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My cohort included a human rights expert from UNICEF, a former judge for the International Criminal Court of the Hague, a person focused on energy policy, and a novelist from South Africa,” said Ray. “We worked on our independent projects during the day, and then came together in the evening for a communal meal and conversation. Each of us also was responsible for presenting a lecture to the cohort about our project.”
“Twenty-Five Women Who Shaped the Italian Renaissance” features the stories of women writers, scientists, artists, musicians, philosophers, feminists, and political leaders. Ray also considers the “invisible women” whose stories have been lost – domestics, slaves, and artisans.
Ray, who published four earlier books on the Italian Renaissance, said that she welcomed the opportunity to reach a broader audience. Despite her busy writing schedule, Ray teaches courses each semester to undergraduate and graduate students and serves as chair of the Italian program in the department of languages, literatures and cultures.
Ray also is the series editor for an ongoing Routledge collection about women who shaped other pivotal time periods in history. Future books in the series will focus on the Scientific Revolution, the Ottoman Empire, the Suffragist Movement and the U.S. Civil Rights era.
“Twenty-Five Women Who Shaped the Italian Renaissance” can be pre-ordered after December 2 online from Routledge.
Article by Margo McDonough
Photos supplied by Meredith Ray
Artwork by Sam Olshin