Fieldwork

Abstract

This article examines some aspects of the phenomenon of popular fiction, using the terminology proposed by Pierre Bourdieu in his works on distinction and cultural production, including ‘position taking,’ ‘field,’ and ‘capital(s).’ After the theoretical groundwork is laid, the second half of the article analyzes specifically the case of popular postmodern author Paul Auster, with regards to the role of genre and dual readership/reading protocol inscribed in his fictions, the mechanisms of gatekeeping, consecration and position taking involved in the production of his place in the field of popular fiction (cf. Ken Gelder’s Popular Fiction: The Logics and Practices of a Literary Field, 2004), and the distinct American and European/Scandinavian markets for his books.

Keywords

• Paul Auster, Pierre Bourdieu, fieldwork, position taking, capital, consecration