The Visual Poetics of Raymond Carver - 9780739139219

"Readers have been aware of Raymond Carver's preoccupation with voyeurism and the visual for decades. Ayala Amir expands our knowledge of these issues by examining the links between the visual in fiction and related fields such as photography and cinema, opening up a whole new, interdisciplinary dimension to Carver's work. The Visual Poetics of Raymond Carver is a very welcome contribution to our understanding of Carver's stories."-Sandra Lee Kleppe, International Raymond Carver Society

"This is a terrific book that takes Carver studies in new directions. Ayala Amir's knowledge of both cinema theory and literary theory makes this a book in which the discussion moves seamlessly between these related arts. As I read it, I felt that I was both expanding my knowledge of Carver's work and simultaneously learning photographic theory which, while interesting in its own right, augmented the way I read Carver. Few books offer readers such an experience."ùRobert Miltner, Kent State University

The Visual Poetics of Raymond Carver draws on the study of visual arts to illuminate the short stories of noted author Raymond Carver in the broader context of vision and visualization in a literary text. Ayala Amir examines Carver's use of the eye-of-the-camera technique. It uncovers the tensions that structure his visual aesthetics and examines assumptions that govern scholarly discussions of his work, relating these matters to the complex nature of photography and to the current "visual turn" of cultural studies. The research uses visual approaches to reflect upon traditional issues of narrative study: duration, dialogue, narration, description, frame, character, and meaning. Amir shows how Carver's visual aesthetics shapes the meaning of his stories, while also challenging accepted notions of the boundaries of "the literary."