Spenser’s Life and the Subject of Biography

The first "life" of Edmund Spenser (c. 1552-99) was written by the poet himself; over succeeding centuries, others have offered revisions and elaborations. Challenging received tradition, nine essays examine the history of Spenser biography and suggest strategies for reinterpreting it, with new sensitivity to problems of artistic self- presentation. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.