The Death of Things: Ephemera and the American Novel

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By Sarah Wasserman *13

Published Oct. 21, 2020

The Death of Things calls back to a time, without the internet, where some things were designed to disappear forever. Sarah Wasserman *13 delivers a comprehensive study of ephemera, like posters, stamps, or signs, in 20th-century American literature, arguing that there is value in transience.

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PAW's October 2026 cover, featuring a photo of a loaf of challah bread and the headline "The Braids That Bind."
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