Rethinking the Gulag: identities, sources, legacies

Abstract

-- Alan Barenberg is a well-respected scholar with an excellent monograph under his belt and a good presence on social media. Emily D. Johnson is also a well-respected scholar and has experience editing volumes. -- The history and legacy of the Gulag is of continuing importance and interest in Soviet, Russian, and Eastern European studies. -- Gulag studies represents a unique opportunity for a collection such as this. While many edited volumes might claim to put contributors in conversation, this volume was conceived primarily as a conversation and therefore the contributors have responded to the work of fellow collaborators within their own chapters. This sense of conversation is underscored by brief summary thoughts on each section provided by distinguished scholars in the field. In this way, it also bridges generational divides between "new wave" scholars using exciting approaches available through digital scholarship and established scholars who helped to define the primary theoretical questions of the field. -- The volume will be of interest to scholars in anthropology, criminology, literature, and history. While the work does not include comparisons between Russian and Soviet penal institutions and those in other areas, individuals who study such institutions will find the volume useful. Some sections of the book may also be used in course packs for advanced university classes on Soviet history, literature, or criminology.