Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 5, No. 0009.  Tuesday, 4 January 1994.
 
From:           James McKenna <MCKENNJI@UCBEH>
Date:           Monday, 03 Jan 1994 22:47:36 -0500 (EST)
Subject:        The Renaissance Bookshelf
 
Dear Ms. Rackin,
 
Touche--though Ann Jennalie Cook's PRIVILEGED PLAYGOERS makes the argument
that quite a few of them would have had the means to afford books.  Whether
they actually did have them, well, how can we know?  My comment, however,
refered to writers, not readers, and came especially in reference to Ben
Jonson.  Jonson's obsession with the classics is an extreme case, but I still
think it's not out of line to presume that the *educated* Elizabethan bought
and bound and studied works that were the currency of educated and priveleged
discourse.  Do I presume too much?
 
(Loved your STAGES OF HISTORY, by the way.)
 
Yours,
 
James McKenna
mckennji@ucbeh.bitnet