Lay By Your Needles Ladies, Take the Pen
Subtitle: Writing Women in England, 1500-1700
Contributors: Suzanne Trill (Editor); Kate Chedgzoy (Editor); Melanie Osborne (Editor)
Publisher: A Hodder Arnold Publication
Published: June 27, 1997
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 312
ISBN-13: 9780340614501
Subjects: Literary studies: 16th to 18th centuries; Other prose: 16th to 18th centuries; Women's studies; c 1500 to c 1600; c 1600 to c 1700; Literary Criticism; English; England; Literary Criticism & Collections / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Women Authors; 17th century; History; Literary collections; Renaissance, 1450-1600; Sources; Women
Description: This anthology contains long extracts from fifty early modern texts, including witchcraft pamphlets, letters and other manuscript material, prophetic texts, practical books and petitions, as well as the more widely recognised genres of prose fiction and autobiography. The women writers themselves represent a range of different social, religious and political positions. Texts by male writers are also included to encourage readers to engage with gendered poetics of literary production.

The result is a comprehensive introduction to early modern women's writing that also encourages the exploration of the differences between women.