The essay collection "The Printed Book in Contemporary American Culture: Medium, Object, Metaphor," co-edited by Alexander Starre and Heike Schaefer, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in September 2018. This essay collection explores the cultural functions the printed book performs in the digital age. It examines how the use of and attitude toward the book form have changed in light of the digital transformation of American media culture. Situated at the crossroads of American studies, literary studies, book studies, and media studies, these essays show that a sustained focus on the medial and material formats of literary communication significantly expands our accustomed ways of doing cultural studies. Addressing the changing roles of authors, publishers, and readers while covering multiple bookish formats such as artists’ books, bestselling novels, experimental fiction, and zines, this interdisciplinary volume introduces readers to current transatlantic conversations on the history and future of the printed book.

The book contains chapters by: Aleida Assmann, Christoph Bläsi, Alison Gibbons, Antje Kley, Reingard Nischik, Jessica Pressman, Janice Radway, Monika Schmitz-Emans, Regina Schober, Garrett Stewart, Kiene Brillenburg Wurth.

More info, a book preview, and order information is available on the publisher's website