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Postmodernism

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DOI: 10.5860/rusq.54n1.29

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 The Alert Collector
Aimee Graham, Editor

When presented with subjects unfamiliar to the general pub-

Postmodernism lic, the selection of an appropriate and rounded catalog is im-

portant to libraries, both public and academic. And stretch-
ing across multiple genres of subjects, including literature
and philosophy, the concept of postmodernism may not be
an easy undertaking for those not in the field to grasp. For-
tunately Rachel Fischer, who holds a MLIS from Dominican
University and a BFA in Fine Arts from Columbia College,
has provided a well-rounded collection focusing on the topic,
ranging from introductory texts, art, and literature, all the way
to religion and multimedia. This is her second contribution
to the Alert Collector.—Editor

I
f you really do not understand what postmodernism is
yet, you are not alone. The term was first coined in the
1950s but did not become a well-known philosophical
term in France until the 1970s; however, it was not un-
common for those who studied philosophy and sociology in
the United States to have never heard of the term. Postmod-
ernism is still not taught widely in universities outside of art
history, philosophy, humanities, and cultural theory classes,
yet postmodernist theories have truly impacted how we un-
derstand our society and interact with other societies today.
So what is postmodernism? It is a term that is inseparable
with the study of other known philosophies. Postmodern-
Rachel K. Fischer ism’s precursors include linguistic theory, semiology, phe-
nomenology, and modernism, and were closely associated
Rachel K. Fischer is a Cataloging Bibliographer for with German philosophers like Edmund Husserl and Martin
YBP Library Services in New Hampshire. She has a MLIS Heidegger. French philosophers like Jean-François Lyotard,
from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, and Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, and Jacques Derrida con-
a BFA in Fine Art from Columbia College in Chicago. tributed to making postmodernism what it is today. Since
then other “post” terms have become more common in the
Correspondence concerning this column classroom, such as postcolonialism, postethnic, poststructur-
should be addressed to Aimee Graham; alism, postproduction, and even postblack.
e-mail: aimee.graham90@gmail.com. In relation to art and literary theory, Jean-François Lyotard
stated in The Postmodern Condition, “The postmodern would
be that which, in the modern, puts forward the unpresent-
able in presentation itself; that which denies itself the solace
of good forms, the consensus of a taste which would make it
possible to share collectively the nostalgia for the unattain-
able; that which searches for new presentations, not in order
to enjoy them but in order to impart a stronger sense of the
unpresentable.” With this quotation, one can see that post-
modernism is tied strongly to cultural theory. As an example,
it explores how our society has viewed stereotypes through-
out history and how the cultures of our world are intermin-
gling in a globalized society to become hybrids of each other.
While the meaning of postcolonialism may seem obvious

