CA Blues — The Noise of Americana

Abstract

The novel CA Blues in Serbian literature remains a unique testimonial and a particular projection of a fictional America, seen through the eyes of a "neo-beatnik" protagonist that is often described as "decadent, post-hippie and pre-punk California". It remained a "cult novel" telling a story about many faces of freedom; however, the interpretations often remained at the surface level. This research focuses on the structural patterns of the novel's fictional universe, which reflect literary traditions not only beatnik but also modernist, particularly in the idea of creating soundscapes which becomes manifest in the design of the two sections of the novel based on the conceptualization and physical description of radio waves (AM/ FM). Oklopdžić's literary devices create the unique experience of the fictional Americana by inviting the readers to immerse into sensory experiences of the protagonist, within the events, in the noise in the background and in the deliberate interruptions and shifts of focus. The paper investigates the aspects of the aural experience and its significance in the shaping of the text, as a specific cultural signature which places this novel in a dialogue with some of the major American novelists.