The State of the Field in periodical studies is perhaps best characterized as ‘ripening’. This essay examines foundational and recent studies of 18th‐century periodicals taken as their own genre; when used as supporting texts in cultural studies inquiries; and when studied because of their relationship to canonical writers, such as Addison, Steele, Johnson, Haywood, and Dunton. It suggests that due to the era of the digital humanities, the time is excellent for a renewed exploration of scholarship devoted to and using periodicals, and for expanding their presence in the classroom.
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