Consider the Audiobook or the Hermeneutics of Close Listening: Literary Sound Studies, Critical Theory, and David Foster Wallace's Literary Journalism

Ryan Matthew Marnane, Salve Regina University

Abstract

What difference does it make whether one reads or listens to a narrative? “Consider the Audiobook, or The Hermeneutics of Close Listening” explores the literary, cultural, and political implications surrounding the fastest growing industry in American publishing: audiobooks. It grounds its analysis in Foucault’s notion of the author function and Gerard Genette’s concept of paratextuality, situating each within the burgeoning and interdisciplinary field of Literary Sound Studies. “Consider the Audiobook” aims to rediscover a new conception of authorship, the book, and what Literature and hermeneutics might mean in a time of increasing re-mediation and adaptation of the printed word. This thesis contributes to conversations current in Literary Sound Studies and Critical Theory, David Foster Wallace Studies, and Literary Journalism Studies.

Subject Area

Literature

Recommended Citation

Marnane, Ryan Matthew, "Consider the Audiobook or the Hermeneutics of Close Listening: Literary Sound Studies, Critical Theory, and David Foster Wallace's Literary Journalism" (2018). Doctoral Dissertations. AAI10813149.
https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/dissertations/AAI10813149

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