Brian Shields Doctoral Defense - Friday, 10/18 at 9:30 AM via Zoom

Committee: Miles Orvell (Chair, Emeritus), Jena Osman, Katherine Henry (Emerita), Rachel Hadas (Rutgers University)

Title: The Cultural Broker: Babette Deutsch and Transatlantic Modernism

Abstract

With the rise of World Literature and growing scholarly interest in transnationalism, there has been an increasing focus on understanding the dynamics of cross-cultural exchanges in 20th-century literary production. My dissertation addresses these concerns by exploring the often-overlooked works of Babette Deutsch, an American author whose roles as editor, critic, novelist, poet, and translator have yet to receive the scholarly attention they deserve. Through a detailed examination of Deutsch’s multifaceted career, I aim to reposition her within the broader narrative of World Literature, challenging her current status in obscurity. By applying the anthropological concept of "cultural brokerage," I argue that Deutsch actively employed foreignizing discourses—such as translation, imitation, and adaptation—to navigate the complexities of marginalized identities and domestic cultural values. In doing so, she extracted linguistic-literary capital from foreign texts, creating a counter-narrative to the rising xenophobia and isolationism in early 20th-century America, which was exacerbated by events like the Jewish pogroms, the World Wars, and the October Revolution. Ultimately, my dissertation reconsiders Deutsch’s contribution to global literary networks and reframes her as a pivotal figure in shaping literary production across cultural boundaries.

Contact tara.lemma@temple.edu for the Zoom link!