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About Jane Degenhardt
I am a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a specialty in Shakespeare and literature of the English Renaissance period. I approach literature through the history of globalization and early capitalism, and I am particularly interested in theatrical representations of race, religion, and empire. I have written two books -- *Islamic Conversion and Christian Resistance on the Early Modern Stage* (2012) and *Globalizing Fortune on the Early Modern Stage* (2022) -- as well as many articles and collaborative pieces. Aside from my expertise in Renaissance literature, I also have strong interests in Asian American and postcolonial literature, as well as contemporary speculative fiction. I am currently writing a new book that approaches Shakespeare as a speculative fiction writer. I have taught classes on topics ranging from "Early British Lit" to "21st-Century Dystopian Speculative Fiction" for more than 20 years.
NBN Episodes hosted by Jane:
September 11, 2026
Soul
Today’s guest, Christopher Freeburg, is the author of Soul: A Brief History of Black Cultural Life (Yale University Press, 2026). This book explores t…
August 10, 2026
Colonial Failure and Theatrical Form in Early Modern England
Today’s guest, Caro Pirri, is the author of Colonial Failure and Theatrical Form in Early Modern England: Stages of Unsettlement (Oxford University P…
July 27, 2026
Houses of Correction
Today’s guest, Matthew Ritger, is the author of Houses of Correction: Carceral Institutions and Humanist Culture in Early Modern England (U Pennsylvan…
July 6, 2026
Failure Narratives Beyond Redemption
Today’s guest, Krzysztof Rowiński, is the author of Failure Narratives Beyond Redemption: Twentieth Century Literature and Film (Routledge, 2026). Thi…
March 27, 2026
Making Pagans
Today’s guest, John Kuhn, is the author of Making Pagans: Theatrical Practice and Comparative Religion in Early Modern England (U Pennsylvania Press, …