SELF-IDENTIFICATION OF JAZZ IN LITERATURE: FROM THE FIRST COLLECTIONS TO ANTHOLOGIES AND STUDY PROGRAMMES

Abstract

The paper examines the history of self-identification of jazz in American literature of the XX century. The complex nature of jazz had a significant impact on American culture. During the last decades the notion of literary jazz (jazz in literature), seen as embodiment of jazz aesthetics and performance tools, became conventional in the studies of American literature. Identification of jazz in literature is considered through conceptualization of the notion, anthologization of texts and introduction of this research field into study programs. The paper reviews the English terms for literary jazz, the collections of poetry and fiction defined by editors’ vision of jazz in literature, bibliography guides and study courses in western universities. All of this gives a complex understanding of the role of jazz in contemporary American literature.