Introduction

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Rarely does the publication of a peer-reviewed essay generate the excitement that accompanied Jeffrey Lawrence's "Mobilizing Literature" in the Fall 2024 issue of ELH. Lawrence aims for an ambitious intervention in post-1945 literary studies. He argues that cultural materialism and the new institutionalism have dominated the field for fifteen years or more and that they have many virtues, but that they have been unable to recognize the centrality of social movements to the period's literature. 

We believe that Lawrence's article offers a perfect occasion to assess the state of post-1945 literary studies. To that end, we have convened scholars to respond to "Mobilizing Literature," privileging those who have thought considerably about social movements. Everyone in this cluster endorses Lawrence's goal of surfacing the influence of social movements on the post-1945 US literary field. Beyond that, we find much constructive disagreement. 

Dan Sinykin

Francisco Robles

References