"This collection of essays has been written to honor the career of Barbara Kiefer Lewalski, whose research and mentorship has changed the topography of the English Renaissance. The essays reflect both the breadth and depth of Lewalski's contributions to the field. Written by scholars on both sides of the Atlantic, they reexamine the categories which have shaped recent studies of early modern culture and literature, such as what constitutes the category of author or reader, what demarcates a particular literary form, and how its discursive shape might influence, and in turn be influenced by, contemporary political practices."--BOOK JACKET.