Robert Louis Stevenson, Literary Networks and Transatlantic Publishing in the 1890s

Glenda Norquay

Description

An investigation of R. L. Stevenson and the geographies of his literary networks

‘Robert Louis Stevenson, Literary Networks and Transatlantic Publishing in the 1890s’ focuses on an author characterised by geographical and aesthetic mobility, and on those who worked with him or wrote for him at a period of key changes in transatlantic publishing. Stevenson’s situation in the 1890s, living in Samoa, publishing in Britain and the United States, is both highly specific but also representative of a new literary mobility. Drawing on a range of resources, from archival material, correspondence, biographies, essays and fiction, the book examines the operations of transatlantic literary networks during a period of key changes in transatlantic publishing.

To investigate Stevenson and the geographies of his literary networks during the last years of his life and after his death, the book presents a series of critical case studies profiling figures who worked with Stevenson, negotiated his publications on both sides of the Atlantic, wrote for him or were inspired by him. Each chapter focuses on a figure involved in the production or afterlife of Stevenson’s late fiction. Individuals studied include Stevenson’s boyhood friend and literary negotiator, Charles Baxter; American publisher Scribner’s literary representative in London, Lemuel Bangs; Stevenson’s ‘mentor’, Sidney Colvin; Stevenson’s admirer and posthumous co-author, literary critic Arthur Quiller-Couch; and collaborators among Stevenson’s own family. Through its emphasis on these significant and fascinating figures, instrumental to or imbricated in the dissemination of Stevenson’s writing, the book offers a fresh understanding of his work in the context of transatlantic publishing.

The book deploys the concept of ‘literary prosthetics’ to frame its analysis of gatekeepers, tastemakers, agents, collaborators and authorial surrogates in the transatlantic production of Stevenson’s writing. The complexities of Stevenson’s geographical and literary situation demonstrate the ways in which the permeable bodies of ‘author’, ‘critic’, ‘editor’, ‘publisher’ and ‘agent’ were fixed and refixed during the period. The book contributes to knowledge of transatlantic publishing and literary cultures in the 1890s and to Stevenson studies but its focus on the specifics of Stevenson’s ‘case’ provides a point of entry into larger considerations of literary communities, nineteenth-century mobility drivers of literary production and the nature of the authorial function.

Acknowledgements; List of Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Lemuel Bangs: ‘The Senator’; 2. A Tale of Two Texts; 3. ‘A Gentleman Called Charles Baxter’; 4. Sidney Colvin: Custodian and Monument; 5. Family, Friends and Collaborators; 6. Arthur Quiller- Couch: The Quivering Needle; 7. Richard Le Gallienne: ‘Not While a Boy Still Whistles’; Conclusion: Robert Louis Stevenson Incorporated; References; Index.

Sujets

• 19th century
• Modern history
• General officer
• Literary criticism
• General
• Obermodern-Zutzendorf

Informations

• Publié par: Anthem Press
• Date de parution: 31 janvier 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781785272868
• Langue: English

