The Sound of Writing

The Sound of Writing is a collection of essays that explores how writers have conveyed sound through text, tracing the sound of writing from the beginning of the Western record to poetry written in the last century. Contributors consider the writings of Sappho, Simonides, Aldhem, Marcabru, Dante Alighieri, William Langland, Charles Butler, Tennyson, Gertrude Stein, and T. S. Eliot, as well as poems and songs in Ancient Greek, Old and Middle English, Italian, Old French, Occitan, and modern English. The book will interest anyone curious about the way sound has been preserved in the past and the kinds of ingenuity that can recover the process of that preservation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 14 November 2023
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

The Sound of Writing: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of How Writers Have Conveyed Sound Through Text

Edited by Christopher Cannon and Steven Justice, The Sound of Writing delves into the diverse techniques and devices employed by writers to represent sound and its evolution over time. Contributors explore how writing has channeled a wide range of sounds, from the human voice to the buzzing of bees, utilizing not only alphabets but also the resources of the visual and musical arts.

Cannon and Justice have assembled a stellar cast of classicists, medievalists, modernists, literary historians, and musicologists to trace the evolution of the sound of writing from the earliest records in the Western tradition to poetry written in the late 20th century. This comprehensive series of essays examines the writings of renowned poets such as Sappho, Simonides, Aldhem, Marcabru, Dante Alighieri, William Langland, Charles Butler, Tennyson, Gertrude Stein, and T.S. Eliot, as well as poems and songs in ancient Greek, Old and Middle English, Italian, Old French, Occitan, and modern English.

The book appeals to anyone with a curiosity about the preservation of sound in the past and the innovative methods used to recover and understand that preservation. Essays delve into questions of language and expression, and each contributor offers a unique approach to understanding the intricate relationship between sound and writing.

The volume begins with a survey of the various ways sound has been perceived and understood by human senses. Subsequent chapters present case studies that explore sonic phenomenology at specific historical periods, employing approaches from a wide range of disciplines. By analyzing writing systems and the aural dimensions of literary cultures, The Sound of Writing reconstructs historical soundscapes in vivid and captivating ways.

This interdisciplinary exploration of the sound of writing offers a rich and multifaceted perspective on the art of literary expression, shedding light on the ways in which writers have harnessed the power of sound to convey meaning, evoke emotions, and create immersive experiences for their readers. Whether you are a scholar, a poet, or simply a lover of literature, The Sound of Writing is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the dynamic relationship between sound and text.

Weight: 448g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421447254