Writing the Modern Family: Contemporary Literature, Motherhood and Neoliberal Culture

(Paperback)

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Although a large body of work has emerged which addresses neoliberal representations of the family in other cultural forms (such as parenting advice programmes) little has been written specifically on the family and contemporary literature. This book examines the growing body of autobiographical and fictional writing on family and parenting issues in Anglo-American culture from the late 1990s to the present day.
The book looks closely at six distinct genres which have arisen during this time frame: the misery memoir, the mums lit popular novel, the maternal confessional, dads lit, the dysfunctional domestic novel and the family noir. Writing the Modern Family will examine the way these burgeoning areas of British and American writing respond to a neoliberal public discourse in which a parenting deficit rather than economic and structural disadvantage, is responsible for increasing inequality in child welfare and achievement. In evaluating these forms and their relationship to neoliberal culture, the book will also consider the complex interrelationship between these genres.

Reviews

"Garret's timely and compelling book offers a powerful critique of neoliberal ideas of motherhood and its representation. examining domestic fiction and popular cultural texts between 1990s-2010s, Garret's incisive readings triangulate genre, feminism, and politics, opening mums' lit, misery memoirs and crime fiction to new assessment. absolutely essential reading for feminist popular fiction, and motherhood scholars." --Charlotte Beyer, University of Gloucestershire

"Writing the Modern Family takes the reader on a stunning tour of the familial. Garrett skilfully unpicks the reinvented mythologies of the modern family, which remains as unattainable and powerful as ever. the book is a literary masterclass in hunting down mother-shaming and domestic dysfunction, guilt, rage, and discontent, across the pages of misery menoir, 'dad lit', postfeminist confessional." --Tracey Jensen, Lancaster University

"Convincingly arguing that we really do need to talk about family dynamics and the maternal role, Roberta Garrett's original and timely new study reveals just what has been at stake in writing about and challenging the dominant discourse on motherhood over the last twenty years." --Peter Childs

"In Writing the Modern Family Roberta Garrettexamines a range of recent fictional treatments of the family, demonstrating how such representations respond to a neoliberal culture of rewards and punishments for women's behaviour. Urgently topical and clearly written, the book marries literary criticism with cultural studies to offer a compelling insight into the ideological challenges faced by feminism in confronting continued patriarchal privilege." --Peter Morey, Professor and Chair in 20th Century English Literature, University of Birmingham

In Writing the Modern Family Roberta Garrettexamines a range of recent fictional treatments of the family, demonstrating how such representations respond to a neoliberal culture of rewards and punishments for women's behaviour. Urgently topical and clearly written, the book marries literary criticism with cultural studies to offer a compelling insight into the ideological challenges faced by feminism in confronting continued patriarchal privilege.

Author Bio

Roberta Garrett is Senior Lecturer in Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of East London, UK