How is a nation brought into being? In a detailed examination of crucial texts of 18th-century American literature, Christopher Looby argues that the United States was self-consciously enacted through the spoken word. Historical material informs and animates theoretical texts by Derrida, Lacan, and others as Looby unravels the texts of Benjamin Franklin, Charles Brockden Brown, and Hugh Henry Brackenridge and connects them to nation-building, political discourse, and self-creation. Correcting the strong emphasis on the importance of print culture in 18th-century America, "Voicing America" uncovers the complex process of early American writers articulating their new nation, and reveals a body of literature and a political discourse thoroughly concerned with the power of vocal language.

Book Information
ISBN 9780226492834
Author Christopher Looby
Format Paperback
Page Count 295
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 369g
Dimensions(mm) 22mm * 14mm * 2mm