articles

Psychological Approach in the Interpretation of 20th Century Kazakh Postmodern Literature.

The aim of the study is to analyse contemporary postmodern literary works of Kazakhstan through the conceptual prism of Freudian and Jungian psychoanalysis. To achieve research goals, the following methods were used: axiomatic, content analysis, and comparative. The results of the study determined that contemporary Kazakh writers characterise a large field of motives and ideas that are revealed through text, symbols, and characters. Strong tools for their interpretation were the psychological approaches of Freud and Jung, which are the standards of psychoanalysis and have their own specific features of semantic content. Content analysis of postmodern materials has established that Kazakh stories trace the motives of mythology, religion, relationships and inner spiritual development, which consider the mental differences of the heroes of the storylines. During the psychoanalysis of the works, it was emphasised that postmodernism in the literature of Kazakhstan reflects the rejection of absolute truths, blurring the boundaries between genres, playing with traditional forms and content. Many of the characters in the stories are experiencing an identity crisis, which has been analysed through the Freudian triad and Jung's archetypal images. Kazakh literature, being woven into the cultural and historical heritage of the nation, reflects the features of mentality, socio-cultural transformations, identity and spiritual quest of heroes.

Концепции герметизма и гностицизма в современной научно-фантастической литературе

The aim of the research is to clarify the features of the interpretation of the concepts of hermeticism and gnosticism in science fiction in the late 20th and 21st centuries devoted to the problems of trans- and posthumanism. The paper examines the features of the integration of gnostic and hermetic ideas into modern English-language science fiction. The scientific novelty of the research lies in considering the works of contemporary science fiction writers (G. Egan, R. Sawyer, N. Stephenson, W. Gibson, Ch. Stross) and in identifying the main variants of how gnostic and hermetic themes are developed in the writings of these writers. The author sees the influence of gnostic and hermetic ideas in science fiction works devoted to the topic of transhumanist changes in the form of interventions in the human body at the biochemical level, the themes of mind scanning and digital immortality, and the rational observer of the Universe. As a result, it is proved that gnostic and hermetic elements in contemporary science fiction devoted to the problems of trans- and posthumanism allow writers to include the problematic of hypothetical technologies for improving human nature into the context of a centuries-old religious tradition.

‘Grammars of displacement’: Kojo Laing’s lines of flight

ABSTRACT Departing from the relationship between the texts of the Ghanaian poet and novelist Kojo Laing and a recent international art exhibition, this article traces the relationship between style and the multivalent activity of flight across Laing’s work. Drawing upon an intercontinental range of philosophers – from Deleuze and Guattari to contemporary Akan thinkers – it analyses the intersections between gender, geography, and language in Laing’s texts, and demonstrates their value within the context of discussion of contemporary literature’s investment in possible futures. Laing’s transnational aesthetic foregrounds lines of flight across and between different linguistic and cultural communities, and traces relentlessly emerging or possible constellations of relation. Situating Laing in the context of his interdisciplinary reception, this article seeks to explore the aesthetic and ethical ramifications of the unusual networks of affiliation and response of one of West Africa’s most important, yet critically undervalued, contemporary writers.

Works of R. Edelbauer in Context of Contemporary Austrian Literature of Early 21st Century

This study explores the novels of contemporary Austrian writer Raphaela Edelbauer (Raphaela Edelbauer, b. 1990) “The Fluid Land” (Das flüssige Land, 2019), “DAVE” (DAVE, 2021), “The Incommensurables” (Die Inkommensurablen, 2023) in the context of contemporary Austrian literature of the early third millennium. The relevance of the research is driven by the necessity to comprehend the trends in Austrian literature during an era of global changes. It is revealed that, on one hand, the author continues the traditions of Austrian literature of the second half of the 20th century, particularly on a thematic level (Austrian identity, overcoming the past, the false idyll of provincial Austria, conflicts between fathers and children, etc.), while on the other hand, delving into pressing contemporary issues (transhumanism, artificial intelligence, etc.). The concept of fictionality is central to the analysis, exploring the ways and specifics of its implementation in the artistic text in alignment with the author’s communicative intentions. Special attention is given to Edelbauer’s individual style, the uniqueness of narrative organization in the examined genre varieties (parable novel, science fiction novel, historical novel), and the quest for a “personal” language. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that Edelbauer’s work, distinguished by prestigious literary awards in Austria and Germany, has not been a subject of study in Russian literary studies.

