Haiti’s Media Revolution and the Radicalization of Print

Drawn from his book-in-progress, The Racialization of Print, Joseph Rezek traces the historical emergence of the idea that a single printed book, by virtue of its author’s racial identity, might reveal profound truths about an entire race of people. During his talk, Rezek will argue that the shock of the Haitian Revolution and the international circulation of a Black Haitian print culture intensified the association of book publication with racial knowledge. 

Rezek’s book is under contract with the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the University of North Carolina Press. In 2024-2025, he will complete this project with the support of a twelve-month fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Co-sponsored by the Bibliographical Society of America

This hybrid program will be held in person at Antiquarian Hall and livestreamed to a virtual audience on YouTube. Advance registration is required for both. Doors open at 6:30pm. 

Joseph Rezek, Presenter

Joseph Rezek is Associate Professor of English and Director of the American and New England studies program at Boston University.  He specializes in theories of modernity and the Atlantic world, the history of the novel, and the history of print in American culture. He was a Stephen Botein Fellow in 2015-16 and a National Endowment for the Humanities Long- Term Fellow in 2019-20. Rezek was elected to AAS membership in April 2023.