America and the Orient

In the aftermath of 9/11, fearful images of the Orient as a volatile blend of religious extremism and anti-western politics have flourished in the United States and Europe. Yet Orient and Occident are interrelated cultural formations. This interdisciplinary volume explores the rich history of cultural and political exchange between Arab, South Asian, and American cultures from the 18th century to the present. Nineteen original essays, which were first presented at the 51st conference of the German Association for American Studies, address the emergence of Arab American literature, intercultural encounters in the works of Arab, Arab American, and South Asian American writers and artists, and the Orient as a geographical region as well as a foil for American self-definitions in U.S. literature, opera, and film. Revisiting the work of Edward Said and Samuel Huntington, the collection examines how we develop our knowledge and fantasies about the Orient.