Society & Culture / Media & Communication / Publishing & Knowledge Dissemination

Cut, Copy, Paste: How 17th-Century Rebels Invented Radical Publishing (And Why It Matters Today)

Cut/Copy/Paste: Fragments from the History of Bookwork

Whitney Trettien

Think of publishing as a simple, linear process: write a book, print it, sell it. But what if the real history of books is far messier, more creative, and more radical? In this video, we dive into Whitney Trettien's eye-opening book, *Cut/Copy/Paste: Fragments from the History of Bookwork*. We explore three forgotten pioneers from 17th-century England: a community of women who created stunning 'harmony' Bibles by cutting and pasting prints; a queer poet who made every copy of his book a unique, desire-driven machine; and a shoemaker-turned-collector who tried to build a history of printing from salvaged fragments. These weren't just book lovers—they were radical publishers who used scissors and glue to challenge authority, experiment with form, and create new ways of sharing ideas. Their stories reveal that digital-era concepts like remixing, hyperlinks, and fragmentation have deep roots. By the end, you'll see the book—and the act of publishing—in a completely new light. Discover how the past's 'failures' can inspire a more open, diverse future for knowledge.