Interview with Keti Chukhrov

AbstractThis short interview explores the influence of Evald Ilyenkov’s work on contemporary philosopher, art theorist, and writer Keti Chukhrov. The interview focuses on Evald Ilyenkov’s contributions to Soviet culture, dialectics, and epistemology. She reflects on the distinct intellectual milieu of Soviet thinkers like Ilyenkov, Vygotsky, Davidov, and Lifshitz, who established connections between Marx and the broader world culture. The interview also addresses Žižek’s interpretation of Ilyenkov’s cosmology, emphasizing the ethical dimension of Ilyenkov’s communist spirit. Furthermore, Chukhrov touches on Ilyenkov’s critique of cybernetics and its relevance in contemporary discussions about AI and philosophy.

Freak out! At the acousmonium: François Bayle and the dynamics of the subject

French electroacoustic music in the post-war decades has typically been associated with a high modernism that spurned popular or mass culture. This article situates electroacoustic music in the late 1960s and 1970s in relation to the transformation of the cultural field in this period, which unsettled clear divisions between high and low cultures. Attending in particular to the question of subjectivity as it appears in the theoretical writings of the composers Pierre Schaeffer and François Bayle, the article aligns Bayle's thinking with that of contemporary writers including Julia Kristeva and Roland Barthes, who launched a critique of the Enlightenment subject. This theoretical nexus suggests that Bayle's L’Expérience acoustique (1969–1972) posits a form of subjectivity closer to the psychedelic counterculture than to the sober listening of Schaeffer's writings. In unsettling the Schaefferian listening subject, the piece opens itself to a heterogeneous listening, the social consequences of which remain significant today.

Psychological Disposition in the Select Novels of Zadie Smith

Psychology and Philosophy are intertwined. Psychology deals with belief and feelings, which cannot be separated. Considering psychology, many writers adapted the idea of Sigmund Freud who explained about conscious and unconscious mind. The combination of Id, ego and super ego were accepted and this was blended in literature to describe various characters in their writings. Female and male writers tried to bring out various aspects of mind, emotions and feelings in their works. They tried to analyze the characters in depth and bring out the psychological aspects, which affects them. Various female writers in British Literature such as George Eliot, Agatha Christie, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte were all brought out in their works the inner struggle and turmoil of their characters especially female characters. Zadie Smith, a contemporary writer, born to a Jamaican mother and an English father, has joined the list. She is a novelist and an essayist. Her debut novel ‘White Teeth’ won James Tait Black Memorial Prize and Betty Trask Award. She writes about the social controversies and her treatment of race and culture is well known. Zadie satirically shows the psychological struggle, suppression and oppression of the characters and multicultural aspects. She even depicts the inner turmoil of each character in her work. In all her novels, the reader can find many themes especially, cultural discrepancies, which has been rooted in their blood with an attitude, which is blended in their society.

Out of Shadow: Tan Twan Eng in the Malaysian Literary Context

In Malaysian literature, few contemporary writers have emerged as prominently and poignantly as Tan Twan Eng. His works not only explore the complexities of cultural identity, shed light on the historical, social, and political realities of the Chinese Malaysian experience, but also incorporate postcolonial ecocritical perspectives and elements of cross-cultural fusion. Through his narratives, he offers a unique perspective that resonates with readers and contributes to the broader discourse on postcolonialism, identity, and cross-cultural interactions. This paper embarks on a nuanced reading of Eng’s novels, endeavors to position his works within the larger framework of Malaysian literature, exploring their role in shaping and redefining the nation’s literary canon. It delves into specific aspects of Tan Twan Eng’s literary contributions, paying particular attention to his treatment of historical narratives, the exploration of cultural identities, and the integration of ecological elements. Through this analysis, we seek to unravel the unique qualities that distinguish Tan Twan Eng’s novels and their significance in the Malaysian literary context.

Taiwan literature in Japanese: works of colonial, diasporic and contemporary writers

Taiwan literature in Japanese: works of colonial, diasporic and contemporary writers

Novel “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” by Dave Eggers in Context of a New Cultural Paradigm

The article explores the leading metamodernist features evident in the autobiographical novel ‘A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius’ (2001) by a contemporary American writer Dave Eggers. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristic features of metamodernism in contemporary works on the basis of an interpretive analysis of D. Eggers’ autobiographical novel “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”, to determine ways of their original implementation in this novel. The review of theoretical sources confirms the significance of Eggers’ works in the development of key trends in the new cultural paradigm of post-postmodernism. The author can be attributed to a galaxy of American writers who fully embody the tenets of metamodernism. A practical analysis of the selected novel for study allows for the assertion that the main characteristics of metamodernism in the examined novel can be identified as the following elements: a revival of the author’s role, post-irony, new sincerity, and neo-realism. To embody these artistic elements, the author employs various literary techniques such as the contamination of artistic and documentary elements, meta-narration and meta-meta-narration, and the fusion of realistic and romantic perceptions of reality. Eggers explores traditional themes of family values, friendship, responsibility, and finding one's place in life through a new metamodern lens.

