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Ninety-six letters to the Tatler and the Spectator, representing what is probably the largest extant body of unpublished material relating directly to the two journals, appeared for the first time in print in this book.

The original letters were not published in the Tatler or the Spectator, but they were preserved by the editors and eventually found their way into the Marlborough and the Tickell collections. They have been prepared for publication and edited, with notes and an introduction, by an authority in the field of early periodicals.

The letters will be of especial interest to students of early eighteenth-century England, for few literary forms more clearly reflect the times in which they are written than the letter, particularly the letter to the editor. A wide range of writers is represented—the inarticulate and the witty, the serving maid and the gentleman. Subject matter is equally diverse, including such topics as women's petticoats, free thinking, the state lottery, the nuisance of a smoking wife, cock-throwing, and Platonic love.

Why the letters were not published in the Tatler or the Spectator is a matter for conjecture. Some of them were apparently used by Addison or Steele as topics for essays. Occasionally a letter was received or rewritten by the editors and printed in an altered form. Whatever the reason for their survival, these letters will be of value to students of language and literary journalism, social conditions, and popular philosophy.

A bold, collective portrait of the sustaining force of art while aging

Nick of Time celebrates the artistic community of the Twin Cities and the wisdom that comes with age. Bringing together the voices of women creatives over the age of sixty-five, this collection is as varied as the artists’ vocations, spanning from narrative prose to poetry, essay, monologue, letters, historical reflection, and more. As the contributors examine their lived experiences, hopes and regrets, joy and grief while traversing their last decades of life, they serve as a guiding beacon for others navigating the intersection of creativity and aging—as well as a ballast against its inevitable challenges. They write with refreshing honesty about feeling invisible in older age, receiving late recognition, or being dismissed as hair turns gray and wrinkles appear. Their openness provides strength and support for us all.

A beautiful collection of pieces from established and emerging writers, painters, singers, photographers, musicians, playwrights, dancers, sculptors, and beyond, Nick of Time traces the contours of both the commonalities and the differences that can be found in the creative life of an aging artist. This generous book is a provocative meditation on finding power in age, demonstrating that creativity is an integral part of a full life as well as a lifelong pursuit.

Contributors: Shari Albers, Hend Al-Mansour, Hazel Belvo, Chris Cinque, Venus de Mars, Julia Dinsmore, Mary Moore Easter, Jan Elftmann, Georgia A. Greeley, Kathryn Haddad, Kim Hines, Carolyn Holbrook, Adar Kahin, Deborah Keenan, Amoke Kubat, Fiona McCrae, Teresa Ortiz, Rebecca Pavlenko, Marcie R. Rendon, Joyce Sutphen, Suzanne Thao, JoAnn Verburg, Diane Wilson, Mieko Yamazaki.

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A collection of field-defining essays on the Victorian novel, taking up a fascinating paradox in literary history: why do we care so deeply about fictional characters who don’t really exist?

n Nobody Comes of Age, Catherine Gallagher explores the Victorian novel by examining its most fundamental building block: the fictional character. Gallagher argues that “Nobodies”—nonreferential, yet realistic, invented personae, usually of middling social status—were the very engine of the genre’s development. Having arrived on the fictional scene in the eighteenth century, Nobody came of age during the Victorian era. The novel achieved cultural hegemony, and Victorian novelists explored these characters’ fictionality in tandem with the great intellectual developments of their time. Readers, knowing well that novel personae were not portraits of actual individuals, nevertheless expected them to yield important insights into the social and cultural changes of the age.

Nobody Comes of Age gathers in revised form a selection of Catherine Gallagher’s classic and still influential essays on the Victorian novel. These essays take up topics such as the relationship between fiction and the decline of religious belief in the period, and how novelists worked the tension between characters who seemed typical and plots that were unpredictable. Gallagher expertly navigates across a range of canonical texts, from the ordinary outcomes of George Eliot’s Middlemarch to the archetypal sacrifices in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d'Urbervilles. For scholars and students of nineteenth-century British literature, Nobody Comes of Age is an essential companion.

Kenneth Draper’s new volume investigates genre, gender, and self-presentation in Horace’s first collection of Odes. It examines how Horace uses non-lyric genres—elegy, epic, invective, and philosophical discourse—to define his lyric project, responding to the rhetorical challenge of writing in the wake of civil war. It shows how Horace employs a “poetics of disguise and infiltration” in his engagement with these other genres. At times, he assimilates his lyric persona to an elegiac one, claiming to share elegy’s effeminacy and disinterest in politics. Similarly, he draws on philosophical discourse to present himself as too modest for heavy political themes. In both cases, he turns to clothing metaphors to identify the slight persona as a disguise that he may assume or discard as needed. Through this disingenuous self-presentation, he disavows interest in the masculine modes of epic and invective. Read as reflections on Horace’s own infiltration of epic territory, the examined scenes give clues about his motivations: focusing on the characters’ self-preservation amid dangers, he reminds readers of the risks and audacity of his project.

Exploring human nature, society, and destiny through the lens of American naturalism.

In Notes on Life, Theodore Dreiser—best known for his landmark novels Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy—reveals himself as an incisive thinker grappling with the forces that shape human existence. This compelling collection of essays brings together Dreiser’s reflections on society, ambition, morality, and the often-unseen pressures that guide individual lives. Written during a period of rapid cultural and industrial transformation in the United States, these essays offer a deeply engaged response to the uncertainties and contradictions of modern life.

At the heart of Notes on Life lies Dreiser’s enduring commitment to the principles of literary naturalism: the belief that human behavior is influenced—if not determined—by environment, heredity, and social conditions. Yet these essays go beyond literary theory. They present a searching, often personal inquiry into what it means to live meaningfully in a world shaped by inequality, chance, and desire. Dreiser examines the tension between individual aspiration and societal constraint, probing the psychological and moral dimensions of success, failure, and identity.

What distinguishes this collection is its accessibility and range. Dreiser writes with a directness that invites readers into complex philosophical questions without sacrificing intellectual depth. Whether considering the nature of happiness, the role of material success, or the ethical dilemmas of modern society, he offers insights that remain strikingly relevant. His voice—by turns analytical, reflective, and quietly provocative—bridges the gap between literature and philosophy, making these essays as engaging for general readers as they are valuable for students and scholars.

For those interested in American literature, Notes on Life provides essential context for understanding Dreiser’s fiction and the broader movement of realism and naturalism in the early twentieth century. For contemporary readers, it offers a timeless meditation on the forces that continue to shape human experience: ambition, circumstance, and the search for meaning in an ever-changing world.

Both a work of literary significance and a volume of enduring philosophical reflection, Notes on Life stands as a testament to Dreiser’s intellectual breadth and his unwavering commitment to exploring the complexities of human life.