Publication Date
2-12-2016
Keywords
Ethnic literature, Diasporic literature, Celtic literature, Scottish literature, Scottish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic literature
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Celtic Studies | English Language and Literature | Folklore | History | History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology | Linguistics | Theatre History
Abstract
The assessment of the influence of Scottish literature and literary practice abroad, especially in the context of Scottish diasporas, has generally focused on fiction in English, particularly in the form of the novel. Missing from this approach is a large body of Scottish Gaelic literature, primarily oral poetry, which has been composed in a sustained literary tradition that extends from the medieval period in Scotland to the present day in North America. This article reviews the evidence for Gaelic literary continuity in the North American diaspora in terms of the literary conventions that have determined the forms of literary production, the iconic figures and literary culture signifiers invoked by authors, and the statements made by authors in their texts that reflect self-consciousness about the tradition in which they worked and to which they belonged.
Recommended Citation
Newton, Michael
(2016)
"Highland Canon Fodder: Scottish Gaelic Literature in North American Contexts,"
e-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies: Vol. 1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://dc.uwm.edu/ekeltoi/vol1/iss1/6
Included in
Celtic Studies Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Folklore Commons, History Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Linguistics Commons, Theatre History Commons