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Loose reading? Austen Sedgwick and critical practice

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 09:07 authored by Vincent Quinn
This article uses Eve Sedgwick's 'Jane Austen and the masturbating girl' to explore the place of reading in contemporary critical practice. Noting that hostile accounts of Sedgwick have focused on her alleged inability to 'read closely,' the article argues that Sedgwick's work represents a wider move away from close reading to a criticism characterized by confession, autobiography, against-the grain reading, fantasy, parody and creative writing. This model-which I call 'loose reading'-throws light on the assumptions of close reading; it also has implications for political activism and teaching practice in schools. This article explores Sedgwick's place within lesbian and gay studies and queer theory; it also relates her loose readings to feminist, new historicist and postcolonial criticism. Although welcoming many aspects of loose reading, especially its relation to fantasy, it cautions against a total acceptance of non-attentive textual analysis. The article also discusses the relationship between reading practice and the role of 'good citizenship' in Britain's National Curriculum.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Textual Practice

ISSN

0950-236X

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

2

Volume

14

Page range

305 - 326

ISBN

0950-236X

Department affiliated with

  • English Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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