by Dalton Greene ’22
On October 8, the English department community came together for the first in-person faculty book launch in over a year. The book being celebrated, Professor Penelope Geng’s Communal Justice in Shakespeare’s England: Drama, Law, Emotion, was published in April 2021, but the official launch was postponed until this fall, so that attendees could physically gather for the occasion. As such, many in the audience had been eagerly anticipating the event for some time, and between the excitement of hearing about Professor Geng’s important work, the joy of seeing familiar faces again, and the wonders of the ever-popular book cover cookies, their hopes were not disappointed.
Professor Peter Bognanni, in his new capacity as department chair, opened the event with an introduction. He warmly described his experience of working with Professor Geng as a friend and colleague and applauded her work, calling the book “fascinating and so relevant to our current moment.” After a hearty round of applause, Professor Geng took the stage (which was really the front of the Smail Gallery in Olin-Rice) to read select passages and answer questions.
Before sharing the excerpts, she spoke about the process of writing and publishing her first book. She described her research as a “passport to different worlds,” which took her to rare books libraries in the United States, Canada, and Europe and brought her into contact with fellow Shakespeareans, historians of the law, and more than a few helpful librarians. She also reflected on the publication process, which was undertaken after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how navigating this remotely prompted her to think in new ways about the community aspect of communal justice. This rich interaction between her research into the early modern world and the contemporary moment was especially engaging for many who were present.
One such student, Anna Chu ‘22, called the event lovely, noting that “Professor Geng knows how to read deeply into the work she’s analyzing, yet also makes it fun and entertaining.” This sense of fun was a common feeling, especially after the Q&A, when students, faculty, and staff had time to mingle and reconnect with each other after more than a year apart. Ultimately, the book celebration marked a successful and energizing evening for the Macalester English community.
The Words would like to congratulate Professor Geng on the publication of her book and to thank her for so generously sharing it at this event!