By Kristen LaRue-Sandler — August 6, 2025
Four faculty members in the ASU Department of English announce books recently published or imminently forthcoming. Works include two edited collections, a trade-scholarly crossover and a children’s book. Topics explored include Irish literature, Jane Austen, space cats, and Shakespeare.
‘The Irish Bildungsroman’ (Syracuse University Press, 2025)
This volume of essays in the press’s Irish Studies series, co-edited by Gregory Castle, was released this spring. From the publisher:
- “The classical Bildungsroman charted an idealized path of human development: the harmonizing of individual desires and societal norms in the formation of a well-rounded liberal subject. But what happens when this Enlightenment blueprint for self-cultivation runs up against the particularities of a colonial society riven by nationalism, revolution, and uneven modernization?
‘The Irish Bildungsroman’ provides the first comprehensive study of how this quintessentially bourgeois and European genre is transformed and reinvented by Irish writers from the Act of Union to the present day. Through incisive readings of over two centuries of Irish novels, the volume’s contributors illuminate the diverse narrative strategies Irish authors have employed to depict personal formation within colonial and postcolonial communities shaped by competing religious, class, gender, and ethnic interests.
Periodized into three major sections, the book maps the evolution of the Irish Bildungsroman across key historical junctures: the rise of cultural nationalism in the nineteenth century, the revolutionary period and emergence of the postcolonial state in the early twentieth century, and more recent waves of globalization that have reconfigured Irish identity. From the post-Union novels of Maria Edgeworth and Sydney Owenson to contemporary immigrant fiction, ‘The Irish Bildungsroman’ excavates a rich vein of self-reflexive writing that creatively reworks this genre to expose the fault lines of liberal humanism and to imagine new modes of selfhood.”
Castle is a professor emeritus in the ASU Department of English’s literature program.
‘Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane’ (St. Martin’s / Macmillan, 2025)
Set to publish in September—plenty of time to read in the lead up to the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth—this “incisive, funny, and deeply-researched” book by Devoney Looser delves into lesser known aspects of Austen’s life and legacy. From the publisher:
“Thieves! Spies! Abolitionists! Ghosts! If we ever truly believed Jane Austen to be a quiet spinster, scholar Devoney Looser puts that myth to rest at last in ‘Wild for Austen.’ These, and many other events and characters, come to life throughout this rollicking book. Austen, we learn, was far wilder in her time than we’ve given her credit for, and Looser traces the fascinating and fantastical journey her legacy has taken over the past 250 years.
All six of Austen’s completed novels are examined here, and Looser uncovers striking new gems therein, as well as in Austen’s juvenilia, unfinished fiction, and even essays and poetry. Looser also takes on entirely new scholarship, writing about Austen’s relationship to the abolitionist movement and women’s suffrage. In examining the legacy of Austen’s works, Looser reveals the film adaptations that might have changed Hollywood history had they come to fruition, and tells extraordinary stories of ghost-sightings, Austen novels cited in courts of law, and the eclectic members of the Austen extended family whose own outrageous lives seem wilder than fiction.
Written with warmth, humor, and remarkable details never before published, ‘Wild for Austen’ is the ultimate tribute to Jane Austen.”
Looser is a Regents Professor in the ASU Department of English’s literature program.
‘The Space Cat’ (First Second / Macmillan, 2025)
Illustrated by Tana Ford, this children’s book by Nnedi Okorafor was called “glowing, flowing, and uniquely imaginative” by Kirkus. From the publisher:
“Invaders from outer space have descended on Nigeria. They have no idea whose home they're messing with.
Ah, yes, the luxurious life of a well-loved cat. It’s the best. And Periwinkle has it the cushiest. But there’s more to this pampered pet than meets the eye. He’s not just a house cat. He’s a space cat. By day, he’s showered with scritches, cuddles, and delicious chicken fillets. By night, he races through the cosmos in his custom-built spaceship.
Between epic battles with squeaky toys and working on ways to improve his ship, Periwinkle is never bored. And when his humans decide to leave the United States and move to the small but bustling town of Kaleria, Nigeria, he’s excited to explore his new home—even after he learns that many Nigerians hate cats. After all, a born adventurer like Periwinkle doesn’t shy away from new experiences. But not everything in Kaleria is as it seems. Soon enough, Periwinkle finds himself on his most out-of-this-world adventure yet, right here on Earth.”
Okorafor is a professor of practice with appointments in both the Department of English and the Interplanetary Initiative at ASU.
‘Design and Discomfort: Teaching Shakespeare and Race’ (ACMRS Press, 2025)
Released in July, this open-access teaching volume was edited by Laura Turchi. From the publisher:
“‘Design and Discomfort’ confronts the complexities of teaching Shakespeare in today’s classrooms, where discussions of race, bias, and historical legacies can provoke discomfort—but also transformation. Edited by Laura B. Turchi, this collection brings together educators and teaching artists who share innovative strategies for rethinking Shakespeare’s role in education.
Rather than treating Shakespeare as an untouchable authority, the contributors explore how his works can be a springboard for broader conversations about identity and justice. They advocate for performance-based and student-driven approaches that help students see themselves—their communities, their families, and their lived experiences—in the complex and seemingly distant world of Shakespeare.
This open-access volume provides both conceptual essays and practical lesson designs for educators navigating the intersections of Shakespeare and race. By embracing discomfort as part of the learning process, ‘Design and Discomfort’ reframes how Shakespeare should be taught in classrooms today.”
Turchi is a clinical professor in the Department of English at ASU and in the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.