In his book Curation, Michael Bhaskar writes, "In a world of too much, selecting, finding and cutting down is valuable. In the context of excess, curation isn’t just a buzzword. It makes sense of the world.” (p. 21) Curation in this sense applies to any sort of selection of products for a specific demographic or for an individual. Historically speaking, every generation was overwhelmed by excess, compared to the generation before. As Bhaskar stresses: "The roots of information overload run deep.” (p. 18)
In this seminar, we will explore the role of curation in shaping American book culture from the turn of the twentieth century to today. In the first few sessions, we will lay the groundwork for understanding the need for and limitations of curational processes. Following on from this, we will work on case studies from American book history and contemporary American book culture. From book sales clubs like the famous Book-of-the-Month Club (est. 1927, still in existence today), to celebrity curation and influence on book culture (e.g. Oprah's Book Club or #bookstagram and #BookTok influencers today) and literary prizes, we will see through a variety of case studies that curational process are central to the production, distribution and reception of books in society.
- Lehrende/r: Corinna Norrick-Rühl