Making the Archives Talk

Making the Archives Talk Volume 1 is a scholarly collection of twelve essays by James L. W. West III. This work focuses on the technical fields of editing, textual criticism, and the transmission of texts. The author examines editorial theory and archival use, specifically defending intentionalist editing and eclectic emendation. These essays provide a professional look at how scholars handle both public documents and private papers, including diaries and journals.

The text draws on the author's experience editing the works of Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and William Styron. Within the categories of American literature and history and criticism, this volume explores scholarly annotation and the role of the editor as a biographer. Making the Archives Talk Volume 1 includes previously unpublished material regarding the literary remains of William Styron and the complexities of managing toxic words in textual editing.