Our third literary contributor attending the collaborative space is Phillis Wheatley, and we will observe the paratexual materials for her 1773 poems. In introducing Wheatley, Rhonda Robinson Thomas writes, “When we think of Phillis Wheatley, our first thoughts are often of her writings or acclaim as the first- English-speaking African female to publish a poetry collection in the British colonies.”
[1] Of course, her fame and success are incredible and should not be understated. However, Weyler additionally believes it is key to contemplate how Wheatley obtained this fame and how she triumphantly navigated Euro-American print culture.
[2]I obtained the photos of Wheatley’s paratextual materials from Megan Mulder’s digital exhibit on Phillis Wheatley at the ZSR Library.
[3]
[1] Rhondda Robinson Thomas,
African American Literature in Transition, 1750-1800, (2022), 1.
[2] Karen Weyler,
Empowering Words: Outsiders and Authorship in Early America. (2013), 1.
