Contemporanea. Rivista di studi sulla letteratura e sulla comunicazione. 4. 2006

Many contemporary literary works challenge the traditional boundaries between 'high' and 'popular' literature, and the distinction between the two is becoming blurred. This confusion clearly benefits the publishing industry; however, it is postmodern literature itself that profits most; for its typical ingredients consist of a combination of languages and styles as well as the use of pastiche, extensive quotation and other provocative stylistic devices. When it manages to avoid a lazy reliance on stereotypes, much 'high' literature has succeeded in drawing inspiration from more commercial forms of writing. At the same time, works admittedly belonging to 'low'genres have occasionally shown that they can move beyond the mere imitation of traditional 'high' models and express a critical and aesthetic potential all their own. Furthermore, this intermingling of languages and the focus on other forms of discourse has been turning to more heterogeneous sources for inspiration. The impact of cinema, comics, song lyrics, pop music, television and videoclips on the literary imagination has yet to be fully explored by literary scholarship. "Contemporanea" approaches contemporary literature with these concerns in mind, and combines high standards of precise textual analysis with a passionate interest in contemporary culture. Contributions are not focus exclusively on literary classics and modern masterpieces, but also explore the phenomena of mass culture: literary cults, bestsellers, public controversies and the latest trends in music, cinema and television.