I came across the book I
chose for this assignment because it caught my eye, not for its intriguing
cover, but for the contrast of the grandiose title against a humble looking
cover. Reporting the Universe by E.L.
Doctorow at first glance was unassuming and simple from the outside. There was
no cover art, no critics’ comments, only the title, publisher, and author’s
last name. The book was published in 2003 by the Harvard University Press in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, giving it the impression of being a very reliable
source. The book measured a small 7.75x5.25 inches and totaled 125 pages in
length. It shows little to no wear with only one documented check out
previously in March 2006. It was even stiff as I opened it for the first time.
The cover is made of a typical cardboard material with a black cloth covering
the spine and blue paper overlay. The font is, while not specifically stated, a
very typical size and easy to read. The margins are one and a quarter inches on
the top and bottom. This is slightly larger than normal and makes the book
easier to read. The margin size also helps accommodate a two line design that
appears on the top and outer edge of each page that intersect in the outer corner.
There are almost no pages or photographs outside of the context of the book’s
main information, a page for publisher information and a contents page are the
only ones before Doctorow dives right into his content.
The
book outside of its content creates a very serious tone. The lack of extraneous
information and the simplicity of its appearance help make an assumption about
the audience that is being targeted. It seems the focus is on an extremely
broad audience, trying to reach a number of individuals to get a general but
important point across. This can be seen in the title as well, Reporting the Universe is possibly the
most broad title one could achieve in focusing their audience. The title is not
reporting a certain place or type of people, but every place and all people. Being
published by Harvard University Press also helps in appealing to a broad,
serious audience of people, possibly in America, as it is one of the most well-known
publishing companies. In promoting its serious seeming tone that reaches a very
general audience, Doctorow jumps right to explaining the title of his book in
the first sentence. The title is a reference to a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote
about the writer’s ability to write everything they possibly can about the
universe. The length of the non-fiction book even emphasizes these points of
seriousness, being only 125 pages divided into fourteen short essays, it is
clear in the points Doctorow is trying to make reflecting on his own childhood
and applying that to issues faced by the American population. It might be
conjectured that the audience is more specifically targeted towards an educated
American audience, as the content of this book relates to American experiences
of the author followed by issues that are specific to the country as well. It
is apparent that the author assumes an educated audience as well, due to his
referencing of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Kenyon College, among other arguments he
poses like the relationship between literature and religion. Although the
language of the book is not too technical, perhaps ideal for high school and
college level students attempting to understand the challenges and arguments of
injustices he poses for the world we are living in.
Doctorow, E.L. Reporting
The Universe. Harvard University Press. 2003. Print.
PS 3554 .03 Z475 2003
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