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"This book frames transiency within a nineteenth-century literary tradition of the vagabond, a figure who attempts to travel without money. It explores the diversity of meanings that accrue around 'the hobo' and 'the tramp'. It provides new ways for scholars to think about the activity and representation of US transiency"--
List of contents
Part I. Context: Introduction: hobohemia and the literary imperative; 1. From tramp to hobo: the representation of postbellum US transiency; Part II. The Vagabond and the Tramp: 2. In search of experience: vagabond travel narratives; 3. Vulnerable youth and hobosexuality in the work of Jack London and A-No.1; 4. 'That's why the lady is a tramp': the hidden story of female transiency; Part III. The Hobo Transformed: 5. Between hobohemia and academia: Nels Anderson's double voice; 6. 'The laureate of the logging camps': language, food and revolution in the work of T-Bone Slim; 7. 'I'm a hobo myself sometimes': African-American transiency in Black vernacular music; Conclusion: The end of the road? Transiency beyond the hobo.
About the author
Owen Clayton is a senior lecturer in English Literature at the University of Lincoln. He has written and edited several books, including Representing Homelessness (2021). He has been awarded Newberry Library and William P. Heidrich Fellowships, as well as the British Association of American Studies (BAAS) Ambassador's Award.
Summary
This book frames transiency within a nineteenth-century literary tradition of the vagabond, a figure who attempts to travel without money. It explores the diversity of meanings that accrue around 'the hobo' and 'the tramp'. It provides new ways for scholars to think about the activity and representation of US transiency.
