Matthew H. Birkhold's Books

Characters Before Copyright

The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-Century Germany

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Characters Before Copyright

The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-Century Germany

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

How did authors control the literary fates of fictional characters before the existence of copyright? Could a second author do anything with another author's character? Situated between the decline of the privilege system and the rise of copyright, literary borrowing in eighteenth-century Germany has long been considered unregulated. This book tells a different story. Characters before Copyright documents the surprisingly widespread eighteenth-century practice of writing fan fictionliterary works written by readers who appropriate preexisting characters invented by other authorsand reconstructs the contemporaneous debate about the literary phenomenon. Like fan fiction today, these texts took the form of sequels, prequels, and spinoffs. Analyzing the evolving reading, writing, and consumer habits of late-eighteenth-century Germany, Characters before Copyright identifies the social, economic, and aesthetic changes that fostered the rapid rise of fan fiction after 1750. Based on archival work and an ethnographic approach borrowed from legal anthropology, this book then uncovers the unwritten customary norms that governed the production of these works. Characters before Copyright thus reinterprets the eighteenth-century literary commons, arguing that what may appear to have been the free circulation of characters was actually circumscribed by an exacting set of rules and conditions. These norms translated into a unique type of literature that gave rise to remarkable forms of collaborative authorship and originality. Characters before Copyright provides a new perspective on the eighteenth-century book trade and the rise of intellectual property, reevaluating the concept of literary property, the history of moral rights, and the tradition of free culture.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

459

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0192567934

ISBN 13

9780192567932

Chasing Icebergs

How Frozen Freshwater Can Save the Planet

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Chasing Icebergs

How Frozen Freshwater Can Save the Planet

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

A deeply intelligent and engrossing narrative that will transform our relationship with water and how we view climate change. The global water crisis is upon us. 1 in 3 people do not have access to safe drinking water; nearly 1 million people die each year as a result. Even in places with adequate freshwater, pollution and poor infrastructure have left residents without basic water security. Luckily, there is a solution to this crisis where we least expect it. Icebergs—frozen mountains of freshwater—are more than a symbol of climate change. In his spellbinding Chasing Icebergs, Matthew Birkhold argues the glistening leviathans of the ocean may very well hold the key to saving the planet. Harvesting icebergs for drinking water is not a new idea. But for the first time in human history, doing so on a massive global scale is both increasingly feasible and necessary for our survival. Chasing Icebergs delivers a kaleidoscopic history of humans’ relationship with icebergs, and offers an urgent assessment of the technological, cultural, and legal obstacles we must overcome to harness this freshwater resource. Birkhold takes readers around the globe, introducing them to a colorful cast of characters with wildly different ideas about how (and if) humans should use icebergs. Sturdy bureaucrats committed to avoiding another Titanic square off against “iceberg cowboys” who wrangle the frozen beasts for profit. Entrepreneurs selling luxury iceberg water for an eye-popping price clash with fearless humanitarians trying to tow icebergs across the globe to eradicate water shortages. Along the way, we meet some of the world’s most renowned scientists to determine how industrial-scale iceberg harvesting could affect the oceans and the poles. And we see firsthand the looming conflict between Indigenous peoples like the Greenlandic Inuit with claims to icebergs and the private corporations that stand to reap massive profits. As Birkhold shepherds readers from Connecticut to South Africa, from Newfoundland to Norway, to Greenland and beyond, he unfurls a visionary argument for cooperation over conflict. It’s not too late for icebergs to save humanity. But we must act fast to form a coalition of scientists, visionaries, engineers, lawyers and diplomats to ensure that the “Cold Rush” doesn’t become a free-for-all.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

175

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1639363440

ISBN 13

9781639363445

Characters Before Copyright

The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-century Germany

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Characters Before Copyright

The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-century Germany

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Based on extensive archival work, Characters before Copyright shows that fan fiction proliferated in the eighteenth century and explains why this phenomenon emerged when it did.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

307

ISBN 10

0191876755

ISBN 13

9780191876752

Characters Before Copyright

The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-Century Germany

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Characters Before Copyright

The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-Century Germany

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

459

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0192567934

ISBN 13

9780192567932

Chasing Icebergs

How Frozen Freshwater Can Save the Planet

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Chasing Icebergs

How Frozen Freshwater Can Save the Planet

By: Matthew H. Birkhold

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

175

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1639363440

ISBN 13

9781639363445

Book's by Matthew H. Birkhold

Characters Before Copyright

Characters Before Copyright

Chasing Icebergs

Chasing Icebergs

Characters Before Copyright

Characters Before Copyright

Characters Before Copyright

Characters Before Copyright

Chasing Icebergs

Chasing Icebergs

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email