Women's Voices from the Premodern World

This course samples works by women writers from the Middle Ages, interrogating questions of authorship and gender to situate these works in broader social histories. Selections center on western archives, where women’s voices have been extensively curated, but students will also survey non-western texts. This course is built around in-class discussion and the collaborative exploration of texts, complemented by a series of short papers in which students explore recurring themes. A visit to special collections and supplemental materials will also allow students to explore how premodern women projected their voices and views through manuscripts and visual culture. Students will select an additional text to explore individually for the final project, writing a short research paper and presenting a summary of their findings.