Introduction to “How We Write Now”

Abstract

How we read (closely, distantly, symptomatically, against the grain, or on the surface) has been vigorously debated, andPMLAhas helped foster the debate. Distant reading as defined by Franco Moretti is the focus of a recent Theories and Methodologies feature inPMLA, and two forthcoming issues will address “cultures of reading.” Whether we define ourselves as English teachers, public intellectuals in the humanities, or literary or cultural studies scholars, this newly energized attention to how we read reminds us that the critical practice of reading is foundational to our work. No matter what else we do (collect interviews, analyze films, pursue ethnographic field-work), attentive reading is our primary method of analysis and assessment. How we do it and to what ends warrant thoughtful discussion.