Sanctioned Ignorance

"There is no such thing as 'the ivory tower.' Rather, there sit side by side numerous windowless towers of knowledge, each seeming to have only a small entrance and no discernable exit." -Paul Martin Multilingual, multicultural, and vast, Canada enjoys a rich diversity of literatures. So, why does "Canadian Literature," as it has been taught, fail to encompass a common geography, history, and government, yet reveal the diverse experiences of its immigrants, long-term residents, and original peoples? Martin's research-interviews with 95 professors in 27 universities-maps the institutional chasms in communication and the nature of their persistence. His own example of venturing out from his "tower" to dialogue with colleagues shows a way toward cultivating a conception of the literatures of Canada that is expansive and inclusive. Canadianists, professors of English, French, Postcolonial and Comparative Literatures, and leaders in education will profit from Martin's frank investigations. Bilingual literary scholar builds bridges spanning institutional silos to found an inclusive "literatures of Canada." A decade-long study of course-text selection patterns, Sanctioned Ignorance is a groundbreaking case study of the role played by university literature departments in the construction and perpetuation of the literatures of Canada. "There is no such thing as 'the ivory tower.' Rather, there sit side by side numerous windowless towers of knowledge, each seeming to have only a small entrance and no discernable exit." -Paul Martin Why do Canada's English-language universities devote, relatively speaking, so little attention to the study of the literatures of Canada? More important, why do English departments frequently portray "Canadian Literature" in a way that fails to encompass Canada's rich multiplicity of literatures and the diverse experiences of its immigrants, long-term residents, and original peoples? Martin's research-interviews with 94 professors in 27 universities-maps the institutional chasms in communication and the nature of their persistence. His own example of venturing out from his "tower" to converse with colleagues shows a way toward cultivating a conception of the literatures of Canada that is both expansive and inclusive. Canadianists, professors of English, French, Postcolonial and Comparative Literatures, and leaders in education will profit from Martin's frank investigations. Tables, figure, notes, bibliography, appendices, index When it comes to the study of Canadian literature, scholars typically write about authors or texts, or sometimes the history of a particular period. But Paul Martin has taken the unconventional step of analyzing the discipline itself.. At times engaging and disconcerting, this book reveals what Martin believes is wrong with the current post-secondary approach to teaching our nation's English-language literature.. I found it insightful and disturbing, and it made me reflect on my own book choices for my Canadian literature classes. What's more, Martin doesn't simply indicate the problem; he offers readers possible ways out of the literary conundrum. For those in the discipline open to hearing Martin's frank observations, this book can be a rewarding experience. Thomas Hodd, Telegraph-Journal, February 1, 2014 "Martin's book imagines a much more drastic shifting of the ground, a recognition of the actual cultural and linguistic diversity and quantity of the texts being created in Canada-not just an opening of the disciplinary field to more First Nations, black-Canadian or Asian-Canadian texts but a transforming of it to encompass all of the country's textual diversity. Not likely to happen. As Martin recognizes, too many people in the academy-students, teachers, researchers, editors and administrators-are now comfortable with the habitus of the Canadian Literature institution's 'sanctioned ignorance,' and have at least unconscious stakes in its continuance." Frank Davey Blog, January 12,