Steve Mentz, Professor of English, St John’s University
Hamlet provides an exemplary case of how literature explores the relations between humans and the nonhuman environment. Shakespeare’s representations of unstable borders and interdependent bodies parallel the way the contemporary Anthropocene is asking us to rethink the place of humanity in the world.
Tuesday, February 21, 4:00, Hill Auditorium, Barrows Hall — reception to follow In Barrows Lobby
This event is sponsored by: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The English Department’s Lloyd H. Elliot Fund, and the UMaine Humanities Center
Praise for Steve’s books:
At the Bottom of Shakespeare’s Ocean
“Mentz is an eloquent and incisive critic who convincingly demonstrates the degree to which [Shakespeare’s] plays
are saturated with oceanic language and terms of reference.” — Times Higher Education
“a fascinating study revealing Shakespeare’s career-long engagement with the sea
and his frequent use of maritime imagery” – Shakespeare NOW
Shipwreck Modernity: Ecologies of Globalization, 1550–1719
“A compelling, provocative, even lyrical piece of scholarship that will inaugurate new critical discussions
in the fields of maritime humanities, eco-criticism, early modern English literature, and shipwreck studies.”
Josiah Blackmore, Harvard University
“poised to become a key ecocritical text in the years to come.” — Glasgow Review of Books
Steve’s faculty page: http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/bio/steven-mentz
Steve’s personal page: http://stevementz.com