ABSTRACT
Close reading is an essential way for readers to probe the varied meanings and effects of literary texts. Close reading is also an insightful way of interrogating non-fiction and theoretical texts. Despite this range of applications, in recent scholarship about the rhetorical qualities and narratives prevalent in academic feminist writing, there is a questioning of close reading, especially in work about the pursuit of intersectionality. This chapter explores close reading as a method, its history, its implications for critical reading, and how it is used in current debates about intersectionality. By discussing the epistemological tensions the method represents, and utilising a reflective example from research about feminist pedagogy, the chapter argues for close reading to be acknowledged as a flexible method that can be used to question norms and affirm accountability in feminist thinking and practice. Subsequently, close reading is positioned as a holistic and ongoing pedagogical process for researchers.
