Event flyer with a dark blue background and orange accents. A headshot appears on the left. On the right, large orange text reads “Melanie Walsh,” followed by a smaller line identifying her as an assistant professor in the Information School and adjunct assistant professor in the English Department at the University of Washington.
The talk title appears below: “How Do Books Travel on the Internet? Literary Circulation, Memes, and Data.” The date and time are listed as Friday, April 10, 3:00–4:15 PM. The location is given as 614 E. Daniel Street, Room 4045.
Not on the flyer:
Abstract: Thanks to online platforms and data, we are living in a golden age for the study of reading and literary reception at scale. A growing body of research has drawn on data like Goodreads reviews to study readers’ perception of, and engagement with, books. In this talk, drawn from her book in progress, Walsh argues for the significance of studying online literary circulation in addition to reading and reception—how books travel as memes, viral quotations, fanfiction, selfies, and more. This line of inquiry extends (computational) scholarship on the circulation of texts in earlier historical periods, as well as in other domains. By bringing together literary history, media studies, and computational humanities, Walsh sheds light on a key development in literary culture and offers a fresh perspective for understanding how culture spreads on the internet.
Bio: Melanie Walsh is an Assistant Professor in the Information School and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the English Department at the University of Washington. Her current work includes a book project, When Postwar American Fiction Went Viral: Protest, Profit, and Popular Readers in the 21st Century, which argues that the internet is reshaping the past and future of American literature. She also co-leads several projects at the intersection of data, AI, and culture, including the Post45 Data Collective and AI for Humanists.
If you're near Champaign, come see @mellymeldubs.bsky.social reveal the big, weird picture of literary circulation on the internet — "memes, viral quotations, fanfiction, selfies, and more"! 3pm this Friday. (Alas, no current plans to record or livestream.)
