The Shapes of Fancy: Reading for Queer Desire in Early Modern Literature

(Paperback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Exploring forms of desire unaccounted for in previous histories of sexuality What can the Renaissance tell us at our present moment about who and what is "queer," as well as the political consequences of asking In posing this question, The Shapes of Fancy offers a powerful new method of accounting for ineffable and diffuse forms of desire, min

Reviews

"The Shapes of Fancy pursues an innovative expansion of the lexicon of queer desire. Christine Varnado forges links between early modern and contemporary thinkers, and she engages a constellation of affective modes, from mediation and consumption to paranoia and melancholia. Her supple analyses illuminate the intricate, often unexpected vectors, artifacts, and afterlives of erotic connection."Kathryn Schwarz, Vanderbilt University

"Christine Varnados book makes a surprising and incisive intervention into early modern studies. In its queerest moments, The Shapes of Fancy argues for a capacious theory of desire, expanding scholarly understanding of sexuality in the past to include forgotten, ambivalent, and challenging forms of pleasure."Holly Dugan, The George Washington University

"An incredibly useful touchstone for queer studies."Modern Philology

"This powerful book brings important and fresh insight to the literature." CHOICE

Author Bio

Christine Varnado is assistant professor of gender and sexuality studies at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York.