Afewyearsagoglobalismseemedtobebothaknownandinexorablephenomenon.WiththeendoftheColdWar,theopeningoftheChineseeconomy,andtheascendancyofdigitaltechnology,theprospectofaunifiedflowofgoodsandservicesandofpeopleandideasseemedunstoppable.Yes,therewerepocketsofresistanceandreaction,butthese,weweretold,wouldbesweptawayinarelentlesstideoffreemarketsandglobalintegrationthatwouldbringHollywood,digitalfinance,andfastfoodtoall.
Nonetheless,wehavebeguntoexperiencethebacklashagainstaglobalworldfoundedondigitalfungibility,andtheperilsofappealstonationalism,identity,andauthenticityhavebecomeonlytooapparent.Theanxietiesandresentmentsproducedbythisnewworldorderamongthoseleftbehindareoftenmanifestedinassertionsofxenophobiaandparticularity.The“other”iscomingtotakewhatisours,andwemustdefendourselves!
DigitalizingtheGlobalTextisacollectionofessaysbyaninternationalgroupofscholarsthatsituatethemselvessquarelyatthisnexusofforces.Togethertheyexaminehowliterature,culture,andphilosophyintheglobalanddigitalagebothenablethecreationofthesesimultaneouslyutopiananddystopianworldsandofferresistancetothem.
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“DigitalizingtheGlobalTextisavibrantvolumethatexplorestheparadoxesofthelocal,theglobal,andtheuniversal,withparticularemphasisonthedigitalhumanities.Thiswonderfulcollectionofessaysfromanaccomplishedglobalgroupofcontributorswillbeofwideinteresttohumanitiesscholars.”
---JeffreyR.DiLeo,UniversityofHouston–Victoria
“Traversinghistoricalperiodsandnationalboundaries,withtopicsrangingfromPlatoto‘GangnamStyle,’theessaysinDigitalizingtheGlobalTextrepresentavastarrayofperspectiveswhileresistingthetendencytofetishizeorhypetheglobal.Thiscollectionrepresentsamajorcontributiontothestudyofworldliteraturesandcultures.”
---ROBERTT.TALLYJR.,TexasStateUniversity
“DigitalizingtheGlobalTextisasplendidcontributiontotheongoingworkofchallengingglobalism.Refusingtosettleforitsdominantneoliberalform,markedbythedigitizationofknowledgeandhomogenizationofculturalproduction,thisvolumepursuesalternativeformsoflife—recalcitrantones—thatdonotsacrificethesingularitiesofthelocalintheirillustrationandenactmentoftheglobal.”
---ZAHIZALLOUA,WhitmanCollege
“DigitalizingtheGlobalTextstagesacrucialinterventionintodiscussionsanddebatesaroundglobalizationanddigitalization.Howcanwebegintoimagineanewa
globalizationandadigitalspherethatdonotmerelytranslateintocapitalistprofiteering?Thisisthecrucialquestionatonceaskedandansweredbythiscollection.”
---CHRISTOPHERBREU,authorofInsistenceoftheMaterial
“Thisisatimelyandforthrightcollectiononwhathappenstotheculturalwithinformsofglobalizationandglobality.Essaysaddressnotjusttheimpactofpopularculturebutalsoattempttounderstandhowthinkingitselfisrecalibratedbetweentheshiftingscalesoflocalandglobal.Atemplateforglobalculturalcritique.”
---PETERHITCHCOCK,BaruchCollege,CityUniversityofNewYork
IDENTITY TEXT VICTORIA GLOBAL UNIVERSITYOFHOUSTON LITERATURE
