{"product_id":"she-hath-been-reading-women-and-shakespeare-clubs-in-america-hardcover","title":"She Hath Been Reading: Women and Shakespeare Clubs in America - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eKatherine West Scheil\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the late nineteenth century hundreds of clubs formed across the United States devoted to the reading of Shakespeare. From Pasadena, California, to the seaside town of Camden, Maine; from the isolated farm town of Ottumwa, Iowa, to Mobile, Alabama, on the Gulf coast, Americans were reading Shakespeare in astonishing numbers and in surprising places. Composed mainly of women, these clubs offered the opportunity for members not only to read and study Shakespeare but also to participate in public and civic activities outside the home. In \u003ci\u003eShe Hath Been Readin\u003c\/i\u003eg, Katherine West Scheil uncovers this hidden layer of intellectual activity that flourished in American society well into the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShakespeare clubs were crucial for women's intellectual development because they provided a consistent intellectual stimulus (more so than was the case with most general women's clubs) and because women discovered a world of possibilities, both public and private, inspired by their reading of Shakespeare. Indeed, gathering to read and discuss Shakespeare often led women to actively improve their lot in life and make their society a better place. Many clubs took action on larger social issues such as women's suffrage, philanthropy, and civil rights. At the same time, these efforts served to embed Shakespeare into American culture as a marker for learning, self-improvement, civilization, and entertainment for a broad array of populations, varying in age, race, location, and social standing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on extensive research in the archives of the Folger Shakespeare Library and in dozens of local archives and private collections across America, \u003ci\u003eShe Hath Been Reading\u003c\/i\u003e shows the important role that literature can play in the lives of ordinary people. As testament to this fact, the book includes an appendix listing more than five hundred Shakespeare clubs across America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKatherine West Scheil is Associate Professor of English at the University of Minnesota. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Taste of the Town: Shakespearian Comedy and the Early Eighteenth-Century Theater \u003c\/i\u003eand coeditor of \u003ci\u003eShakespeare\/Adaptation\/Modern Drama.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 9.3 x 6.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 15, 2012\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757465895200,"sku":"9780801450426","price":115.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/2ad2cf862a7176e09741dac9defdd2d8.webp?v=1780103673","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/she-hath-been-reading-women-and-shakespeare-clubs-in-america-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}