Afewyearsagoglobalismseemedtobebothaknownandinexorablephenomenon.WiththeendoftheColdWar,theopeningoftheChineseeconomy,andtheascendancyofdigitaltechnology,theprospectofaunifiedflowofgoodsandservicesandofpeopleandideasseemedunstoppable.Yes,therewerepocketsofresistanceandreaction,butthese,weweretold,wouldbesweptawayinarelentlesstideoffreemarketsandglobalintegrationthatwouldbringHollywood,digitalfinance,andfastfoodtoall.

Nonetheless,wehavebeguntoexperiencethebacklashagainstaglobalworldfoundedondigitalfungibility,andtheperilsofappealstonationalism,identity,andauthenticityhavebecomeonlytooapparent.Theanxietiesandresentmentsproducedbythisnewworldorderamongthoseleftbehindareoftenmanifestedinassertionsofxenophobiaandparticularity.The“other”iscomingtotakewhatisours,andwemustdefendourselves!

DigitalizingtheGlobalTextisacollectionofessaysbyaninternationalgroupofscholarsthatsituatethemselvessquarelyatthisnexusofforces.Togethertheyexaminehowliterature,culture,andphilosophyintheglobalanddigitalagebothenablethecreationofthesesimultaneouslyutopiananddystopianworldsandofferresistancetothem.


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“DigitalizingtheGlobalTextisavibrantvolumethatexplorestheparadoxesofthelocal,theglobal,andtheuniversal,withparticularemphasisonthedigitalhumanities.Thiswonderfulcollectionofessaysfromanaccomplishedglobalgroupofcontributorswillbeofwideinteresttohumanitiesscholars.”
---JeffreyR.DiLeo,UniversityofHouston–Victoria

“Traversinghistoricalperiodsandnationalboundaries,withtopicsrangingfromPlatoto‘GangnamStyle,’theessaysinDigitalizingtheGlobalTextrepresentavastarrayofperspectiveswhileresistingthetendencytofetishizeorhypetheglobal.Thiscollectionrepresentsamajorcontributiontothestudyofworldliteraturesandcultures.”
---ROBERTT.TALLYJR.,TexasStateUniversity

“DigitalizingtheGlobalTextisasplendidcontributiontotheongoingworkofchallengingglobalism.Refusingtosettleforitsdominantneoliberalform,markedbythedigitizationofknowledgeandhomogenizationofculturalproduction,thisvolumepursuesalternativeformsoflife—recalcitrantones—thatdonotsacrificethesingularitiesofthelocalintheirillustrationandenactmentoftheglobal.”
---ZAHIZALLOUA,WhitmanCollege

“DigitalizingtheGlobalTextstagesacrucialinterventionintodiscussionsanddebatesaroundglobalizationanddigitalization.Howcanwebegintoimagineanewa
globalizationandadigitalspherethatdonotmerelytranslateintocapitalistprofiteering?Thisisthecrucialquestionatonceaskedandansweredbythiscollection.”
---CHRISTOPHERBREU,authorofInsistenceoftheMaterial

“Thisisatimelyandforthrightcollectiononwhathappenstotheculturalwithinformsofglobalizationandglobality.Essaysaddressnotjusttheimpactofpopularculturebutalsoattempttounderstandhowthinkingitselfisrecalibratedbetweentheshiftingscalesoflocalandglobal.Atemplateforglobalculturalcritique.”
---PETERHITCHCOCK,BaruchCollege,CityUniversityofNewYork