volume 54, issue 1 | Fall 2014 29

The Alert Collector
to you, the postmodern dialogue debates whether colonialism Taylor, Victor E. and Charles E. Winquist, ed. Encyclo-
has ended on the one end and examines the cultural theory of pedia of Postmodernism. London: Routledge, 2001 (ISBN:
hybridity on the other. Being postethnic or postblack may not 9780415152945) .
sound possible to you; however, it relates to the postmodern If your library already has Credo Reference Academic
dialogue that explores the globalized point when all cultures (http://corp.credoreference.com), then this title is already in
have become hybrids of each other. While postproduction your collection. However, if it does not, then this is an excellent
sounds like a filmmaking term, in postmodernist theory it reference book to add to any library’s collection. This encyclo-
refers to the point in which society is not inventing anything pedia provides a general introduction to important vocabulary,
new. There are no more ideas to invent so inventions are re- theories, and philosophers related to postmodernism.
cycling old ideas in new ways; this is a useful theory to study
as a part of art theory or visual communication, due to its
relationship to theories of appropriation and reproduction. Art and Architecture
Many contemporary artists and authors have found these Foster, Hal, et al. Art Since 1900: Modernism, Antimodernism,
ideas fascinating to explore. Through visual communication Postmodernism. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2011 (ISBN:
and literary methods, they have taken these ideas related to 9780500289518).
the exploration of identity, history, and culture and found This two-volume set on contemporary art is one of the
new ways to represent this way of analytical thinking. With most comprehensive and important art history texts that
the hope of influencing the world around them, these artists have been published to this date. It is an excellent resource
and authors present historical events or themes in their work, to refer to for research related to understanding the different
like stereotypes, as a way to have a necessary dialogue about contemporary art movements, such as the difference between
the meaning of our cultures and life itself. modernism and postmodernism, the artists involved in these
The resources that have been chosen for this list were cho- art movements, and the key theories that have shaped these
sen to represent postmodernism as a whole. The list begins movements.
with several general introductory works on postmodernism.
It is then broken down into the following subject matter: art Jencks, Charles. Critical Modernism: Where is Post-Modern-
and architecture, history and ethnic studies, literature, phi- ism Going? Chichester: Wiley/Academy Press, 2007 (ISBN:
losophy, religion, serials, and multimedia. The history and 9780470030110).
ethnic studies section includes books on postcolonialism and This critique on the postmodern arts movement was writ-
postethnic theory. The philosophy section includes works on ten by a well-known author on the subject. Jencks discusses
semiology and phenomenology and works by well-known the theory and its relationship to modernism as a reaction
postmodern philosophers. Given that there are so many sub- to modernism’s shortcomings as an art theory. Being such a
jects related to postmodernism, this is just a starting point for young art movement, postmodernism’s future is questioned.
any academic or public library to refer to in order to update its
collection and prepare for a future in which postmodernism Jencks, Charles. The Story of Post-Modernism: Five Decades of
is taught more widely in schools across the country. the Ironic, Iconic and Critical in Architecture. Chichester: Wiley,
2011 (ISBN: 9780470688953).
This is a recently updated history of postmodern archi-
Books tecture. The book describes the roots of the movement and
the architectural theories from the 1960s to the present time.
Introductory Texts
Drolet, Michael, ed. The Postmodernism Reader: Foundational
Texts. London: Routledge, 2004 (ISBN: 9780415160841). History and Ethnic Studies
This is an excellent resource to turn to for an introduc- Acheraiou, Amar. Questioning Hybridity, Postcolonialism and
tion to the writings of postmodern philosophers. The authors Globalization. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave
featured in this text include Foucault, Derrida, Lyotard, and Macmillan, 2011 (ISBN: 9780230298286).
others. The topics in this anthology include modernity, post- Multicultural ideas related to the hybrid cultures that have
modernism, aesthetics, politics, and history. developed as the world has evolved into a postcolonial state of
globalization are important postmodern theories. Acheraiou
Malpas, Simon. The Postmodern. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, analyzes the idea of hybridity and argues against the idea of
2005 (ISBN: 9780415280655). postcolonialism, believing that the world still needs to be
As a basic introduction to the theory of postmodernism, decolonized, questioning the current state of globalization.
this is an excellent addition for any library. Malpas clearly
explains the difference between modernism and postmod- Hollinger, David A. Postethnic America: Beyond Multicultural-
ernism. He provides an overview of the related philosophers ism. New York: Basic Books, 2006 (ISBN: 9780465030651).
and their writing. It includes sections related to history and The postmodern idea of being postethnic has become a
politics. controversial theory, so much so that Hollinger has added a

