The Future Of The Page

The most basic unit of the physical book is the page. It has determined the historical evolution of the book, the types of information communicated, and how the audience accesses that information. Unique and rewarding in both its scope and approach, The Future of the Pageis a collection of essays that presents the best of recent critical theory on the history and future of the page and its enormous influence on Western thought and culture. Spanning the centuries between the earliest record of the page and current computerized conceptions of page-like entities, the essays examine the size of the page, its relative dimensions, materials, design, and display of information. The page is broadly defined, allowing the volume to explore topics ranging from medieval manuscripts to non-European alternatives to the page, Algonquin symbolic literacy, and hypertext. This thought-provoking collection will appeal to literary scholars, book historians, graphic designers, and those interested in the impact of evolving print technologies on intellectual and cultural life.

Peter Stoicheff is a professor in the Department of English at the University of Saskatchewan. Andrew Taylor is an associate professor in the Department of English at the University of Ottawa.