Genetic criticism and modern palaeography: The cultural forms of modern literary manuscripts

The study of literary manuscripts has been a fruitful undertaking for understanding creative processes and composition histories. The focus of attention in these investigations, however, lies primarily with aspects of textual evolution and revision. Although genetic criticism purports to study writing, the “material” manifestation of that writing and its relevance to understanding the creative process are often only of secondary concern. The use of the term avant-texte is indicative of this. While it maintains its link with the physical draft, giving an empirical grounding to a conception of writing that otherwise remains abstract, the avant-texte is in fact a composite editorial construct that stands at several removes from the archive (de Biasi 2004: 43–44). Manuscripts, however, are so much more than text: their physical forms and attributes have a story to tell as well. [...]