Description:
In The Single Life, Jordan Windholz uncovers five distinct portraits of never-married men in Renaissance literature--each resisting the era's expectations of marriage, procreation, and patriarchal legacy. Drawing on historical literature, and meshing modern feminist and queer theory, Windholz reframes these bachelors not as failures of the system, but as figures who expose its limits--challenging assumptions about identity, individuality, and the narrowed boundaries of early modern masculinity.
Review Quotes:
"Focusing on the critically neglected category of unmarried men and judiciously engaging with recent work on queerness, transgender studies, and race, The Single Life significantly advances our understanding of manhood, marriage, and sexuality in early modern English drama and culture." --Mario DiGangi, author of "The Winter's Tale" Language and Writing
"The Single Life has breadth and ambition, and it takes seriously the relevance of early modern literature to theoretical conversations that are often confined to contemporary texts." --James M. Bromley, author of Clothing and Queer Style in Early Modern English Drama
"Highly Recommended." --CHOICE