The Poet and the Publisher
The Case of Alexander Pope, Esq., of Twickenham versus Edmund Curll, Bookseller in Grub Street
Published on 17. May 2021
448 pages
978-1-78914-419-2 (ISBN)
Description
The quarrel between the poet Alexander Pope and the publisher Edmund Curll has long been a notorious episode in the history of the book, when two remarkable figures with a gift for comedy and an immoderate dislike of each other clashed publicly and without restraint. However, it has never, until now, been chronicled in full.
Ripe with the sights and smells of Hanoverian London, The Poet and Publisher details their vitriolic exchanges, drawing on previously unearthed pamphlets, newspaper articles and advertisements, court and government records, and personal letters. The story of their battles in and out of print includes a poisoning, the pillory, numerous instances of fraud, and a landmark case in the history of copyright. Indecently entertaining, the book is a forensic account of events both momentous and farcical.
Ripe with the sights and smells of Hanoverian London, The Poet and Publisher details their vitriolic exchanges, drawing on previously unearthed pamphlets, newspaper articles and advertisements, court and government records, and personal letters. The story of their battles in and out of print includes a poisoning, the pillory, numerous instances of fraud, and a landmark case in the history of copyright. Indecently entertaining, the book is a forensic account of events both momentous and farcical.
Reviews / Votes
Alexander Pope, a poet, and Edmund Curll, a publisher, had a notoriously adversarial relationship in eighteenth-century London. This account highlights its absurdity and touches on its significance in the world of copyright. * Publishers Weekly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
File size
4,68 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78914-419-2 (9781789144192)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Pat Rogers
The Poet and the Publisher
The Case of Alexander Pope, Esq., of Twickenham versus Edmund Curll, Bookseller in Grub Street
Book
05/2021
Reaktion Books
€33.00
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Pat Rogers is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Liberal Arts at the University of South Florida and an acknowledged authority on Pope. A prolific author and editor, his books include Edmund Curll, Bookseller, with Paul Baines (2007); A Political Biography of Alexander Pope (2010); and the Oxford World's Classics editions of Pope's work.
Content
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. The Time and The Place
- 2. The Antagonists
- 3. True and False Reports, 1714-15
- 4. Poisonous Relations, 1716
- 5. Horrid Wars, 1716
- 6. The Loss of Eden, 1716
- 7. The Second Aesop, 1717
- 8. An Abominable Catalogue, 1718-19
- 9. Crimes and Punishments, 1720-24
- 10. Prison, 1724-7
- 11. Pillory, 1725-8
- 12. A Confederacy of Dunces, 1728-9
- 13. The Public Ear, 1730-34
- 14. The Letters of Mr Pope: Stage One, 1735
- 15. The Letters of Mr Pope: Stage Two, 1735-6
- 16. Final Exchanges, 1737-47
- Closing Arguments
- Epilogue
- References
- Select Bibliography
- Acknowledgements
- Photo Acknowledgements
- Index
