Associated University Presses

French XX bibliography; a bibliography for the study of French literature and culture since 1885, v.13, no.2, issue no.62.

The annual bibliography, founded in 1948 under the auspices of the Modern Language Society, provides a thorough listing of books, articles, and book reviews concerning French literature during the 20th century, which started in France in 1885 rather than in 1914, as in the Anglophone world. The main section — general subjects — lists works by genre, among them anthologies and collections, Francophone literature, literary themes and topics, memoirs and autobiography, novel and short story, poetry, surrealism, and theater. Other sections list authors and subjects alphabetically, cinema in general, and cinema alphabetically by people involved. The entries are not annotated. The volumes are paged consecutively, presumably to facilitate a comprehensive index should XX ever end. Distributed in the US by Associated University Presses. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Goddesses, mages, and wise women; the female pastoral guide in the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English drama.

From the introduction: "The Renaissance female pastoral guide, in the form of goddess, mage, and/or wise woman, uses magic, witty game playing, advice, and penance or tests of virtue to guide the other characters to a better understanding of themselves and their relationship to society. She possesses a bond with the sacred harmony of nature that enables her to recognize the corruptions of society...." Yang (English, Worcester State College) explores these themes through close study of works including Endymion, A Midsmmer Night's Dream, Love's Victory, and All's Well That Ends Well, among others. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Manly mechanicals on the early modern English stage.

"While there are certainly many derogatory representations of working men in early modern drama," states Arab (English, Simon Fraser U., Canada) in her introduction, this study examines "...the many representations of craftsmen, tradesmen, and laborers who emerge as key figures that excite, please, and sometimes frighten the audience, working men whose manliness matters." Her study looks at The Shoemaker's Holiday, The Pinner of Wakefield, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, among other works, and includes a chapter on the shopkeeper's masculinity in early 17th-century London comedies. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)