Jane Austen PhD: From reading passion to reading wisely and well; by Dr Ruth Wilson
The title of Dr Ruth Wilson’s PhD thesis was described by Devoney Looser, who was one of the examiners, as ‘a significant, original contribution that combines the methods of criticism and memoir’. In her talk, Ruth discusses the background of her research and her close readings of the three novels that serve as test cases for the recommended reading approach.
Ruth returned to re-reading Jane Austen’s novels in her retirement, and in 2020, she completed a thesis called ‘Milestones in a Reading Life: Jane Austen and Lessons in Reading, Learning and the Imagination’.
Ruth’s reading memoir, A Jane Austen Remedy, is available here: https://amzn.to/3P6yH4f.