Book excerpt: This volume analyzes the development of textual theory and practice in the twentieth century, questioning not just the assumptions and methodologies of textual study but the very genesis of textual study and current definitions of the field. Each contributor tackles a specific theoretical or practical issue in essays that cover feminist practice, editorial procedure, political ideology, practical dramaturgy, and sixteenth- and twentieth-century history. The result is a volume at once wide-ranging and detailed, of interest and value to cultural historians as well as to textual scholars.