The Cultural Work of the Serial in U.S. Literature, 1786-1815

This project gives an overview of serial fiction in the early republic and explores its particular uses and features. What role did seriality play in the lives of authors, writers, and editors? Why did so many authors turn to the form at this point in time? How did publishing technologies influence its popularity? This talk will explore how this evolving form intervened in the pressing social and political debates of the period.