The Moral Economies of American Authorship, 1830-1870
This project investigates the interdependence of two phenomena in nineteenth-century America: the professionalization of authorship and the widespread interest in the moral character of individual writers. Specifically, I will test the hypothesis that, in the context of a burgeoning domestic book trade, the moral respectability of authors became a key element in the marketing of books. I hope to show that authorial character, however subject to debate within the era's print culture, served as a crucial register of judgment, one that not only influenced the sales and reception of particular texts, but that shaped the very idea of authorship.
[Grant products]
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Project fields:
Literature, General
Program:
Summer Stipends
Division:
Research Programs
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Totals:
$5,000 (approved) $5,000 (awarded)
Grant period:
5/1/2004 – 7/31/2004
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