Book History, Illuminated 2: Robert Darnton's Communications Circuit
Mar 4, 2016
Explore Robert Darnton's communication circuit and its significance in book history. Discover the challenges of book production and distribution, especially in relation to editions of '1984.' Uncover the underground world of samizdat in Soviet Poland and its impact on literature. Delve into the dynamics of anonymity in underground publishing, revealing how fear shaped the creation and donation of unique works. This episode paints a vivid picture of the intricate relationships between authors, readers, and the political landscape.
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Circuit As Human Roles
- Robert Darnton's communication circuit frames book history as a cycle of human roles from author to reader and back.
- Models help organize book history but risk 'freezing human beings out of history' by oversimplifying roles.
The Circuit's Contested Feedback Link
- Darnton's diagram lists author/publisher, printers, shippers, booksellers, and readers in a loop that returns to the author.
- The dotted link from readers back to authors signals a contested, ambiguous feedback relationship in the model.
Process Over People
- Adams and Barker critique Darnton for focusing on people rather than the book's processes.
- They propose a process-based circuit: publication, manufacture, distribution, reception, survival, then back to publication.
