Violence, Form, and the Politics of Perception in Early Modern Japanese Literature

David C. Atherton specializes in the literature of early modern Japan. His book Writing Violence: The Politics of Form in Early Modern Japanese Literature was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title of 2024. He is currently writing a new book on early modern conceptions of authorship.

Focusing on depictions of violence, this talk will demonstrate how a new approach to analyzing form in Edo-period literature (1600-1867) can help us better understand the relationship between early modern literary works and the social and political world beyond their pages.