First published 2022
Washington Irving burst onto the literary scene two centuries ago when he published The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. in 1819-1820. The collection featured "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and earned praise across Europe and America for its inventive characters and introspective qualities. Irving became the first American to earn his living as a professional author. This scholarly collection brings together historians and literary experts to examine Irving's imaginative universe and cultural influence. They analyze his role as both satirist and keeper of nostalgic memories, always working to reconstruct vanished eras. The contributors investigate Anglo-American cultural connections, visual symbolism, racial themes, and Irving's treatment of time and history throughout his extensive writings. They also consider his roles as book collector, antiquarian, and celebrity figure in the literary world. Editors Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg guide this fresh examination of Irving's social commentary and mythic storytelling about America's past.
Genres: biography, literary-criticism, literary-fiction, american, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, literary-analysis
Setting: America, Europe
Period: 19th-Century, 2 Centuries Ago
240 pages · Hardcover · LSU Press