"The Publishing Contexts of Eighteenth-Century Exploration Narratives"
Roxanne Kent-Drury, Literature & Language Dept., Northern Kentucky U., LA
543, Highland Heights, KY 41099; Tel: 859/572-6636; Fax: 859/572-6093;
E-mail: rkdrury_at_nku.edu
This panel would provide a forum for book history research pertaining to
eighteenth century exploration narratives. Book history research continues
to be concerned with the physical properties of books and the material
conditions of their production, yet the field has expanded in recent years
to embrace the entire range of social conditions that may have influenced
the conception, writing, publication, and distribution of books. Recent
research has commented as well on such social factors as reading practices,
shifts in literacy rates, the rise of the periodical press, the advent of
book societies and of public and private circulating and subscription
libraries, and the distribution of printing facilities outside metropolitan
centers. This panel would provide a venue for research pertaining to the
creation and consumption of the exploration narrative genre, which evolved
continuously throughout the eighteenth century. These works, which describe
expeditions to the south and north Pacific, as well as the interiors of
Africa and the American continent, were frequently edited and consciously
crafted as literary works, despite their dissemination and consumption as
fact. Although such works are frequently mentioned in passing in book
history scholarship (suggesting their importance to the field), the works
themselves have yet to be contextualized systematically.

Dr. Roxanne Kent-Drury
Associate Professor
Literature and Language Department
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY 41099

Office: LA543
Phone: (859) 572-6636
e-mail: rkdrury_at_nku.edu
website: http://www.nku.edu/~rkdrury/
cv: http://www.nku.edu/~rkdrury/cv.html

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Received on Mon Sep 12 2005 - 11:12:32 EDT