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‘Competitors in the Surf-riding Contest’ : Battle as Theme in the First Three Surf Novels single work   criticism  
Issue Details: First known date: 2021... 2021 ‘Competitors in the Surf-riding Contest’ : Battle as Theme in the First Three Surf Novels
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'In surf fiction it is common for wave-riders to be tested. The test of self – battling against nature, against others, and against one’s own capabilities – is a popular thematic pathway for discovery, growth and freedom, as manifested regularly in surf-related fiction since its beginnings in 1849. This paper looks at the first three novels that featured surfing – Mardi and a Voyage Thither (Melville, 1849), The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (Ballantyne, 1857), and Kelea: The Surf-Rider, A Romance of Pagan Hawaii (Twombly, 1900) – to examine why the authors wrote about surfing in conjunction with themes of battle and contest.' (Publication abstract)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon TEXT Special Issue 65 2021 23376400 2021 periodical issue 'Writing generated by surfing is extensive. There are surf histories, surf memoirs and biographies, surf journalism and even surf encyclopedias. A developed research literature on surfing examines cultural and economic significance of surf and beach environments. But surprisingly little academic study has examined creative works based around surfing, even though a substantial list of publications (as many as 700, mainly fiction) dates back to the mid-19th Century when Herman Melville and R.M. Ballantyne first used surfing incidents in their novels. Internationally recognised writers who produced literary works based in surfing include Eugene Burdick, Frederick Kohner, Kem Nunn, Don Winslow, and Tim Winton. Recent Australian women writers known for their surf-based novels include Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey, Fiona Capp, Favel Parrett, and Madelaine Dickie. Beyond the work of these few named, there are hundreds more novels about surfing in adult, teenage, crime, romance and other popular genres. We believe this Special Issue of TEXT proposed the first call for academic refereed papers on the topic of creative writing and surfing.' (Nigel Krauth, Sally Breen, Tim Baker, Jake Sandtner, Introduction) 2021
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Last amended 3 Nov 2021 13:57:43
https://textjournal.scholasticahq.com/article/28072-competitors-in-the-surf-riding-contest-battle-as-theme-in-the-first-three-surf-novels ‘Competitors in the Surf-riding Contest’ : Battle as Theme in the First Three Surf Novelssmall AustLit logo TEXT Special Issue
Subjects:
  • Hawaii,
    c
    United States of America (USA),
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    Americas,
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