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Historical Note

Daedalus is the quarterly journal of the American Academy. Volume 112, N0. 1 of Daedalus, “Reading: Old and New,” was published in Winter 1983 and is specifically related to the theme of reading as a social activity.

Academy Editor Stephen R. Graubard envisioned “Reading: Old and New” as a revisitation and reevaluation of the journal’s prior issue on the theme, “The American Reading Public,” (Vol. 92, No. 1) published in Winter 1963. Graubard and the journal’s contributors wanted to assess what reading meant to society in the context of American life in the 1980s. Topics examined include the evolution of reading habits and preferences; the future of literacy and the publishing industry, especially considering the rise of technology; the question of canon, literary merit, and literary criticism; and the purpose and function of reading in society.

Planning for the issue began in 1982, with a conference held on June 25, 1982 (“Conference on Books and Reading in the Twentieth Century”). The editors of Daedalus reached out for contributions to a varied group of individuals with a stake in the world of books, including professors, critics, and publishers. The issue was also meant as a celebration of the journal’s founding 25 years earlier. This was the first issue of Daedalus to make significant visual and typographical changes for greater readability.

This issue of the journal received a positive reception and was later published in book format by R.R. Bowker Co. in 1983 under the title Reading in the 1980s.

Funding for this issue was provided by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Scope and Content

This collection contains records created by the Academy’s Editorial Office, especially editor Stephen R. Graubard, pertaining to the Fall 1983 issue of Daedalus, “Reading: Old and New.”

The collection includes correspondence and other materials related to planning for the issue, budget documentation and grant correspondence with the Rockefeller Foundation, drafts of articles, invitations, correspondence with contributors, and materials related to the publishing of the issue itself and of Reading in the 1980s. The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence between editor Stephen R. Graubard and contributors to the journal between 1982 and 1983.

Arrangement

Processing for this series utilized “More Product, Less Process” (MPLP) principles: thus, minimal preservation steps were taken and folder titles listed in the finding aid are as they appeared on the original folders. Where lacking, folder titles and dates have been ascribed in brackets. 
 

The collection is arranged into three subseries: Subseries 1: Administration, Subseries 2: Conference and Planning Materials, and Subseries 3: Author Correspondence and Drafts. Series 1 and 2 are arranged chronologically, while Series 3 is primarily arranged alphabetically, with the exclusion of one folder containing a draft preface.

Processing Information

Processed by Aleks Renerts, Simmons SLIS Intern, Spring 2023. 

Volume

1 records center carton (1 linear foot)

Preferred Citation

[Item title, date]. Record Group XVIII: Publications: Editorial Records: Daedalus: Reading: Old and New (Vol. 112, No. 1, Fall 1983). Archives, ��ɫӰ��app, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Subjects

Books and reading
Criticism
Reading

Daedalus (Boston, Mass.)
Rockefeller Foundation
Graubard, Stephen Richard