Eastern Connecticut State University

« Back to Recent News

Eastern English professor publishes book on Scottish Romantic era

Ken McNeil examines Scottish literature

by Dwight Bachman

Willimantic, CT (10/26/2020) — Kenneth McNeil, professor of English at Eastern Connecticut State University, has authored a new book that charts the transatlantic movements of Scottish literature in the Age of Revolution. The book, "Scottish Romanticism and Collective Memory in the British Atlantic," is published by Edinburgh University Press.

"The book provides an in-depth examination of Scottish Romantic literary ideas on memory and their influence among various cultures in the British Atlantic," said Barbara Liu, chair of the English Department. Liu said McNeil's book breaks down Scottish Romanticism into distinct writing modes (memorials, travel memoir, slave narrative, colonial policy paper, emigrant fiction) and contexts (pre- and post-Revolution America, French-Canadian cultural nationalism, the slavery debate, immigration and colonial settlement).

McNeil reveals why we must add collective memory to the list of significant contributions Scots made to culture of modernity. "Scots, who were at the vanguard of British colonial expansion in North America in the Romantic period, believed that their own nation had undergone an unprecedented transformation in only a short span of time," said McNeill. "Scottish writers became preoccupied with collective memory, its powerful role in shaping group identity, as well as its delicate fragility."

Leith Davis, professor of English at Simon Fraser University, said, "McNeil adroitly decenters the time and space of 'Romanticism' by placing Scottish literature of the long 19th century in dialogue with British imperial projects in North America, Africa and the West Indies."

For more information visit https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-scottish-romanticism-and-collective-memory-in-the-british-atlantic.html

###

Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving 5,000 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 162 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 34 other states and 19 countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 30 public universities in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2019 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 10 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

Media Attachments

Kenneth McNeil Book

English Professor Ken McNeil

Copyright © 2025 Merit Pages, Inc. • All Rights Reserved. • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Opt Out