The Imprint of Gender: Authorship and Publication in the English Renaissance

Rating:
Summary: A dive into Shakespeare's writing/publishing environment
Review: The renaissance scope of this volume and its exploration of scholarly esoterica of literary criticism should not scare off the uninitiated.

Wall's writing is clear; her references and footnotes are thoughtful and helpful; and the links she draws between writing, printing, courtship, and other diverse forces impinging on renaissance poet-authors makes for a stimulating intellectual feast. She walks among the rigidities of academic 'religions', surveying their observations and insights, and bringing their value to the reader rather than requiring one join any church of literary criticism.

Gender is supposed to be a central focus of the volume, and it is -- but in such a way that if you belong to either gender (or read a poet who does) you've got a lot to learn here.

For someone like myself whose interest centers on Shakespeare, Wall's material spanning all the writers and printings of the era is nevertheless exciting for vital implications for the environment in which Shakespeare created.

NB: it IS available in paperback (of high quality) as well.