“No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.”—Samuel Johnson
“Grub Street,” the London residence of eighteenth-century authors earning a living by their writing, became synonymous with “hack” writing, as opposed to high literary expression—thus it is often treated in a satirical fashion. Yet, over the century, the social structures of class and dependence associated with high literary expression came to be seen as undesirable, and the enterprising and independent author came to be seen as something of a hero—or at least a legitimate occupation. While exploring changing conceptions of authorship over the “long eighteenth century” (ca. 1660–1800) we will see corresponding shifts to definitions of literature and literary subject matter: journalism, the essay and the novel emerge as new genres; domestic life, the urban experience and the lives of the lower classes, and, indeed, the inner life of the writing subject all come to new attention.
Course Instructor: Christopher Fanning: christopher.fanning@queensu.ca
Course Website: http://post.queensu.ca/~cjf1/Grub_Street.html
| 2 Journal Entries (500–750 words): meditations upon course materials—imitations, observations, interconnections, critiques, close readings. | 20% |
| An account of London, following our second visit (500–750 words): you may wish to write this in the style of an 18th-century periodical essay, or in heroic couplets; tie the place to the literature. | 20% |
| Seminar presentation: on the appropriate day, offer a researched account of one of the following: Responses to The Dunciad; Stephen Duck and Mary Collier; Mary Leapor; Mary Barber; Ann Yearsley. See the research resources supplied at http://post.queensu.ca/~cjf1/Grub_St_Resources.html and talk with me well in advance. | 20% |
| A short essay (1000 words) on a topic generated by the course readings. You may wish to develop an earlier Journal Entry, or a seminar presentation. NB: the essay should be a substantial development, arguing a thesis supported by textual evidence. | 20% |
| Active participation in daily discussions. | 20% |
Use MLA style for citations in your written work. A quick guide to format is available at: www.queensu.ca/writingcentre/handouts/MLA.pdf.
Academic Integrity: Please be aware that plagiarism and other departures from academic integrity are serious offenses. Inform yourself about Regulation 1 in the Faculty of Arts & Science Calendar, Queen’s University. Consult the instructor if you have any questions about citation format or proper use of sources.
Students Wishing to Read Ahead: Moll Flanders is the longest work on our list, followed by the Gay plays and The Dunciad. Reading ahead in Johnson, especially the Dictionary selections, might enhance our early trip to Johnson’s house.
(NB one of our 12 sessions, date to be announced, will be dedicated to research and writing):
1: Introductions: definitions of Grub Street; Ideals and Realities of Writing
Reading: selections from Jonathan Swift’s A Tale of a Tub (photocopy)
Trip to London: Samuel Johnson’s House
2: London Life: News and narratives; writers and readers
Reading: “Reading Papers” selections: “News and Comment” (L 2454-62), “Getting, Spending, Speculating” (L 2474-83); Addison and Pope, Spectator No. 452, on the popular taste for news (photocopy); John Dryden, Mac Flecknoe (L 2239); Jonathan Swift, “A Description of the Morning” (L 2500), “A Description of a City Shower” (L 2501); William Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress (L 2783); Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, Nos. 170-71 (On Misella, a Prostitute) (L 2880)
3: Writing the Modern Self: the possibilities of writing, the work of writing
Reading: “Reading Papers” selections: “Periodical Personae” (L 2462-74); Samuel Johnson, from The Life of Mr. Richard Savage (photocopy); The Rambler, Nos. 4, 5, 60 (L 2872), 145 (photocopy); The Idler, No. 84 (L 2892); Preface to the Dictionary (L 2895); Letter to Chesterfield (L 2940)
4: The Novel: the fictional self
Reading: Eliza Haywood, Fantomina: Or, Love in a Maze (L 3081); Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders (to p. 190)
5: Reading: Moll Flanders (to p. 343)
6: The Scriblerian Critique: the fate of learning
Reading: John Gay, Three Hours After Marriage
7: The Scriblerian Critique: the fate of culture
Reading: Alexander Pope, The Dunciad (photocopy and L 2694); Richard Savage, An Author to be Lett (internet)
Trip to London: Sir John Soane’s Museum
8: The Scriblerian Compromise: high culture and low, or the Opera Noveliz’d
Reading: John Gay, The Beggar’s Opera (L 2717)
9: Working Class Poets: old forms and new voices
Reading: Stephen Duck, “The THRESHER's Labour” (internet); Mary Collier, “The Woman’s Labour,” “An Elegy upon Stephen Duck” (Internet).
10: Working Class Poets: possibilities for satiric critique
Reading: Mary Leapor, selections in Longman (L 2335-45; 2692-94); “Crumble Hall” (internet)
11: Working Class Poets: patronage and dependence
Reading: Mary Barber, Poems on Several Occasions (internet); Ann Yearsley, Poems on Various Subjects (internet)
Stuart Sherman, “The Restoration and Eighteenth Century,” Introduction to The Longman Anthology of British Literature, vol. 1C (3rd edition, 2006): 2121-44, plus headnotes to authors on the syllabus.
John Brewer, The Pleasures of the Imagination: English Culture in the Eighteenth Century (1997): especially, Part 2: “Print,” Chapter 3: “Authors, Publishers and the Making of Literary Culture,” and Chapter 4: “Readers and the Reading Public.”