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March 4, 2008
McLuhan (91-180)
"The manuscript shaped literary conventions at all levels." - (p. 108) McLuhan, Gutenberg Galaxy
It had many effects on their literary customs. There was an emphasis on memorization. Words were taken down diligently, without room for error, and reading was an oral experience. They were read to communities. It was before the printing press so reading was not yet a private experience.
Posted by Kayla Sawyer at March 4, 2008 11:19 AM
Comments
Everything resorted back to Oral Culture, even reading. We never lost it, only hid it until something new came along. I do not know if I would be able to stand hearing someone read a book to me, I need the moment to be private.
Posted by: Jeremy Barrick at March 9, 2008 1:34 PM
We never lost sight of Oral Culture. Society has resorted to using it again after we hid it for quite some time until something new came along and had to be compared to.
Posted by: Jeremy Barrick at March 9, 2008 1:36 PM
Yes, each form of communication builds upon its predecessor, from oral to manuscript, to manuscript to print, and print to digital.
Posted by: DavidCristello at March 10, 2008 12:10 PM
The idea of reading as a private experience is one that can be examined on many levels. I have always believed that reading alone brings a sense of intimacy to the table. Reading out loud and in groups can change the opinions that we harbor about a given text because of something as trivial as the inflections in the reader's voice.
Posted by: Leslie Rodriguez at March 12, 2008 12:29 AM