The autumn 2019 issue of the journal Methis. Studia humaniora Estonica (Methis 24) has been published with a focus on literary urban studies.

Read the literary urban studies special issue HERE

Compilers and editors: Ene-Reet Soovik, Elle-Mari Talivee, Jason Finch and Anu Printsmann

Language Editor: Kanni Labi

In the opening article, Jason Finch, president of the Association for Literary Urban Studies maps interaction between a new, fast-growing discipline with its neighbouring areas of study. Baltic German and post-World War II representations of Narva and other cities in eastern Virumaa are examined respectively by Marika Peekmann and Reet Bender, and Elle-Mari Talivee, using autobiographical narratives as objects of analysis. In his article Tarmo Pikner juxtaposes the postindustrial nature of Narva with quasi-autobiographical documentary prose from Detroit. Ene-Reet Soovik examines Bernard Kangroʼs representatives of wartorn Tartu through cultural geography. Mart Velskerʼs article treats of the poetics of Estonian urban poetry of the stalinist era. From a practitionerʼs viewpoint, Berk Vaher, author of the Tartuʼs application in the cultural capital competition (Tartu 2024) comments on the translated article by Belgian literary scholar Bart Keunen about the concept of other cities in urban studies and literature. The issue ends with Aare Pilvʼs thoughts on the artistic interpretation of Narvaʼs Kreenholm factory based on the performance entitled Oomen (Omen) which was staged there.

Publication of the issue has been supported financially by the University of Tartu, the Under and Tuglas Literature Centre of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, research project IUT28-1 funded by the Ministry of Education and Research, the Estonian Literary Museum and the Centre for Excellence (TK145) through the European Regional Development Fund.

More detailed information on the journal Methis can be found HERE