William Veeder (born September 14, 1940) is a scholar of 19th-century American and British literature and a Professor
Emeritus in the Department of English at the
University of Chicago.
William Veeder’s critical methodology is primarily rooted in
psychoanalysis and
gender theory, but he is also a strong advocate of
close reading, a critical approach whereby “one gets to content through form”.[1] He is guided by a quote from an art criticism essay written by
Henry James, in which
James asserted, “In the arts, feeling is always meaning.” Veeder begins his classes with this quote, usually underlining the words “always” and "meaning” and capitalizing the word “always.”[2]
Works
Veeder has been working for over 40 years on a historical novel named "Pierce" about
Ambrose Bierce and
Emma Frances Dawson, which as of 2023 was unpublished.[1]
Veeder's publications include:
Henry James, the Lessons of the Master: Popular Fiction and Personal Style in the Nineteenth Century. U of Chicago P, 1975.[3]
The Woman Question: Society and Literature in Britain and America, 1837–1883, Volume 1: Defining Voices. Elizabeth K. Helsinger, Robin Lauterbach Sheets, William Veeder. U of Chicago P, 1989, c1983.
The Woman Question: Society and Literature in Britain and America, 1837–1883, Volume 2: Social Issues. Elizabeth K. Helsinger, Robin Lauterbach Sheets, William Veeder. U of Chicago P, 1989, c1983.
Mary Shelley & Frankenstein: the Fate of Androgyny. U of Chicago P, 1986.[4][5]
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: After One Hundred Years. Edited by William Veeder and Gordon Hirsch. U of Chicago P, 1988.[6][7]
Art of Criticism. Edited by William Veeder and Susan M. Griffin. U of Chicago P, 1988.
^Swingle, L. J.; Veeder, William (January 1988). "Mary Shelley & "Frankenstein": The Fate of Androgyny". South Atlantic Review. 53 (1): 140.
doi:
10.2307/3200422.
JSTOR3200422.
Bibliography
Janowitz, Anne F. (1989). "Rev. of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein by William Veeder". The Modern Language Review. 84 (4).
McCracken-Flesher, Caroline (1994). "Multiplying Doubles: Rev. of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde after One Hundred Years by William Veeder and Gordon Hirsch". Novel: A Forum on Fiction. 24 (2).