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.

Michael Boatright is Associate Professor in the Department of English Studies and Director of English Education at Western Carolina University, USA. Holding a PhD in Language and Literacy Education from the University of Georgia, he focused much of his early career on contributing scholarship to the field of Emerson and reading studies. When not writing about Emerson, he conducts research in the field of adolescent literature and teaches courses on the subject to aspiring English teachers. A transplant from Atlanta, he lives in Asheville with his wife Sarah and their mischievous cats.