Robert Louis Stevenson and German Sāmoa

ABSTRACT This study revisits the writings of Robert Louis Stevenson on German Sāmoa as a valuable archive for understanding the impact of Western colonialism on the Pacific. It examines Stevenson’s anti-colonial perspectives in writings such as A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa (1892), his series of letters to The Times in London (1889–1894), and his private correspondence. Stevenson’s analysis of the impact of the Germans’ militarism and meddlesome officialdom, together with their extensive plantation system and use of unfree labour, also provides an important context for reading contemporary Oceanian writers and artists. The varied creative practices of recovery and remediation deployed by Albert Wendt, Sia Figiel, Yuki Kihara, Michel Tuffery and Tony Brunt, are often inspired by cultural memories of German Sāmoa.

Историко-биографический роман Зюльфю Ливанели «На спине тигра. Тирания и свобода» (2022)

This article is dedicated to analyzing the latest novel of the well-known contemporary Turkish writer Zulfu Livaneli, "On the Back of the Tiger: Tyranny and Freedom" (2022), according to the author's reception of the belletristic paradigm. The article demonstrates how historical events related to the life of one of the last Turkish sultans, Abdulhamid II (deposition from power and exile in Thessaloniki), are incorporated into the narrative scope of the novel and how these events influence the country's life. It is argued that the figure of Abdulhamid is more vividly portrayed through the image of his opponent-doctor, another central character in the novel. The research aim is to establish that this novel, in terms of its poetic features, belongs to the historical-biographical genre. The article analyzes the plot and compositional features of the novel with an emphasis on its imagery (central images) and chronotope. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the novelistic work of Z. Livaneli, viewed from this aspect, is for the first time the subject of analytical study in domestic Turkological literary studies. As a result, it is demonstrated that the poetics of Z. Livaneli's novel fits within the historical-biographical genre with specific features unique to the author.

A Report on C-E Translation of Children’s Literature: A Case Study of Gen Niao (Excerpts)

Gen Niao is a short story crafted by Cao Wenxuan, a distinguished contemporary writer in the realm of children’s literature. This story chronicles the maturation journey of a young protagonist named Gen Niao. Currently, there is no published translated edition of this book. This paper takes Gen Niao as an example to primarily explore the English translation of Chinese children’s literature. As international cultural exchanges deepen, English translation of contemporary Chinese children’s literature assumes paramount significance in facilitating cultural outreach. Due to the cultural and linguistic disparities between Chinese and English, translators often find it challenging to accurately and vividly convey the precise connotations of the source text, especially when the target audience is children. Hence, in order to convey the meaning of the source language as faithfully as possible, the author tackles the translation process from two aspects: lexical choices and syntactic structures. Based on the strategies of domestication and foreignization proposed by Venuti, the author primarily employs a strategy of domestication, supplemented by occasional foreignization to translate the selected passages, aiming to maintain fidelity to the original while ensuring readability for the target audience. By exploring strategies for translating Chinese children’s literature into English, this research encapsulates reflections and analyses concerning the practice of translating children’s literature, aiming to discover methods that can enhance the international impact of translated works and propel Chinese children’s literature towards global recognition.

The Professorenroman – a New Phenomenon in Bulgarian Literature

The article presents a phenomenon that until now has not been the subject of an independent and systematic study in Bulgarian literary studies. Tracing the development of the Bulgarian novel over the last three decades, it brings out the presence of a relatively homogeneous group of works that share common literary characteristics and ways of communicating with the reading audience. Systematizing and summarizing observations on more than ten novels published by contemporary Bulgarian writers, all of them university professors, the paper defines several specific features that are common to them. The phenomenon of the Professorenroman is examined briefly in the historical context of its emergence in the 19 th century, and in more detail as an effect and consequence of the development of Postmodernism in Bulgaria since the end of the 20 th century. Novels published most recently, including in 2022, are in focus.

Analysis of the Power Alienation in Bi Feiyu's Novel Yumi

Contemporary writer Bi Feiyu's works are very cutting-edge thinking and reflection of potential social problems, and the novel Yumi is a good confirmation. The characters in Bi Feiyu's novel Yumi can almost not escape from "power", and the recognition of power, the pursuit of power, the price paid for the pursuit of power and the influence brought by power will push people into the abyss of alienation. Therefore, the thinking on power and reflecting on alienation are also particularly important in contemporary society. An analysis of the power alienation in Bi Feiyu's novel Yumi can inspire the people who live in contemporary society. In view of this, this paper studies all kinds of characters through intensive reading of the novel Yumi, and analyzes how "power" uses an invisible force to "non-normalize" human survival concept and survival behavior, that is, alienation. Based on the characteristics and the expression of alienation to get the result of alienation caused by power and its influence on contemporary society. At the same time, it also lets the people living in contemporary society see the consequences of people after the alienation of power and get inspiration from it.

