Defense Date
2-8-2021
Graduation Date
Spring 5-7-2021
Availability
Immediate Access
Submission Type
dissertation
Degree Name
PhD
Department
English
School
McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
Committee Chair
Greg Barnhisel
Committee Member
Judy Suh
Committee Member
Faith Barrett
Keywords
middlebrow, reading, readers, book lists
Abstract
The term “middlebrow” has historically been hurled as a pejorative to signify cultural objects and consumers of them which are watered down, inauthentic, and invested in quick social gain. I argue that the literary middlebrow can be better understood if its definition expands to include a mode of reading characterized by being mediated by cultural arbiters and purposeful in that literature functions as an instrument for self-improvement. In this dissertation, I use book list books, lists of recommended reading published as standalone books themselves, to trace the history of a middlebrow mode of reading from the late nineteenth century to the present. While the mediation of and purposes for middlebrow reading have been shaped by the educational trends and historical concerns of each generation, the purposeful and mediated nature of the middlebrow mode of reading has endured.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Read, C. (2021). Recommended Reading: Book List Books and Middlebrow Tastemaking (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1993