Flowers and thorns : pleasures and perils of the (Literature) anthology
Other Title(s)
ورد و شوك : متع المختارات (الأدبية) و مخاطرها
Author
Abu al-Hasan, Samir Ahmad Abd al-Naim
Source
Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University
Issue
Vol. 46, Issue -- (30 Jun. 2018), pp.251-271, 21 p.
Publisher
Ain Shams University Faculty of Arts
Publication Date
2018-06-30
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
21
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
The claims and conclusions I make in this article primarily address issues pertinent to anthologies of literature, and theory and criticism.
The anthology has traditionally served general readership, and it has recently become an important feature of university education.
Beginning with a discussion of the contradictions the anthology entails (one and many; silent and polyphonic; despised and revered), the article then proceeds to acknowledge the value of the anthology as a genre that, for centuries, has pleased readers with, as most anthologies would claim, "the best" of its subject: "the flowers of literature." Moreover, it refers to the role of the anthology in domesticating the outpouring of writers and texts by giving them some order and coherence.
Then, the article moves to examine the thorns haunting the anthology.
This includes a lengthy discussion of anthological claims to including "the best" writers and texts, and to comprehensive representativeness.
What does "the best" mean? Who decides this "best"? Is this category of "the best" stable? These are some of the questions the article engages with and exerts some effort to answer.
By drawing attention to some shortcomings of the genre, an anthology, the article concludes, should be approached with caution.
It is better understood as a beginning towards more exploration of the richness of its subject which, it must be clear, cannot be fully represented in an anthology, i.e., a selection.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Abu al-Hasan, Samir Ahmad Abd al-Naim. 2018. Flowers and thorns : pleasures and perils of the (Literature) anthology. Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University،Vol. 46, no. --, pp.251-271.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-919629
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Abu al-Hasan, Samir Ahmad Abd al-Naim. Flowers and thorns : pleasures and perils of the (Literature) anthology. Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University Vol. 46 (Apr. / Jun. 2018), pp.251-271.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-919629
American Medical Association (AMA)
Abu al-Hasan, Samir Ahmad Abd al-Naim. Flowers and thorns : pleasures and perils of the (Literature) anthology. Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University. 2018. Vol. 46, no. --, pp.251-271.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-919629
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Record ID
BIM-919629