In The Myths that Made America, Heike Paul writes that the melting pot ”is a myth about the making of American society” which ”envisions the US in a state of perpetual change and transformation that is partly assimilation, partly regeneration, and partly emergence, and emphasizes the continuous integration of difference experienced by both immigrant and longer-established sections of the population” (258-159). Cookbooks—an often overlooked cultural, literary, and material text—provide a unique and valuable starting point for probing at this pervasive myth, as they literalize the metaphorical ”pot” and use the cultural importance of food to explore the ways that national identity, gender, ethnicity, race, community, and belonging have been (re)inscribed, aesthetically situated, and disseminated at different points in American history.

In this seminar, students will be introduced to strategies and methods for using cookbooks as primary sources for book historical research in order to explore the idea of the American melting pot. Employing book studies methods, students will be asked to consider books as multifaceted objects that relate to both culture and commerce, exploring areas of authorship, paratexts, publishing practices, and reception.

The course is intended for master’s students who already have knowledge of book studies. Students new to this field are welcome but should be sure to familiarize themselves with the following essential texts:

• Robert Darnton, ”What Is the History of Books?” in The Book History Reader, 2^nd ed., edited by David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 9-26, New York: Routledge, 2006. Shelf mark: BH 111:2.
• Thomas R. Adams and Nicholas Barker, ”A New Model for the Study of the Book,” The Book History Reader, 2^nd ed., edited by David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery, 47-65, New York: Routledge, 2006. Shelf mark: BH 111:2.
• Leslie Howsam, Old Books & New Histories: An Orientation to Studies in Book and Print Culture (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006). Shelf mark: BH 111:8.

Kurs im HIS-LSF