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Author Morson, Gary Saul, 1948-

Title The words of others : from quotations to culture / Gary Saul Morson
Published New Haven [Conn.] : Yale University Press, ©2011

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Description 1 online resource (xi, 340 pages)
Contents Verbal gems and treasuries -- The market for quotations -- What is an anthology? -- Quotationality and former quotations -- The nature of quotations -- What is a quotation? -- Making a quotation -- What is a misquotation? -- More than words alone -- Mis-misquotations -- How and where quotations live -- Quotations of occasion -- Famous last words -- Epitaphs -- Literary composition and decomposition -- The anthology as literature -- Whole and part
Summary In this lively gambol through the history of "ations and "ation books, Gary Saul Morson traces our enduring fascination with the words of others. Ranging from the remote past to the present, he explores the formation, development, and significance of "ations, while exploring the "verbal museums" in which they have been collected and displayed--commonplace books, treasuries, and anthologies. In his trademark clear, witty, and provocative style, Morson invites readers to share his delight in the shortest literary genre. The author defines what makes a "e "able, as well as the (unexpected) differences between "ation and mis"ation. He describes how "ations form, transform, and may eventually become idioms. How much of language itself is the residue of former "ations? Weaving in hundreds of intriguing "ations, common and unusual, Morson explores how the words of others constitute essential elements in the formation of a culture and of the self within that culture. In so doing, he provides a demonstration of that very process, captured in the pages of this extraordinary new book
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Print version record
Subject Quotations -- History and criticism
Quotation in literature.
Epitaphs -- History and criticism
REFERENCE.
Epitaphs
Quotation in literature
Quotations
Genre/Form Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9780300171747
0300171749
1283150603
9781283150606