Melvin Burgess has made a powerful name for himself in the world of children's and young adult literature, emerging in the 1990s as the author of over twenty critically acclaimed novels.This collection of original essays by a team of established and new scholars introduces readers to the key debates surrounding Burgess's most challenging work, including controversial young adult novels Junk and Doing It. Covering a variety of critical and theoretical perspectives, the volume also presents exciting new readings of some of his less familiar fiction for children, and features an interview with the author.
Alison Waller is Senior Lecturer in Children's Literature in The National Centre for Research in Children's Literature at the University of Roehampton, UK. She convenes the MA in Children's Literature by distance learning and is the author of 'Constructions of Adolescence in Fantastic realism' (2009).
Series Editor's PrefaceNotes on ContributorsIntroduction; A.WallerPART I: CONTROVERSY AND THE CULTURAL CONTEXT1. 'One of the Boys'? Writing Sex for Teenagers in 'Doing It'; Chris Richards2. 'Keeping it Real': The Debate for Boyhood and its Representations in 'Doing It' and 'Kill All Enemies'; Michele Gill3. The Girl and the Streets: Postfeminist Identities in 'Junk', 'Doing It', and 'Sara's Face'; Joel GwynnePART II: FORM, STYLE, GENRE 4. Beyond Face Value: Playing the Game with 'Sara's Face'; Kay Sambell5. Dystopian Worlds and Ethical Subjectivities in 'Bloodtide' and 'Bloodsong'; Robyn McCallum and John Stephens6. Transformation, Text and Genre in 'The Birdman'; M.GibsonPART III: HUMAN AND ANIMAL IDENTITIES7. Borderland: The Animal World of Melvin Burgess; Peter Hollindale8. 'You Know What I Mean': The Development of Relationships between Socially Isolated Characters in 'An Angel for May, 'Loving April', and 'The Ghost Behind the Wall'; Pat Pinsent9. Challenging the Paradigm: Examining 'The Baby and Fly Pie' and 'The Earth Giant' through Ecocriticism; Karen WilliamsPART IV: TELLING STORIES10. Found Fiction: An Interview with Melvin Burgess; Alison Wallerand Melvin BurgessFurther ReadingIndex.
"The chapters in this collection comprise a thoughtful and thought-provoking analysis of Melvin Burgess's innovative, yet often controversial, fiction. It's a must-read for any serious scholar, teacher or student of young adult literature." - Janet Alsup, Purdue University, USA
Michelle Ann Abate, Lance Weldy, USA) Abate, Michelle Ann (Ohio State University, Main Campus, USA) Weldy, Lance (Francis Marion University, Florence, Michelle Abate