The Intimacy of Paper in Early and Nineteenth-Century American Literature

Focusing on the extensive paper production in America from 1690 to the late nineteenth century, the book highlights the diverse roles individuals played in this industry. Jonathan Senchyne argues for the significance of printing and paper technology in early American literature, using archival evidence to connect this materiality to writers like Anne Bradstreet and Herman Melville. The work proposes a new literary periodization and examines how paper's textuality has influenced social and political discourse regarding gender, labor, and race.