Approaches to the History of Written Culture: A World Inscribed (New Directions in Book History)

This Book Investigates The History Of Writing As A Cultural Practice In A Variety Of Contexts And Periods. It Analyses The Rituals And Practices Determining Intimate Or 'ordinary' Writing As Well As Bureaucratic And Religious Writing. From The Inscribed Images Of 'pre-literate' Societies, To The Democratization Of Writing In The Modern Era, Access To Writing Technology And Its Public And Private Uses Are Examined. In Ten Studies, Presented By Leading Historians Of Scribal Culture From Seven Countries, The Book Investigates The Uses Of Writing In Non-alphabetical As Well As Alphabetical Script, In Societies Ranging From Native America And Ancient Korea To Modern Europe. The Authors Emphasise The Material Characteristics Of Writing, And In So Doing They Pose Questions About The Definition Of Writing Itself. Drawing On Expertise In Various Disciplines, They Give An Up-to-date Account Of The Current State Of Knowledge In A Field At The Forefront Of 'book History'. A World Inscribed : Introduction / Martyn Lyons And Rita Marquilhas -- The Babylonian Scribes And Their Libraries / Francis Joannès -- Writings In The Korean Han'gŭl Script By And For The Women Of Chosŏn Korea (1392-1910) / Seokyung Han -- Paper World : The Materiality Of Loss In The Pre-modern Age / John Gagné -- Writings On The Streets : Ephemeral Texts And Public Space In The Early Modern Hispanic World / Antonio Castillo Gómez -- Writing One's Life : The French School Of The Anthropology Of Writing / Nicolas Adell -- Calendar, Chronicle And Songs Of Sorrows : Generic Sources Of Life Writing In Nineteenth-century Finland / Anna Kuismin -- Reading The 'cheyenne Letter' : Towards A Typology Of Inscription Beyond The Alphabet / Germaine Warkentin -- The Scribal Culture Of Children : A Fragmentary History / Verónica Sierra Blas -- Policing Writing In The City, 1852-1945 : The Invention Of Scriptural Delinquency / Philippe Artières -- Qwertyuiop : How The Typewriter Influenced Writing Practices / Martyn Lyons -- The Future Of The History Of Writing / Martyn Lyons. Martyn Lyons, Rita Marquilhas, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Approaches to the History of Written Culture is a volume of breadth and ambition. It covers all periods from the second millennium BC to the late twentieth-century, a wide range of geographies, and deploys a challenging body of theoretical and methodological approaches to the topic of scribal cultures and practices."--David Vincent, Emeritus Professor of Social History, The Open University, UK This book investigates the history of writing as a cultural practice in a variety of contexts and periods. It analyses the rituals and practices determining intimate or 'ordinary' writing as well as bureaucratic and religious writing. From the inscribed images of 'pre-literate' societies, to the democratization of writing in the modern era, access to writing technology and its public and private uses are examined. In ten studies, presented by leading historians of scribal culture from seven countries, the book investigates the uses of writing in non-alphabetical as well as alphabetical script, in societies ranging from Native America and ancient Korea to modern Europe. The authors emphasise the material characteristics of writing, and in so doing they pose questions about the definition of writing itself. Drawing on expertise in various disciplines, they give an up-to-date account of the current state of knowledge in a field at the forefront of 'Book History' Front Matter ....Pages i-ix A World Inscribed – Introduction (Martyn Lyons, Rita Marquilhas)....Pages 1-20 The Babylonian Scribes and Their Libraries (Francis Joannès)....Pages 21-38 Writings in the Korean Han’gŭl Script by and for the Women of Chosŏn Korea (1392–1910) (SeoKyung Han)....Pages 39-55 Paper World: The Materiality of Loss in the Pre-Modern Age (John Gagné)....Pages 57-72 Writings on the Streets: Ephemeral Texts and Public Space in the Early Modern Hispanic World (Antonio Castillo Gómez)....Pages 73-96 Writing One’s Life: The French School of the Anthropology of Writing (Nicolas Adell)....Pages 97-116 Calendar, Chronicle and Songs of Sorrows: Generic Sources of Life Writing in Nineteenth-Century Finland (Anna Kuismin)....Pages 117-138 Reading the ‘Cheyenne Letter’: Towards a Typology of Inscription beyond the Alphabet (Germaine Warkentin)....Pages 139-161 The Scribal Culture of Children: A Fragmentary History (Verónica Sierra Blas)....Pages 163-182 Policing Writing in the City, 1852–1945: The Invention of Scriptural Delinquency (Philippe Artières)....Pages 183-201 QWERTYUIOP: How the Typewriter Influenced Writing Practices (Martyn Lyons)....Pages 203-223 The Future of the History of Writing (Martyn Lyons)....Pages 225-238 Back Matter ....Pages 239-272 Annotation This text investigates the history of writing as a cultural practice in a variety of contexts and periods. It analyses the rituals and practices determining intimate or 'ordinary' writing as well as bureaucratic and religious writing. From the inscribed images of 'pre-literate' societies, to the democratization of writing in the modern era, access to writing technology and its public and private uses are examined. In ten studies, presented by leading historians of scribal culture from seven countries, the book investigates the uses of writing in non-alphabetical as well as alphabetical script, in societies ranging from Native America and ancient Korea to modern Europe. The authors emphasise the material characteristics of writing, and in so doing they pose questions about the definition of writing itself