Thanks to a generous bequest from the late Dr. Iris Annette Pearce, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ enjoys a range of Shakespeare-related resources unique among American liberal arts colleges. The Pearce Shakespeare Endowment was established in 2007 to enrich courses in Shakespeare and support events for the entire campus.
Funds generated by Dr. Pearce’s gift aid Shakespeare studies through lectures by visiting scholars; conferences and symposia; support for research; productions of plays; periods of residence by performing artists; and other innovative programming to enhance Shakespeare at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and in the greater Memphis community. Key institutional partnerships have helped bring these events to a wide range of audiences.
'Students at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ are granted singular access to the world of Shakespeare through the Pearce Endowment. Academics and artists come together to collaborate with different faculty, enhancing their classroom discussions. The programming acts in tandem with coursework, allowing students to delve deeper into their studies and to understand how Shakespeare’s work has shaped our modern world. The Pearce Endowment is essential in cultivating thoughtful, curious scholars; I find these lessons constantly relevant in my work!" — ’21, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator,
Thursday, November 13, 6pm CST, Spence Wilson Room, Briggs Hall. Reception to follow.
Ramie Targoff (Brandeis University), "Forging Women's Networks in Aemilia Lanyer's Salve Deusâ€
Aemilia Lanyer’s Salve Deus was a landmark publication: the first book of poems published by a woman in 17th-century England, it offered a startlingly feminist defense of Eve and argued for women’s liberty in relation to men. This talk looks at the ways in which Lanyer sought to create a community of powerful female readers and patrons to support her radical poetic project.
is the Jehuda Reinharz Professor of Humanities, professor of English, and co-chair of Italian Studies at Brandeis University. She has written multiple books, including Posthumous Love: Eros and the Afterlife in Renaissance England (University of Chicago Press, 2014), Renaissance Woman: The Life of Vittoria Colonna (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2018), and most recently (Penguin Random House, 2024). Shakespeare’s Sisters was named one of the Best Books of 2024 by both The New Yorker and The Boston Globe.
This event is free and open to the public. Preregistration is required; .
Keep in Touch
If you would like to be added to the Pearce Shakespeare Endowment e-mail list, please fill out this form. We will send you email announcements only a few times a year.
