In 'Call Me Ishmael', Charles Olson exclaims 'SPACE to be the central fact to man born in America'. Indeed, from the start, history and identity in America have been intricately tied to issues of space: from the idea of the 'city upon a hill' to the transnational (soft) power of the United States, space has always served as an important parameter of power gained or lost and of the struggles to maintain or resist it. With contributions that range from the construction of America in (European) academic discourses to children's fiction, this collection provides an extensive and insightful study of how space influences our understanding of America.

Michael Fuchs (Dr. phil., University of Graz) teaches American literature and media studies at the University of Graz. His research interests include horror and adult cinema, digital media, comics and graphic novels, and transmedia storytelling. MariaTheresia Holub (PhD, SUNY Binghamton) is a research and teaching associate in the Department of American Studies at the University of Graz. Her specialization lies in the field of Postcolonial Studies, Border and Migrant Literatures, and Feminist Theory.