Reading Against Polemic: Disciplinary Histories, Critical Futures

Abstract:This article argues that the self-consciously polemical tenor of recent conversations about critical method has hindered efforts to change or diversify our repertoire of approaches. It suggests that advocates of surface reading, postcritique, the New Formalism, and other innovative approaches should refocus their efforts away from packaged polemics and towards exemplary readings that demonstrate their novelty and value—a recommendation justified by the subsequent examination of previous movements which succeeded in transforming the discipline. The article speaks to the field's would-be innovators, but also readers searching for more discriminating criteria for appraising the validity, efficacy, and value of recent claims to critical innovation.