ARE THERE ANY? Many of us have our own canonic texts – the kind that won't go away. We tell them that their time has passed, that it's embarrassing they're still around, but they turn up repeatedly on our reading lists and in our bibliographies. They inspire us, haunt us, argue with us -- but they won't leave. Typically, we keep them to ourselves. SHOULD THERE BE? Of course there should be, and there's no reason to hide them. Canons (and saints) should be shared, because they define fields and communities. These texts are not simply monuments, however. They are alive and breathing, standing the test of time by shedding old meanings and assuming new ones. The minimal care they need – occasional brushing off and bulb-changing – is well worth the trouble. HOW ABOUT THESE? The field of media studies is now more than 50 years old, and the contributors to this volume offer their own candidates for canonization. Each of the thirteen essays in the book presents a critical reading of one of
