MLA volume 107 issue 5 Cover and Front matter

1992 Publications of the Modern Language Association of America  
Whether Goethe actually cried "More light!" on his deathbed, or whether Conrad Hilton checked out of this world after uttering "Leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub," last words, regardless of authenticity, have long captured our imaginations. In this playfully serious investigation based on factual accounts, anecdotes, literary works, and films, Karl Guthke explores the cultural importance of those words spoken at the border between this world and the next. The exit lines of both
more » ... amous and ordinary people embody for us a sense of drama and truthfulness and reveal much about our thoughts on living and dying. "Karl Guthke brings his extraordinary erudition to bear on a topic close to the 'taboo zone' of death, and offers us one of those rare products of scholarship that is accessible, very readable, and indeed enjoyable." Joseph Viscomi drastically revises our understanding of William Blake as he explores the technology behind the Illuminated Books. By using facsimiles created in his own studio, Viscomi offers the most complete explanation of how the illuminated plates were made, how the plates were printed and the impressions colored. His analysis reveals that the Illuminated Books were produced in small editions and not, as is assumed, one copy at a time and by commission. These new facts of production redefine such basic concepts in Blake scholarship as "style," "period," "intention," and "difference," which in turn alter the dates of nearly all copies of all the Illuminated Books and refute current approaches to reading and editing Blake. "Here is a magnificent treasure trove of valuable information, invaluable reasoning, and brilliant speculation. Blake and the Idea of the Book is the first significant advance in this absolutely fundamental area of study in the past decade." -Morris Eaves, University of Rochester illustrations Cloth: $49.50 ISBN 0-691-06962-X Princeton University Press
doi:10.1632/s0030812900062210 fatcat:2xwlpsjrxjcsfbvu4tzi4y5w6q