Transnational Serial Culture: The American City Mysteries


American city mysteries sprung forth from European predecessors - serial mystery novels published in daily and weekly newspapers. The city mystery genre reflects not only political and societal discourses of the mid-nineteenth century, but also helps us trace the genesis of a transnational culture of seriality.

In this course we will examine the serial urban literature of the antebellum East Coast, regarding international iterations of the genre and the political and literary implications of each.

Students should obtain a copy of The Quaker City by George Lippard, Ed. David S Reynolds. ISBN-13: 978-0870239717 If this edition becomes unavailable, we will discuss alternatives in our first session.