Christina Stead and the Matter of America (Sydney Studies in Australian Literature)

197 Pages·2019·2.275 MB·English

by  Fiona Morrison

Christina Stead and the
Matter of America
SYDNEY STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE
Robert Dixon, Series Editor
The SSyyddnneeyy SSttuuddiieess iinn AAuussttrraalliiaann LLiitteerraattuurree series publishes original,
peer-reviewed research in the field of Australian literary studies. It offers
engagingly written evaluations of the nature and importance of Australian
literature,andaimstoreinvigorateitsstudybothlocallyandinternationally.Itwill
beofinteresttothoseresearching,studyingandteachinginthediversefieldsof
Australianliterarystudies.
AlexMiller:TheRuinofTime
RobertDixon
AustralianBooksandAuthorsintheAmericanMarketplace1840s–1940s
DavidCarterandRogerOsborne
ChristinaSteadandtheMatterofAmerica
FionaMorrison
ColonialAustralianFiction:CharacterTypes,SocialFormationsandthe
ColonialEconomy
KenGelderandRachaelWeaver
ContemporaryAustralianLiterature:AWorldNotYetDead
NicholasBirns
ElizabethHarrower:CriticalEssays
Ed.ElizabethMcMahonandBrigittaOlubas
TheFictionofTimWinton:EarthedandSacred
LynMcCredden
RichardFlanagan:CriticalEssays
Ed.RobertDixon
ShirleyHazzard:NewCriticalEssays
Ed.BrigittaOlubas
Christina Stead and the
Matter of America
Fiona Morrison
FirstpublishedbySydneyUniversityPress
©FionaMorrison2019
©SydneyUniversityPress2019
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ExceptaspermittedundertheAct,nopartofthiseditionmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,or
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communicationshouldbemadetoSydneyUniversityPressattheaddressbelow:
SydneyUniversityPress
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AUSTRALIA
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Acataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefrom
theNationalLibraryofAustralia.
ISBN 9781743324493 paperback
ISBN 9781743324509 epub
ISBN 9781743325193 pdf
Cover image: Christina Stead ca. 1938, C.S. Daley Photograph Collection, National Library of Australia, Pic/
12605/2, nla.obj-144459442.
Cover design by Miguel Yamin.
ForMichael,JuliaandElena

Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
1 ChristinaStead’s“WestwardExpansion”:Totality,Avant-GardeRealism 21
andtheAmericanFolk
2 FascistMiscellaniesandtheAllegoryoftheDomesticFrontinTheMan 47
WhoLovedChildren
3 Debt,DomesticEnclosureandDaughterlyRevolutioninTheManWho 63
LovedChildren
4 TheNewYorkLoveMarketandthePicaraFortunatainLettyFox:Her 85
Luck
5 Men,MobilityandCapitalRelationsinALittleTea,ALittleChatand 103
ThePeoplewiththeDogs
6 GargantuanContradictionsandtheSupercessionofLimitsinI’mDying 129
Laughing:TheHumourist
Conclusion 151
WorksCited 157
Index 183
vii

Acknowledgements
This book was written with the support of an Australian Research Council
Discovery Grant “Christina Stead in America” (DP120103310). Two University
of New South Wales School of Arts and Media SRG grants funded work on this
project, including the symposium on Christina Stead and Elizabeth Harrower in
December2015thatemergedfromthisresearch.
IwouldliketoacknowledgetheinfluenceofmycolleaguesatUNSWAustralia
who are working in such inspiring ways on Australian literature and Australian
literarycultures.
The work of my colleagues in Stead studies has been tremendously important
for this project. I would like to salute the wonderful work in the field, as well as
give particular thanks to Gail Jones, Brigid Rooney, and Sue Sheridan for many
memorable conversations and the energising provocations of their work. I also
owe a debt of gratitude to Nicholas Birns and Margaret Harris as important Stead
colleaguesovermanyyears.
At Sydney University Press, I would like to acknowledge Professor Robert
Dixon for the support he has given this work and the focus and wisdom of his
feedback. Thank you to the SUP team, Susan Murray, Agata Mrva-Montoya and
DeniseO’Dea,especiallyinthecontextofsuchaburgeoningtimeforthePress.
This project is indebted to the work undertaken by Jacqueline Bell in the
great Stead transcription challenge of 2016. I would also like to acknowledge the
editorialassistanceofMadeleineWilson. Ioweaparticulardebtofgratitudetothe
librariansattheTainmentLibraryandtheRobertF.WagnerLaborArchivesatNew
YorkUniversityandthePeople’sHistoryMuseuminManchester.Closertohome,I
wouldliketothanktwopeoplefortheirwillingnesstowalkwithmeintheslightly
heatedenvironmentofaprojectclosetosubmission:toGavinMorrisonandLarissa
Edwards,abigthankyou.
To my wonderful daughters, Julia and Elena, who were so patient with my
almost mystically extensive project, please accept my greatest love, pride and
gratitudeforwhoyouhavebecomeduringthe“ChristinaSteadinAmerica”years.
ix