30 Reference & User Services Quarterly

 Postmodernism

new postscript for this edition that responds to his critics. Ashton, Jennifer. From Modernism to Postmodernism: Ameri-
Despite the controversy surrounding the subject, the author’s can Poetry and Theory in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge:
ideas are an important contribution to understanding multi- Cambridge University Press, 2005 (ISBN: 9780521855044).
cultural issues of identity, as the world’s ethnic groups become As part of the Cambridge Studies in American Literature
hybrids, including elements of other ethnicities. and Culture series, this book is a must-have for any library.
This book is an excellent resource for those interested in un-
Nayar, Pramod K. Postcolonialism: A Guide for the Perplexed. derstanding the links between modernist and postmodern-
London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2010 ist theories in relation to modern and contemporary poetry,
(ISBN: 9780826400468). explaining and analyzing the works of key authors of these
This book is an excellent guide to understanding post- movements.
colonialism in literature and cultural studies. Nayar explains
the theory and background in depth and in a manner under- Hoffmann, Gerhard. From Modernism to Postmodernism: Con-
standable to students. The author provides examples of lit- cepts and Strategies of Postmodern American Fiction. Amster-
erature and cultural texts that will help the reader understand dam: Rodopi, 2005 (ISBN: 9789042018860).
the theory. In addition, he relates it to other interdisciplinary This work is just one volume of the many that have been
topics like gender studies, history, and politics. published as part of the Postmodern series by Rodopi. Hoff-
man analyzes American fiction that was written between 1960
Southgate, Beverley. Postmodernism in History: Fear or Free- and 1980 and is an excellent resource for those interested
dom? London: Routledge, 2003 (ISBN: 9780415305389). in studying the link between modernist and postmodernist
Southgate provides an original analysis of postmodernist theory in American fiction.
theories within a historical context. She discusses the precur-
sors of postmodernism and its relation to historical issues Hoover, Paul, ed. Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton An-
and believes that this theory should continue to be studied thology. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2013 (ISBN:
in the future. 978-0393341867).
This is a newly revised edition of the Norton Anthology
Thompson, Willie. Postmodernism and History. Houndmills, of poetry. It includes the works of 114 postmodern poets.
Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004 (ISBN: The essays and poems are an excellent resource to turn to
9780333963395). for those interested in reading, writing, and studying post-
In this book, Thompson presents his introduction to modern literature.
postmodern theory in a way that is easy for students to un-
derstand; he explains the impact that postmodernism has Nicol, Bran. The Cambridge Introduction to Postmodern Fic-
had on history. tion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009 (ISBN:
9780521861571).
Watkin, Christopher. From Plato to Postmodernism: The Story As part of the Cambridge Introductions to Literature se-
of Western Culture Through Philosophy, Literature and Art. Lon- ries, this book is a must have for all libraries. This book pro-
don: Bristol Classical Press, 2011 (ISBN: 9780715638286). vides an introduction to the key authors of the postmodern
If you are looking to add an updated book on the history era in a way that does not emphasize the theory but explains
of civilization to your collection, you may want to choose the literary styles and techniques that is common among
this item. This volume begins with Greco–Roman history and these authors.
philosophy, proceeds through the history of Western civiliza-
tion and culture to the modern times, and ends with post-
modernism. It is an excellent resource for both high school Music
and college students. Gloag, Kenneth. Postmodernism in Music. Cambridge: Cam-
bridge University Press, 2012 (ISBN: 978-0521151573).
Although the idea of postmodernism may seem much
Literature more abstract in relation to music than to visual and ethnic
Acheraiou, Amar. Rethinking Postcolonialism: Colonialist culture, Gloag expertly shows the link between postmodern
Discourse in Modern Literatures and the Legacy of Classi- theory and music composition. This book emphasizes the
cal Writers. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008 (ISBN: composers and their works that were written between 1950
9780230552050). and the present.
Although postmodernism is not part of the title of this
book, postcolonialist theory is an important theme that is
examined as a part of postmodern cultural theory. Acheraiou Philosophy
analyzes the theme of colonialism in literature and provides Barthes, Rolands. Elements of Semiology. New York: Hill and
his own analysis of postcolonialism in relation to colonial Wang, 1977 (ISBN: 9780374521462).
history. Barthes is a well-known French philosopher. This is an

volume 54, issue 1 | Fall 2014 31

The Alert Collector
essential semiology text for those interested in studying the inception in 1900. This book provides an overview of the
meaning of signs in relation to linguistics, postmodernism, philosophy, its background, and key philosophers that have
and cultural theory. Barthes’ writing on semiology has been contributed to phenomenology.
featured in texts used in university classrooms around the
country. Foucault, Michel. The Foucault Reader. New York: Random
House, 1984 (ISBN: 9780394713403).
Barthes, Roland. Mythologies: the Complete Edition, in a Foucault was a well-known French postmodern phi-
New Translation. New York: Hill and Wang, 2013 (ISBN: losopher. This book is an anthology of his most well-known
9780809071944). writing as well as previously unpublished work. His writing
Barthes is one of the foremost experts on semiotics. Be- stretches across many disciplines, including history, politics,
ing able to understand the meaning of cultural signs and and psychology, and is featured in textbooks that are used
symbols is important to understanding postmodernism and in university classrooms in this country. He is the most well
postmodern cultural theory. Excerpts from this work are fea- known for his work that analyzes how power manifests itself
tured in texts that are used in university classrooms, so this in society.
book is essential to have in an academic library as a resource
for students. Herrmann, Friedrich-Wilhelm Von. Hermeneutics and Reflection:
Heidegger and Husserlon the Concept of Phenomenology. Toronto:
Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. Ann Arbor: Uni- University of Toronto Press, 2013 (ISBN: 9781442669130).
versity of Michigan Press, 1995 (ISBN: 9780472065219). The author of this book is a well-known German expert
This French philosopher is well known to those studying on phenomenology and hermeneutics. The book is an im-
postmodernism. Excerpts from this book have been featured portant critique of Martin Heidegger’s and Edmund Husserl’s
in textbooks that are used in classrooms throughout this work on phenomenology. The author presents his critique of
country. In this work, Baudrillard focuses on issues of cultural Husserl from Heidegger’s viewpoint.
materialism, production, and reproduction.
Lyotard, Jean-François. The Postmodern Condition: a Report
Derrida, Jacques. Signature Derrida. Chicago: University of on Knowledge. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1984
Chicago Press, 2013 (ISBN: 9780226924540). (ISBN: 9780816611737).
Derrida is most well known for his work related to the This French philosopher is important to study for arts and
semiotic theory of deconstruction and his work on phenom- sciences majors. Excerpts of this book have been included in
enology. His writing is important to postmodernism and textbooks that are used in university classrooms throughout
poststructuralism. This anthology is a collection of Derrida’s this country. In this book, the author explains and analyzes
writings that were published by Critical Inquiry between 1980 the theory of postmodernism in relation to science, technol-
and 2002. ogy, and the arts.

