Templates

How do we orient ourselves to the multivalent term “print”? It can be something we own (as in a limited- edition print); it can be something we do (as in print by hand, print by laser-jet, or print on demand); and, it can describe entire modalities of reception (as in print-journalism or a print-book). We’re surrounded by information; much of it is textual, but it no longer makes sense, as perhaps it once did, to assume that the primary vehicle of text is print. This writing class examines the contested (some might say “endangered”) status of print in the 21st century. What questions arise when we consider form in relation to content? How do communities of readers emerge, and how are they supported by different forms of textuality? We will explore questions of ownership, access, and use, and we’ll situate our critical writing in relation to our own practices and habits as readers and writers— consumers and producers—of text in various modalities. Our investigations will cover a wide array of materials and experiences: we will examine holdings in the College’s Special Collections; we’ll engage with popular journalism and cultural criticism concerning “the death” (and possible re-birth) of print; we’ll consider a few literary examples; and we’ll practice technologies of print-materiality.