&NOW 2018

War has always infected American writing, but a new militarism emerging in recent decades challenges poets, novelists, and non-fiction writers to think in innovative ways about the relationship between state violence, consumer culture, and the literary imagination. This panel will discuss how fiction and poetry might address ongoing contemporary wars, often distant, undeclared, covert, and fought by drones, mercenaries, and special forces operators, while recognizing the long history of American militarism and the dubious complicity of much American war literature. Creative and critical responses will focus on questions of form, rhetoric, style, audience, and narrative: How do we write, and rewrite, the story of American war?

Panel format will begin with introductory remarks by Roy Scranton, then creative and critical presentations from participants, approximately 8-10 minutes each, and conclude with a discussion and Q&A with the audience.