Description
Book SynopsisInspired by the reading and writing habits of citizens leading up to the French Revolution, The Writing Public is a compelling addition to the long-running debate about the link between the Enlightenment and the political struggle that followed. Elizabeth Andrews Bond scoured France''s local newspapers spanning the two decades prior to the Revolution as well as its first three years, shining a light on the letters to the editor. A form of early social media, these letters constituted a lively and ongoing conversation among readers.
Bond takes us beyond the glamorous salons of the intelligentsia into the everyday worlds of the craftsmen, clergy, farmers, and women who composed these letters. As a result, we get a fascinating glimpse into who participated in public discourse, what they most wanted to discuss, and how they shaped a climate of opinion.
The Writing Public offers a novel examination of how French citizens used the inf
Trade Review
[The Writing Public] is a compelling addition to the long-running debate about the link between the Enlightenment and the political struggle that followed.
* New Books Network *
Bond writes very well [.]The Writing Public should be read by anyone interested in the intellectual origins of the French Revolution.The Writing Public is a model monograph, and the best guide to understanding mainstream French thinking on the eve of the Revolution.
* Journal of Modern History *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. The Production and Distribution of the Information Press
2. The Writers, Self-Presentation, and Subjectivity
3. Reading Together, Book References, and Interacting with Print
4. Popular Science and Public Participation
5. Agricultural Reform and Local Innovation
6. Bienfaisance, Fellow Feeling, and the Public Good
7. Communicating the Revolution
Conclusion