Extrait

Robert Louis Stevenson, Literary Networks and Transatlantic Publishing in the 1890s
Robert Louis Stevenson, Literary Networks and Transatlantic Publishing in the 1890s
The Author Incorporated
Glenda Norquay
Anthem Press
An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company
www.anthempress.com
This edition first published in UK and USA 2020
by ANTHEM PRESS
75–76 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA, UK
or PO Box 9779, London SW19 7ZG, UK
and
244 Madison Ave #116, New York, NY 10016, USA
Copyright © Glenda Norquay 2020
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Library of Congress Control Number:2019955626
ISBN-13: 978-1-78527-284-4 (Hbk)
ISBN-10: 1-78527-284-5 (Hbk)
This title is also available as an e-book.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1 Lemuel Bangs: ‘The Senator’
2 A Tale of Two Texts
3 ‘A Gentleman Called Charles Baxter’
4 Sidney Colvin: Custodian and Monument
5 Family, Friends and Collaborators
6 Arthur Quiller-Couch: The Quivering Needle
7 Richard Le Gallienne: ‘Not While a Boy Still Whistles’
Conclusion: Robert Louis Stevenson Incorporated
References
Index
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book emerged from a larger and longer project to produce a scholarly edition of Stevenson’s last novel, St Ives. In both the book and edition, I have been fortunate to receive funding from the British Academy and from Liverpool John Moores University. A Mayers Fellowship from the Huntington Library, California; Friends of Princeton Library Grant; and Research Fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh, all gave me further support to visit essential resources and engage with stimulating scholarly communities.
Researching this book has taken me to wonderful collections and I have met many enormously helpful librarians. For access to archival sources and library resources I am particularly grateful to the staff at the National Library of Scotland – who create the friendliest of environments; to the British Library; staff at the Huntington Library, California; Curtis Small and the University of Delaware Special Collections; the superb Mark Samuels Lasner Collection, University of Delaware and to Mark himself; the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia and Elizabeth E. Fuller, the Librarian; the Rare Book Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia and Reference Librarian Joseph Shemtov; to the Harry Ramson Center, University of Texas; staff at the University of Aberdeen Special Collections; Clare Hopkins, archivist at Trinity College Oxford; and to Becky Howell at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
My research at the Rare Books and Special Collection, Princeton, was facilitated by Christine Lutz, Charles E. Greene and, most of all, by AnnaLee Pauls who made my time there a pleasure in so many ways. I am also grateful to staff at the Firestone Library, Princeton. At the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library and the Sterling Memorial Library, Yale, everyone was consistently helpful; James K. Fisher went above and beyond. The Ernest Mehew Collection, Napier University, Edinburgh, was a valuable resource; I am grateful to Linda Dryden and Duncan Milne for their assistance. It was a particular delight to work on Le Gallienne material held in Liverpool Central Library; I am grateful to archivists there and David Stoker. Thanks go to the University of Liverpool’s Special Collections and Archives. At Liverpool John Moores University Library Services, Val Stevenson and Sheena Streather were reliable sources of support. Gladstone’s Library provided an ideal working environment on a number of occasions.
My visits to the States and research on this book benefitted enormously from the inspiration, friendship, hospitality and encouragement of Margaret Stetz and Mark Samuels Lasner. The company of Virginia Gilmartin, Veronica O’Mara and Barry Menikoff enhanced my time at the Huntington; Kostas Boyiopoulos shared late-night library panics at Princeton. I was extremely fortunate to have an IASH Fellowship in Edinburgh in the spring of 2016. I could not have wished for a more collegiate, illuminating and enjoyable set of fellow Fellows. I am grateful to Professor Jo Shaw, then Director, for the opportunity and to Professor David Purdie for enabling access to the Speculative Society. Special thanks to Donald Ferguson for practical help but also the tea, cake, good humour and conversation that held the community together. Many positive things came out of my time there, including ongoing work and friendship with Dolly McKinnon. Bob Irvine, Penny Fielding and Alex Thomson brought their literary expertise and excellent company to my time in Edinburgh.
The Stevenson Community is a particularly global and generous one. Like all Stevenson scholars I benefitted enormously from the work of the late Ernest Mehew in compiling the Letters and from the research of Roger G. Swearingen, who has been an inspiration, a practical supporter and a critical friend in my thinking about Stevenson and on visits to the United States. Barry Menikoff’s early work on Stevenson and publishing, before Book History became fashionable, has influenced and stimulated me; I am deeply appreciative of his knowledge, friendship and conversation in locations across the globe. My greatest debt in thinking about the texts of Stevenson’s last years is to Gillian Hughes, expert editor and scrupulous researcher, who has also become a valued friend. Richard Dury, centre of all Stevenson networks, has generously shared his enormous expertise on many occasions. Robert-Louis Abrahamson, Stephen Arata, Jenni Calder, Ann C. Colley, Dennis Denisoff, Morgan Holmes, Liz Farr, Lesley Graham, Neil Macara Brown, Andrew Nash, Julia Reid and Saverio Tomialou all gave advice, information and friendship along the way. I am particularly indebted to Donald Mackenzie for his enthusiastic ‘St Ivesery’ and knowledge of adventure romancers. Natasha Simonova was invaluable in manuscript transcription. Lena Wånggren has shared the St Ives experience and provided stimulating conversation about Fanny Stevenson and other matters.
At LJMU I am grateful for project support from Alex Miles, Joe Yates and Andy Young. I am incredibly lucky to work in a department of great collegiality, intellectual rigour and general inspiration. Alice Ferrebe, Elspeth Graham, Colin Harrison, Brian Maidment, Joe Moran, Lucinda Thompson and Kate Walchester in particular played important parts in developing the book. Doctoral students Joseph Thorne and Samuel Saunders helped with details and discussion.
Aileen Christianson has put up with my presence, my despair, the minutiae of my work and my need for sustenance on many trips to Edinburgh: thank you for the friendship and hospitality. Christine and Allan Mackenzie have also put me up and put up with me.
I am grateful to the team at Anthem Press for taking on this project and for their efficiency in its progression. I owe particular thanks to Professor David Carter for his initial encouragement and to the anonymous readers for their positive and constructive comments.
I am especially grateful to Mari Mahr for granting permission to use Graham Percy’s wonderful image of Stevenson, which has been gifted to the National Galleries of Scotland. I thank the following for permission to cite from their resources:
The University of Aberdeen; the President and Fellows of Trinity College, Oxford, for material from Trinity College, Oxford, Archive, Papers of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary acknowledgement at the first opportunity.
I am fortunate in having an extremely kind, patient and supportive family. As matriarch Jessie Norquay sets the style. I can’t fully calculate the many ways in which I am indebted to Roger Webster – though I suspect he may have a list. Duncan Norquay Webster, a key player in the first American adventure, has consistently kept me in good spirits. Over the years, Annie Webster has grown from supportive enthusiast to a true critical friend and perceptive reader. What more could I want?
ABBREVIATIONS
Aberdeen: University of Aberdeen
Special Collections: MS 3518/1/1/15; Alt Ref No: Box 10 MS 3518/10/7.
Letters received and notes (1899–1913): 1 bundle – William Robertson Nicoll: letters received and notes (mainly typed copies); Letters from A. T. Quiller-Couch: one original letter (15 November 1899) and typescript copies of four further letters (2 copies of each) dated from April 1900 to December 1901, on his Oxford Book of Verse and other matters.
Typed list headed ‘Bits of Journal dictated to Miss Coe’; items (by William Robertson Nicoll) dated between 1910 and 1913; one of these items attached ‘The First Time I Met Lloyd George’, typescript 1910. Typed extracts from a letter by William Robertson N