Devils and Angels: Textual Editing and Literary Theory

"Literary theory and textual criticism have much to teach each other," writes Philip Cohen, who has collected this anthology of essays that seeks to bridge what he sees as a wide rift between textual and literary critics. While most Anglo-American textual scholars now stress the importance of authorial intention and its key role in editorial and interpretative work, many literary theorists still tend to ostracize the author and his intentions from any serious literary discussion.

The contributors to this collection, many of whom are well known for both their practical and theoretical work in editorial fields, look to recast in different ways the assumptions and working methods of Anglo-American editorial scholarship.

Philip Cohen is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Texas at Arlington. His articles have appeared in such journals as American Literature, The Faulkner Journal, Southern Literary Journal, Comparative Literature Studies, and Journal of Modern Literature.