This is a public lecture by Christopher Highley of the Ohio State University on his book, 'Blackfriars in Early Modern London' (Oxford UP, 2022). Highley specializes in Early Modern literature, culture, and history. Along with his many publications, honors, grants, and awards, he is the author of Shakespeare, Spenser, and the Crisis in Ireland (Cambridge UP, 1997), Catholics Writing the Nation in Early Modern Britain and Ireland (Oxford UP, 2008). His well-received and most recent book is entitled Blackfriars in Early Modern London: Theater, Church, and Neighborhood. He is currently continuing his work on early modern London during the English Reformation period, as well as on the posthumous image of Henry VIII.

Video version at: https://youtu.be/I_kDph02QcI?si=Z2jXDMPwrm3XQi0h. Stephen Wittek speaks at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, on his book, 'The Cultural Politics of Conversion in Early Modern England' on Tuesday, June 6th, 2023. Wittek’s work lies at the intersection between early modern drama, cultural studies, and digital humanities. His most recent book is a close examination of Shakespeare’s engagement with the flurry of controversy and activity surrounding the concept of conversion in post-Reformation England. He is also the author of 'The MediaPlayers: Shakespeare, Middleton, Jonson, and the Idea of News' and co-editor of two collections: 'Performing Conversion: Cities, Theatre and Early Modern Transformations' and 'Shakespeare and Virtual Reality'.

Thomas Dabbs speaks with Diana Henderson of MIT about her recent work in Shakespearean pedagogy and Shakespearean adaptation in particular, but also about her influential contributions to literary study during her career as a Shakespeare scholar.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:18 - Balliol College sabbatical, current research

00:06:12 - Why humanities, arts, and social science at MIT

00:12:50 - Shakespeare and digital pedagogy

00:22:33 - Shakespeare and adaptation

00:40:09 - Shakespeare in film, Shakespeare/Sense

00:48:21 - Preserving theatre with recordings and records

00:58:30 - Diana’s work as a dramaturg

01:03:10 - Passions Made Public/ made feminism in academia

01:11:11 - Genealogies of literary criticism

01:14:33 - Closing remarks