Book on Gender Issues in Medieval Literature

[Peto, Andrea]

Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 10:58 PM
Subject: Book on Gender Issues in Medieval Literature



Dear friends,

I am seeking your help for a book I am planning with a young Hungarian colleague, Tunde Toth. We want to put together a volume of  articles translated into Hungarian which deal with issues of GENDER  in relation to medieval literature. 

 Because only in the last few years has gender begun to be studied seriously in Hungary there is almost nothing translated.  As in many languages, where sex and gender are one word, there was a problem in even translating the term (with "tarsadalmi nem" or  'social sex'  having become current). 

The first part of the book would contain a few seminal articles of a general theoretical/methodological nature, not particularly in relation to medieval, nor even necessarily to literature.  I am thinking of studies such  as Joan C. Scott, 1988. "Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis, Joan C. Scott, 1990, "Deconstructing Equality-Versus Difference: Or; the Uses of Poststructuralist Theory for Feminism,  Henrietta Moore, 1994. "The Divisions Within: Sex, Gender and Sexual Difference."

Part II would contain theoretical articles about gender in medieval literature or related fields. An example might be the Introduction to Carolyn Dinshaw's 1999 Getting Medieval. Sexualities and Communities, Pre- and Postmodern, or Nancy F. Partner, 1993. "No Sex, No Gender".

Parts III  would feature articles on representations of women, the area where clearly the greatest choice is potentially available, but where precisely for that reason I need your help. 

Part IV would deal with  medieval women's voices.   Examples would be some of the articles from Anne Klinck & Anne Marie Rasmussen, eds. 2002. Medieval Woman's Song: Cross-Cultural Approaches.

Part IV would offer counter-readings of texts, by positing the response of women and other resisting readers -- medieval and modern -- to male-authored texts and male discourses. An example would be E. Jane Burns, 1993."This Prick Which is Not One: How Women Talk Back in Old French Fabliaux, or any number of queer readings of medieval texts, such as Simon Gaunt, 1995. "Staright Minds/Queer Wishes in Old French Hagiography.

Those of you who are not in medieval I am asking to suggest general theoretical articles. For medieval, articles written in or about any Romance language or German would be fine.  And please don't be too shy to suggest your own work, if appropriate.

Thanks in advance.  And, by the way, I will be in Budapest from June 30 thru Nov. 1.  Would love to see anyone coming that way.

LOV

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Louise O. Vasvari
lvasvari at pipeline.com
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