Deconstructing Reliance on Enlightenment Methods in Feminist Book Historical Scholarship.

This article critically examines the reliance on Enlightenment-era methods—characterized by white, heteronormative, Eurocentric, and male-centered epistemologies—in feminist book historical scholarship, particularly regarding eighteenth-century women writers and readers. It highlights the challenges feminist scholars face in recovering evidence of female, queer, and people of color's literary activities due to these inherited power structures and the limitations of scientific models of knowledge production. The author advocates for developing alternative theoretical frameworks rooted in intersectional, feminist, queer, and oral traditions that move beyond Enlightenment paradigms. The article also acknowledges contemporary scholars and librarians actively advancing feminist, trans, and queer book histories, emphasizing the potential for collaborative, inclusive scholarship that rethinks traditional academic canons.