THE CONTEMPORARY MOVEMENT OF LITERATURE Brief Historical Background, Characteristics, and Significant Authors of this Era 1945-Present

Important information to know:  These events include the following: The Civil Rights Movement, The Vietnam War, Atomic bombing/rise of weapons of mass destruction, the Cold War, Women’s Rights Movement, and Native American Right’s Movement Influential Historical Events:

Characteristics of Contemporary Texts:  New types of poetry are being introduced  “I” vs. “We”  Literature is generally very emotional  Global dialogue  Ethnicity/races begins to dissolve predetermined “boundaries”  Heavy theme of “just getting by”  Many authors confess fears and realities; in other words very “confessional”

Characteristics of Contemporary Texts Continued…  Authors’ humor is often incorporated and evident  Themes include the following: The Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, The Cold War, Post World War II Prosperity, Women’s Rights, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Native American Rights, Gay/Lesbian Rights, Advancements in Technology  Popular techniques include: fragmentation, postiche/collage, cynicism, and magical realism

Key authors of this movement include:  Tillie Olsen (1913)  Robert Creeley (1926)  Frank O’Hara ( )  Toni Morrison (1931)  Michael S. Harper (1938)  Sherman Alexie (1966)  Aurora Levins Morales (1954)  Li-Young Lee (1957)  Carolyn Forché (1950)  Wendy Rose (Hopi) (1948)

Well Known Contemporary Texts Include:  I Have A Dream Speech  The Bluest Eye  Howl  Frame  The Sandbox  Love Medicine  Lady Lazarus  Tell Me a Riddle

Example: Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech

Credits    “The Heath Anthology of American Literature” Publisher: Houghton/Mifflin, Fifth Edition