Mini: Aemilia Bassano Lanyer, the Proto-Feminist Poet of Shakespeare's Time

In today's episode, we are exploring the life of Shakespeare’s contemporary, Aemilia Bassano Lanyer (whose name is also spelled as Emilia Lanier), who was one of the first women in England to publish her writing and is the author of the first published book of poetry by an English woman. 

First, we will explore Aemilia's early life before discussing her groundbreaking volume of poetry, Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum. We will talk about what is known of the rest of Aemilia's life before giving a brief overview of what she is most known for today: her possible ties to William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod.

Works referenced:

Benson, Pamela. ‘Emilia Lanier’, A Critical Introduction to the Casebooks of Simon Forman and Richard Napier, 1596–1634, https://casebooks.lib.cam.ac.uk/using-the-casebooks/meet-the-patients/emilia-lanier, accessed 6 October 2024.

Cooley, Ron. “Aemilia Lanyer  Biographical Introduction.” Aemilia Lanyer, Biographical Introduction, University of Saskatchewan English Department, 8 Aug. 1998, drc.usask.ca/projects/emet/phoenix/lanyerbio.htm.

Greenstadt, A. Eliza . "Aemilia Lanyer". In obo in Renaissance and Reformation. 6 Oct. 2024. .

Grossman, Marshall, editor. Aemilia Lanyer: Gender, Genre, and the Canon. 1st ed., University Press of Kentucky, 1998. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt130jkm3. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Lanyer, Aemilia. “Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum.” Edited by Risa S. Bear, Renascence Editions , Luminarium/The Univeristy of Oregon, 21 Nov. 2009, www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/lanyer1.html.

Lanyer, Aemilia. “The Description of Cooke-Ham.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2024, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50661/the-description-of-cooke-ham. 

McBride, Kari Boyd (2008) Web Page Dedicated to Aemilia Lanyer Archived 25 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, accessed on 06 Oct. 2024

McDonough, M.G., host. “More than the Dark Lady: Aemelia Lanyer’s “Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women.” The Classic English Literature Podcast, season 1, episode 65, 05 May 2024. https://theclassicenglishliteraturepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2024786/episodes/15012587-more-than-the-dark-lady-aemilia-lanyer-s-eve-s-apology-in-defense-of-women. Accessed 05 October 2024.

Teysko, Heather, host. “Amelia Lanier: England’s first Female English Poet.” Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors, season 1, episode 220, 10 January 2024. https://www.englandcast.com/podcast-archive/. Accessed 05 October 2024.