Review by Choice Review
This diverse, accessible collection of essays, articles, and dialogues chronicles Jenkins's temporal and conceptual evolution between publication of his Textual Poachers (CH, Mar'93, 30-3640), in which he explored marginalized but actively resistant fan cultures, and his Convergence Culture (2006), which recognizes a more complex interaction between media industries and participatory fan cultures. Although the book at first seems to lack an overall coherence, soon enough one discovers that the essays--grouped under the headings "Inside Fandom," "Going Digital," and "Columbine and Beyond"-- bridge gaps between consumers and producers, promote an active investigative search for media meanings over passive effects, and stress the importance of cross-generational media literacy and conversation. Jenkins (MIT) also bridges the gap between traditional academic discourse and personalized narrative by combining autobiographical reflections with editorial journalism, philosophical exploration, and cultural analysis--incorporating himself as a protagonist-narrator much as N. Katherine Hayles does in Writing Machines (2002). This book can be used either to connect and supplement Jenkins's other writings or as an introductory survey of his active personal search for media meaning over 15 years of technological change. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All readers; all levels. J. A. Saklofske Acadia University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
