An Introduction to Bibliographical and Textual Studies

Craig S Abbott

ISBN 10: 1603290400 / ISBN 13: 9781603290401

Published by Modern Language Association of America, 2009

About this Item

To a reader of Joyce's Ulysses, it makes a difference whether one of Stephen Dedalus's first thoughts is 'No mother' (as in the printed version) or 'No, mother!' (as in the manuscript). The scholarship surrounding such textual differences is the focus of the fourth edition of William Proctor Williams and Craig S. Abbott's acclaimed handbook.

Seller Inventory # CIN1603290400G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: An Introduction to Bibliographical and Textual Studies
• Publisher: Modern Language Association of America
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1603290400
• ISBN 13: 9781603290401
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 4th Edition
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

To a reader of Joyce's Ulysses, it makes a difference whether one of Stephen Dedalus's first thoughts is "No mother" (as in the printed version) or "No, mother!" (as in the manuscript). The scholarship surrounding such textual differences―and why this discipline should concern readers and literary scholars alike―is the focus of William Proctor Williams and Craig S. Abbott's acclaimed handbook.

This updated, fourth edition outlines the study of texts' composition, revision, physical embodiments, process of transmission, and manner of reception; describes how new technologies such as digital imaging and electronic tagging have changed the way we produce, read, preserve, and research texts; discusses why these matters are central to a historical understanding of literature; and shows how the insights, methods, and products of bibliographical and textual studies can be applied to other branches of scholarship.

About the Author

Craig S. Abbott, a professor emeritus of Northern Illinois University, is author of several studies on modern American poetry. William Proctor Williams is Professor of English Emeritus at Northern Illinois University and Adjunct Professor of English at the University of Akron. He has published widely on English Renaissance literature, particularly Shakespeare, and on textual criticism, bibliography, and book history.