Teju Cole and Ralph Ellison’s Aesthetics of Invisibility

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Considering “invisibility” as both subject matter and aestheticizing mode of experience, this essay uses the case studies of two American novels—Teju Cole’s Open City and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man—to explore how a culturally specific, racially charged subject is mapped outward to occupy a broader aesthetic realm.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)103-119
Number of pages16
JournalMosaic
Volume50
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 5 Dec 2017

Keywords

  • Teju Cole
  • Ralph Ellison
  • jazz and literature
  • race
  • African American fiction
  • photography and literature
  • aesthetics

Cite this