Nicholas A. Basbanes, the author of A Gentle Madness and several other well-regarded books, received a $50,400 research fellowship from NEH in 2008 to support work leading up to On Paper, from which this essay is excerpted.
The prolific Victorian writers have given him a very exciting and satisfying life
How to read a book: For starters, remember it's a physical object
On letters, diaries, and other records of the American story at the Massachusetts Historical Society
2017 Summer
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