“Irish Folklore Has Always Interested and Influenced Me”: An Interview with Deirdre Sullivan

Deirdre Sullivan is an award-winning Irish YA writer who has been praised by several writers and folklore academics, such as Jack Zipes, for her fairy-tale revisions and her rewriting of the Irish legend “The Children of Lir”. Following the steps of contemporary feminist writers like Angela Carter or Emma Donoghue, Sullivan gives voice to minorities and deals with silenced topics such as sexual harassment. This interview focuses on her subversions of fairy tales and Irish mythology, especially in her collection Tangleweed and Brine (2017) and her revision of “The Children of Lir” in Savage Her Reply (2020). In this interview, Deirdre Sullivan talks about her interest in fairy tales and Irish folklore and how she became a writer.

„Być albo nie być” − transhumanistyczna wizja przyszłości według Wiktora Pielewina (na materiale utworu "Transhumanism Inc.")

Victor Pelevin has established a reputation as one of the most interesting, controversial, and mysterious contemporary Russian writers. He is recognized as one of the leading representatives of Russian postmodernism. Pelevin is also known as an attentive and critical observer of the surrounding reality. He is sometimes described as a deep thinker, a prophet, and a visionary. Pelevin’s literary work entitled Transhumanism Inc. (2021) is the subject of the analysis in this paper. The purpose of the article is to show and discuss Pelevin’s transhumanist vision of the future in which an isolated brain (removed from its host) will be able to survive indefinitely in a specialized container (‘a jar’) and human consciousness will exist within a virtual reality. However, access to this ‘jar dimension’ will be exclusive, limited only to the wealthy, leaders, and world oligarchs. However, it is the vampires, as supernatural creatures, who will be the real architects of the world order. This paper focuses on the analysis of the selected aspects of Pelevin’s literary work − mainly those which can be viewed in connection with the assumptions of the transhumanist project. Special attention is paid to the idea of cyber immortality, the concept of morphological freedom, and mind uploading.

Planetary Gifts of Law and Literature

What remains of European thought in law and literature’s “global turn”? To address the question, this article reopens Nuruddin Farah’s Gifts (1993) alongside modern and contemporary writings on globalization, cosmopolitanism, and their (de)constitutive medial conditions. Scholarship in law and literature, comparative literature, and world literature are first reviewed for their disclosed risks and potentials of attending to postcolonial literature in the name of globalization. This is followed by a return to Farah’s novel and its pertaining European intertexts, including Immanuel Kant’s essays on cosmopolitanism, enlightenment, and book publishing. I suggest that these key exchanges between Farah’s critique of humanitarian aid in late-1980s Somalia and Kant’s classics reflect the importance of (re)staging dialogues between postcolonial literature and the European legacy as we work towards a planetary discourse of law and literature.

The Lord of History in Cynthia Ozick’s “Ruth”

Abstract Cynthia Ozick has published widely on the categorization and definition of Jewish literature. This article reexamines her definition in “Toward a New Yiddish” in light of Ozick’s essay “Ruth,” published first in Congregation: Contemporary Writers Read the Jewish Bible (1987) and later in her essay collection Metaphor & Memory (1989). In “Ruth,” Ozick’s enigmatic definition of Jewish literature as carrying “the echo of the voice of the Lord of History” can be read as a transtemporal or Talmudic relationship with contradiction and paradox. Utilizing the Jewish approaches to time described in Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi’s Zakhor (1982) and Lynn Kaye’s Time in the Babylonian Talmud: Natural and Imagined Times in Jewish Law and Narrative (2018), this article examines how Ozick’s elliptical writing style underscores the Talmudic character of her writing. Moreover, “Ruth” exemplifies Ozick’s destabilization of linear time as she adopts the role of a modern-day rabbi who reinterprets ancient texts and illustrates how future readers might do the same.

On Violence Writing in Ian McEwan’s Saturday

Ian McEwan is one of the most preeminent contemporary British writers. His masterpiece Saturday is longlisted for the 2005 Booker Prize. Revolving around the protagonist Perowne’s one-day life, the novel portrays a realistic picture of British society after the “9·11” terrorist attack. So far, scholars have interpreted Saturday from the perspective of space, trauma, intertextuality, culture, and ethics, while few studies have touched upon the violence writing in this novel. Therefore, this paper will explore the manifestations and roots of direct, structural and cultural violence in Saturday based on Johan Galtung’s violence triangle theory. The study of violence writing in the novel can reveal not only hidden violence problems in British society but also McEwan’s appeal for a harmonious society. Meanwhile, the solution to violence issues McEwan provides in the novel is also instructive for modern people to cope with violence dilemmas.