The Indistinct Human in Renaissance Literature - (Early Modern Cultural Studies 1500-1700) by J Feerick & V Nardizzi (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This volume argues for the necessaity of a re-articulation of the differences that separated man from other forms of life. Building on the increased attention paid in recent criticism to both plant and animal life in the Renaissance, as well as the instability of categories such as "human" and "animal," the essays in this collection argue for recognition of the persistently indistinct nature of humans, who cannot be finally divided ontologically or epistemologically from other forms of matter"--

Book Synopsis

Argues for the necessity of a re-articulation of the differences that separated man from other forms of life. The essays in this collection argue for recognition of the persistently indistinct nature of humans, who cannot be finally divided ontologically or epistemologically from other forms of matter.

Review Quotes

'The Indistinct Human in Renaissance Literature is a brilliantly conceived collection that challenges the apparent stability of categories we have come to assume are fundamental to the ordering of the cosmos animal, vegetable, mineral, and, most of all, human. Its individual essays are scintillating: on every page we find a new revelation, a fresh reading of an old standard, a surprising juxtaposition, an original, and provocative argument. These essays will profoundly influence how Renaissance scholars perceive relationships between culture and environment in the period.' Karen Raber, professor of English, University of Mississippi

'A wonderfully deep and diverse collection on what may be the most important problem ecocriticism can now address: the culturally constructed boundary between human and other forms of life. With insightful essays on sea-creatures, plant-grafting, wooden legs, stony hearts, and many other topics, The Indistinct Human in Renaissance Literature

deploys Renaissance literature to recover valuable lost perspectives on the collective vitality of our planet.' Robert Watson, Distinguished Professor of English, UCLA and author of Back to Nature: The Green and the Real in the Late Renaissance

About the Author

Jean E. Feerick is an assistant professor of English at Brown University. Vin Nardizzi is an assistant professor of English at the University of British Columbia.