Derrida, Jacques. Voice and Phenomenon: Introduction to the Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. Phenomenology of Perception. Lon-
Problem of the Sign in Husserl’s Phenomenology. Evanston: North- don: Routledge, 2012 (ISBN: 9780415558693).
western University Press, 2010 (ISBN: 9780810127654). Understanding perception within different cultures is
Derrida is a well-known expert on phenomenology, se- important to postmodern cultural theory. Merleau-Ponty first
miotics, and linguistics. This book is Derrida’s introduction published this book on phenomenology in 1945.
to Edmund Husserl’s philosophies of phenomenology, which
relates to deconstruction. Phenomenology is important to the
study of postmodernism. This is an excellent resource for stu- Religion
dents interested in understanding both Derrida and Huserl. Berry, Philippa and Andrew Wernick, ed. Shadow of Spirit:
Postmodernism and Religion. London: Routledge, 1992 (ISBN:
Derrida, Jacques. Writing and Difference. Chicago: University 9780415066389).
of Chicago Press, 1980 (ISBN: 9780226143293). This is a collection of essays by postmodern philosophers
This book is a collection of Derrida’s essays from 1959 to that explore the connection between spirituality, religion, and
1966. It contains his early essays on deconstruction, structur- postmodernism. These essays additionally discuss ethics,
alism, and metaphysics. His essays are relevant to those who politics, and feminism.
study literature, philosophy, and psychology.
Gellner, Ernest. Postmodernism, Reason and Religion. London:
Detmer, David. Phenomenology Explained: From Experience Routledge, 1992 (ISBN: 9780415080248).
to Insight. Chicago: Open Court Publishing, 2013 (ISBN: Unlike the other books on the list, this author criticizes
9780812697971). postmodernism. He finds it too subjective and apologetic of
Phenomenology has been an important philosophical colonialism. Gellner focuses on highlighting the strengths of
movement that has contributed to postmodernism since its Islam and the Enlightenment in relation to postmodernism.

32 Reference & User Services Quarterly

 Postmodernism

Raschke, Carl A. Postmodernism and the Revolution in Religious Serials

Theory: Toward a Semiotics of the Event. Charlottesville: Univer-
sity of Virginia Press, 2012 (ISBN: 9780813933078). Amiran, Eyal et al, ed. Post Modern Culture. Baltimore: Johns
In this book, Raschke analyzes the contributions that Hopkins University Press, 1990–Present (E-ISSN: 1053-
postmodernism has made to religious theory. He is most in- 1920).
terested in the relationship between semiology and religion, This electronic journal is the leading academic journal on
since understanding symbols are inseparable with religion. postmodernism. Its focus is on the cultural and interdisciplin-
ary studies of the theory. It features critical essays and reviews
Taylor, Victor E. Religion after Postmodernism: Retheorizing and is available through Project Muse.
Myth and Literature. Charlottesville: University of Virginia
Press, 2008 (ISBN: 9780813927619).
In this book on religion and postmodernism, Taylor fo- Multimedia
cuses on the relationship between the literary style of fables
and religion. The literary style of traditional religions effects Sollins, Susan. Art 21. PBS, 2001–2012. www.pbs.org/art21.
how one lives and why. The author believes it is important Art 21 has been featured on PBS for six seasons, to this
to reanalyze the meaning of beliefs according to postmodern date. Videos, companion books, and a companion website
philosophy. are available for all seasons. The website has clips and longer
segments from all of the seasons available for free online.
Thacker, Justin. Postmodernism and the Ethics of Theological This series showcases modern and postmodern artists from
Knowledge. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007 (ISBN: 9780754661856). around the world.
Unlike other books, Thacker criticizes postmodernist phi-
losophers for their anti-religious beliefs. The author favors an
analysis of postmodernism that includes ethics, knowledge,
and religion.

volume 54, issue 1 | Fall 2014 33

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