Talk of the town : information and community in sixteenth-century Switzerland / Carla Roth.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Roth, Carla Teresa, 1979- author.

Series:

The Past and Present Book

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gossip--Switzerland--Saint Gall--History--16th century.

Gossip.

Saint Gall (Switzerland)--Social conditions--16th century.

Saint Gall (Switzerland).

Rütiner, Johannes, 1501-1556--Diaries.

Rütiner, Johannes.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (188 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2022]

Summary:

The Talk of the Town explores everyday communication in a sixteenth-century small town and the role it played in the circulation of information across and within early modern communities, using the notebooks of the St Gall linen trader Johannes Rütiner to gain unusual insights into an oral world, and show how conversation could shape society.

Contents:

Intro

Series page

Title page

Copyright page

Contents

Acknowledgements

List of illustrations

List of tables

Abbreviations and conventions

Translations and quotations from primary sources

Introduction

1. Taking note of a 'wondrous time'

Johannes Rütiner and his St Gall

The Commentationes in context

2. Informants and networks

Rütiner's information network

Weaver, merchant, humanist? Rütiner among his most frequent informants

3. Obscene humour and sociability

Circulation and social context of obscene humour

Gender and obscene humour

4. Gossip and the value of social knowledge

Anna Bösch: an outsider on the inside

Male gossipers

On trial

5. Rumour, news, and trust

Circulation of news in print and manuscript

Fama: rumour, reputation, news

From 'uncertain story' to 'consistent tale'

Competition in the marketplace of news

6. Tales of the past

Remains and reminders

Changing the story

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-266159-0

0-19-266160-4

0-19-193877-7