Excerpt from The Sanity of William Blake All criticism is based upon some standard of convention. Yet, in spite of the fact that our education necessarily favours such standard, our instincts are often finely rebellious in their repudiation of convention. And we secretly honour all who outdare custom, though we openly fear and perhaps deride them. The weakness of convention as a standard of criticism lies in this, that we are able to estimate a given work only so long as it falls within our educational experience; whereas if it does not, there remains no system that will give it justice. How can one judge, say, of ethics in Mars, when he is entirely ignorant of its conditions? or of habits in Mile End if he do not share its quite reasonable dislike of his own culture? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

SELECTED AND INTRODUCED BY PATTI SMITHWilliam Blake is one of Britain s most fascinating writers, who, as well as being a groundbreaking poet, is also well known as a painter, engraver, radical and mystic. Although Blake was dismissed as an eccentric by

It is not surprising that visitors to Blake’s cosmology – the most elaborate in the history of British text and design – often demand a map in the form of a reference book. The entries in this volume benefit from the wide range of historical information made available in recent decades regarding the relationship between Blake’s text and design and his biographical, political, social, and religious contexts. Of particular importance, the entries take account of the re-interpretations of Blake with respect to race, gender, and empire in scholarship influenced by the groundbreaking theories that have arisen since the first half of the twentieth century. The intricate fluidity of Blake’s anti-Newtonian universe eludes the fixity of definitions and schema. Central to this guide to Blake's work and ideas is Kathryn S. Freeman's acknowledgment of the paradox of providing orientation in Blake’s universe without disrupting its inherent disorientation of the traditions whereby readers still come to it. In this innovative work, Freeman aligns herself with Blake’s demand that we play an active role in challenging our own readerly habits of passivity as we experience his created and corporeal worlds.

The established reference work Guide to Reprints has been radically reworked for this edition. Bibliographical data was substantially increased where information was obtainable. In addition, the user-friendliness of Guide to Reprints was raised to the high level of other K.G. Saur directories through author-title cross-references, a subject volume, a person index and a publisher index. In this edition, the directory lists more than 60,000 titles from more than 350 publishers.

The age of print was begun by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 in Mainz, Germany. His invention of the mechanized and mass production of print replaced the previous handwriting of the scribes and was a transformative achievement. It was both the product of and a catalyst for far-reaching intellectual, social, and political changes that began during the Renaissance and continued for centuries right up to the present. The age of electronic media was begun by Steve Jobs in 1985 in Cupertino, California. His integration of the elements of desktop publishing--personal computer, page-layout software, page-description language, and laser printer--replaced the previous photomechanical processes of printing and was a transformative achievement. It was both the product of and a catalyst for the intellectual, social, and political changes during the digital revolution that will extend for generations into the future. This book discusses these two bookends in the age of print. It follows the transitions and stages of innovation in printing between the fifteenth and twenty-first centuries and shows how the inventors responsible for this progress are bound together in a chain of revolutionary technical change called disruptive continuity. While the works of Gutenberg and Jobs are separated by more than five centuries, there are striking parallels and differences between these two innovations. They both sparked the quantitative expansion of literacy and the spread of knowledge around the world. However, the emergence of electronic publishing--especially in its present-day social media forms--has brought a vast increase in the consumption of information while also heralding a qualitative transformation that places the tools of wireless and mobile multimedia publishing into the hands of billions of people on earth. Much in the same way that there was a historical lag between Gutenberg's invention and the full impact of printing on the world, so too in our own time, the long-term societal consequences of electronic publishing have yet to be realized.

DEEP, DARK & UNSETTLING: 100+ Gothic Classics in One Edition presents a rich tapestry of Gothic literature, encompassing a wide range of themes from the macabre to the mysterious, and styles from the romantic to the grotesque. This anthology skillfully compiles works from the significant period of the late 18th century through the 19th century, encapsulating the evolution of the Gothic genre. The collection stands out for its inclusion of seminal pieces that have shaped and defined Gothic literature, offering readers an unparalleled journey through dark castles, eerie landscapes, and complex psychological depths, without focusing on the contributions of one single author but celebrating the collective genius of the era. The contributing authors and editors, hailing from diverse cultural and literary backgrounds, reflect the rich tapestry of the Gothic tradition. Figures such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker, among others, bring to the collection their unique voices, informed by the social, historical, and literary movements of their time. Through this anthology, the reader gains insight into the collective consciousness that fueled the Gothic movement, understanding its reflection of societal anxieties and the exploration of the human condition in its darkest forms. This anthology is not merely a collection of stories; it is an invitation to witness the convergence of remarkable literary talents across different periods and regions. DEEP, DARK & UNSETTLING offers readers an exceptional opportunity to explore the depths of Gothic literature, presenting works that span a variety of themes and narrative styles. For educators, enthusiasts, and students of literature, this collection serves as a comprehensive exploration of the Gothic genre's evolution, its impact on popular culture, and its enduring legacy. Engaging with this collection promises not only educational value but also a captivating experience, as it fosters a dialogue between the haunting works of the past and the contemporary reader's imagination.