DJ and Alyse discuss Elizabeth Eisenstein and Adrian Johns, and their views on the printing press as a cultural force.

 
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  1. allison schuette-hoffman Says:

    DJ and Alyse,

    An good job of pinpointing Johns’ key concern—that fixity of print had to be constructed, that it wasn’t (as Eisenstein suggested) a quality endowed into print by the invention of the press. In laying out his concern, you nicely pitted him against Eisenstein, especially with the example of Tycho. I also appreciated the move to connect this historical concern with our contemporary situation. The music example is more successful because it’s more analogous. While you’re right about the untrustworthiness of Frey, most people’s faith was shaken in Frey himself (or in the editor/publisher) rather than in the technology. It would be interesting to know, with the music example, if you see ways in which the industry is beginning to create the means of production, social conventions and laws to make “authenticity” guaranteed.

    Check.

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