Revisioning Emerson as a Theorist of Reading

Pushing beyond the anthologized writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson frequently taught in American literature courses, this book examines the corpus of his published work to cultivate a unique understanding of his ideas in relation to reading. By following the history of Emersonian criticism over the years, including research surrounding Emerson and reading theory, these chapters provide a persuasive and accessible exploration of Emerson that highlight the value of his work for both literary and reading scholars. Boatright argues that while Emerson predates the research in reading studies that emerged in the early twentieth century, his ideas around reading engagement, shared reading experiences, and experimentation with reading are exceedingly relevant for encouraging healthy reading practices in the literature classroom.