Using critical theories of testimony and witnessing, this panel seeks to explore the ways in which place transcends the function of mere setting in 20^th and 21^st century American literature. Employing broad definitions of both place and what it means to be classified as American literature, this panels seeks to analyze and grapple with evolving understandings and functions of place, with the understanding that its influence is no longer entirely bound by geography.

In novels like House of Leaves, Swamplandia!, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and any number of other contemporary novels, place is integral to the plot and character development of the novel. How does place function in the 20^th and 21^st century American novel? How do we understand the agency of place? How do we understand the performativity of place? How do we understand place’s role as witness in 20^th and 21^st century novels? The discussion that this panel seeks to create is especially important as our world and culture become more globalized. When the role of place is no longer limited to strict, definitive boundaries, how does it function in our narratives?