Early Modern Women in Conversation

In 16th and 17th century England conversation was an embodied act that held the capacity to negotiate, manipulate and transform social relationships. Early Modern Women in Conversation illuminates the extent to which gender shaped conversational interaction and demonstrates the significance of conversation as a rhetorical practice for women.

“Larson demonstrates how women are engaged with contemporary conversational theories, blurred the lines between oral and written exchanges, and manipulated the boundaries of conversational spaces. … Larson’s volume is an important contribution to the existing literature on women’s writing, and deserves to be read widely by scholars interested in the early modern period more generally.” (Emilee K. M. Murphy, Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 69 (3), 2016)

"...Larson's book takes us into the virtual spaces of women's conversation..." Elizabeth Scott-Baumann, Times Literary Supplement

"Katherine Larson's deceptively simple title merely hints at the intellectual riches contained within her eloquent unfolding of an intriguing early modern construct Larson's intriguing account of conversation situates it centrally within the familial and social communities associated with a group of prominent early modern women writers. Her historically and theoretically astute volume promises to enliven many scholarly conversations on related topics. One hopes that her skilful dialogue will engage readers both within and separate from the study of early female authors. Her insights deserve to be shared with a wide audience." Sheila T. Cavanagh, Sidney Journal

"Larson is acutely aware of the ramifications of space and time as well as the impact of humanism and early modern theories of dialogue, so that while her analyses provide illuminating insights into the works of the writers considered, they also contribute to a wider understanding of the early modern discourse of conversation." Marion Wynne-Davies, Early Modern Women: An Interdisciplinary Journal

Katherine R. Larson is Associate Professor of English at the University of Toronto, Canada.