Chapter 32 - Bishop Studies

Summary

This chapter tells the story of the exponential growth of Bishop studies, from its beginnings in the late 1970s until the present day. The chapter posits that for a field of author-studies to flourish, it must establish: (1) published access to a substantial and representative body of the author’s work, (2) an extensive body of criticism, (3) access to archival materials, (4) a regularly updated bibliography, (5) one or more sound biographical studies, and (6) a compelling articulation of the author’s role in literary history. The chapter shows how these elements have interacted over the course of the past four decades. It lays particular stress upon the 1990s, which it describes as the “decisive decade” of Bishop studies. The chapter also shows how the posthumous publication of each new primary edition of Bishop’s poems, prose, and letters has expanded our understanding and influenced our readings of Bishop’s life and work.