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The Faces of Anonymity: Anonymous and Pseudonymous Publication from the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century
This pathbreaking collection of original essays surveys an important but neglected anonymous publication in England for the Elizabethan age to the present. An impressive group of scholars analyzes a wide range of literary phenomena Shakespeare in 17th century commonplace books; the phrase 'By a Lady'; the implied author of an eighteenth century queer fiction; Bentley and the battle of books; essays by Equiano (?); the novel, 1750 - 1830; Frankenstein's unnamed monster; the co-authored pseudonym Michael Field; nineteenth century ghostwriting; and a postmodern hoax on national identity. The editor's introduction places the essays within the context of the historical trajectory of anonymous authorship. Essential reading for anyone interested in authorship and the history of the book.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2003
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August 30, 2009
This book provides a very thorough in-depth analysis of the history of publishing from an author's perspective, focusing mainly on the impact of anonymity on the reception of a text. I read it for my MA dissertation on author names, and found it incredibly helpful.
The introduction, by Griffin, provides not only a detailed overview of the essays included in the book, but introduces the notion of 'authorial identity' as separate and distinct from the author himself.
The chapters of the book are listed below, with some comment if I read that chapter. Particularly useful were Chapters 3, 6, and 8.
CHAPTER 1: "Rehearsing the Absent Name: Reading Shakespeare's Sonnets Through Anonymity."
Marcy North examines Shakespeare, and how much of his early work was anonymous. Of course, now those works are attributed to him, meaning that a modern reader's perception of the text is influenced in ways that one of Shakespeare's contemporaries wasn't.
CHAPTER 2: "Death of an Author: Constructions of Pseudonymity in the Battle of the Books" by Kristine Louise Haugen
Discusses 'the battle of the books', a heated debate about whether authors were creating original works or simply recopying the great ancients.
CHAPTER 3: " 'By a Lady': The Mask of the Feminine in Restoration, Early 18th Century Print Culture" by Margaret J. M. Ezell
This offers a new outlook on woman authors in early modern times, and whether they were truly as restricted by the patriarchal society as is assumed today.
CHAPTER 4: "The Author's Queer Clothes: Anonymity, Sex(uality), and The Travels and Adventures of Mademoiselle de Richlieu" by Susan S. Lanser
Focuses on Mademoiselle de Richlieu, who wrote travel logs of her adventures.
CHAPTER 5: "Possible Gustavus Vassa / Olaudah Equiano Attributions" by Vincent Carretta
CHAPTER 6: "The Anonymous Novel in Britain and Ireland, 1750-1830" by James Raven
This provides some rather striking statistics of the percentage of novels publishing anonymously, showing that despite booksellers being aware of the commercial potential of author names, many authors still published anonymously.
CHAPTER 7: "Nothing's Namelessness: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" by Susan Eilenberg
This looked interesting, but I didn't have the chance to read through it.
CHAPTER 8: "The Coauthored Pseudonym: Two Women Named Michael Field" by Holly A. Laird
An original look at co-authors, and how many choose to use a single name due to the persisting Romantic myth of the solitary genius.
CHAPTER 9: "From Ghostwriter to Typewriter: Delegating Authority at Fin de Siecle" by Leah Price
CHAPTER 10: " 'A Poet May Not Exist': Mock-Hoaxes and the Construction of National Identity" by Brian McHale.
The introduction, by Griffin, provides not only a detailed overview of the essays included in the book, but introduces the notion of 'authorial identity' as separate and distinct from the author himself.
The chapters of the book are listed below, with some comment if I read that chapter. Particularly useful were Chapters 3, 6, and 8.
CHAPTER 1: "Rehearsing the Absent Name: Reading Shakespeare's Sonnets Through Anonymity."
Marcy North examines Shakespeare, and how much of his early work was anonymous. Of course, now those works are attributed to him, meaning that a modern reader's perception of the text is influenced in ways that one of Shakespeare's contemporaries wasn't.
CHAPTER 2: "Death of an Author: Constructions of Pseudonymity in the Battle of the Books" by Kristine Louise Haugen
Discusses 'the battle of the books', a heated debate about whether authors were creating original works or simply recopying the great ancients.
CHAPTER 3: " 'By a Lady': The Mask of the Feminine in Restoration, Early 18th Century Print Culture" by Margaret J. M. Ezell
This offers a new outlook on woman authors in early modern times, and whether they were truly as restricted by the patriarchal society as is assumed today.
CHAPTER 4: "The Author's Queer Clothes: Anonymity, Sex(uality), and The Travels and Adventures of Mademoiselle de Richlieu" by Susan S. Lanser
Focuses on Mademoiselle de Richlieu, who wrote travel logs of her adventures.
CHAPTER 5: "Possible Gustavus Vassa / Olaudah Equiano Attributions" by Vincent Carretta
CHAPTER 6: "The Anonymous Novel in Britain and Ireland, 1750-1830" by James Raven
This provides some rather striking statistics of the percentage of novels publishing anonymously, showing that despite booksellers being aware of the commercial potential of author names, many authors still published anonymously.
CHAPTER 7: "Nothing's Namelessness: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" by Susan Eilenberg
This looked interesting, but I didn't have the chance to read through it.
CHAPTER 8: "The Coauthored Pseudonym: Two Women Named Michael Field" by Holly A. Laird
An original look at co-authors, and how many choose to use a single name due to the persisting Romantic myth of the solitary genius.
CHAPTER 9: "From Ghostwriter to Typewriter: Delegating Authority at Fin de Siecle" by Leah Price
CHAPTER 10: " 'A Poet May Not Exist': Mock-Hoaxes and the Construction of National Identity" by Brian McHale.
Displaying 1 of 1 review