New Readings on Women and Early Medieval English Literature and Culture

Helen Damico and Alexandra Hennessey Olsen’s groundbreaking edited volume NewReadings on Women in Old English Literature appeared in 1991, offering a “revisioning” of Old English literature and influencing the work of many feminist scholars. A 2016 roundtable at the Medieval Congress of Kalamazoo revisited the collection, and, along with two other sessions in honor of Damico, spawned the current volume, which continues where the earlier one left off.[...] Although much has changed in the field of Old English studies since 1991, this volume illustrates the interesting and important work that remains in understanding women’s significance in both the historical record and the academy. Collectively, the essays serve as a fitting tribute to the much-esteemed Damico, who passed away in 2020, and attest to the breadth and depth of her interests, scholarship, and influence.

~Alison Gulley, Speculum 96, no. 3 (2021): 882-83

[The collection's] reflective nature makes it incredibly self-aware and Klein’s introduction positions it well within a complex and ever-changing theoretical context. Feminist and gender theory in medieval studies has changed much in recent decades and this collection not only acknowledges that but also validates and showcases the incredible diversity and value of this field of study going forward.

~Cassandra Schilling, Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association, 17, no. 2 (2021): 240-41