ABOUT
Author. Professor. Historian. Dr. Carole Levin has worn many hats throughout her decades-long career, which includes well-regarded literary works that are rooted in her research of Late Medieval/Early Modern Britain and Europe and both British and Late Medieval/Early Modern Women’s History. Her publications run the gamut of books, plays, and literary articles in academic journals, as well as a recently released children's book.
Women’s history and studies are a particular area of interest for Dr. Levin, especially the life and reign of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth I, so it only makes sense that her first children’s book would be called “The Secret History of How England & Elizabeth I Defeated the Spanish Armada.” It’s a whimsical account of real events in Queen Elizabeth I’s life that combines history, magic, and fantasy for a sweet, history-based story with beautiful illustrations.
SPEAKING
Can A Woman Rule?
Can a Woman Rule Alone?
By the time Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England at the age of 25, she had already lived through her mother’s execution, four step-mothers and her own imprisonment. Known as the Virgin Queen, she never married, despite warnings from her advisors that she would not succeed without a husband. Elizabeth’s 44-year reign proved them wrong. Carole Levin discusses how this sixteenth-century woman successfully ruled alone during a time of religious strife and foreign threats.
Chocolate: From the Mountains of Mexico to the Streets of York
This lecture discusses the history of chocolate, how it was valued by the Mayans and Aztecs, brought to Europe by the Spanish conquerors, and how it spread through Europe, eventually coming to England. Chocolate was not only a special treat but was thought to have a range of medicinal purposes. We will also see the forward thinking of some chocolate manufacturers in the city of York who cared not only for the product but for those who produced it. While it is certainly fun to talk about chocolate, examining the history of chocolate also allows us to know more about cultural interactions and conquest, and issues of class and status in Europe.
Elizabeth I, Mary I, and Mary Stuart: Gifts between Friends and Enemies
Though we might think gifts should be given out of affection, if we look at the gift exchanges between Elizabeth I and her sister Mary and her cousin Mary Stuart we find danger as well as pleasure in gift giving and accepting. While clothing and jewelry could be gifts of great value, perhaps the most important gifts offered, asked for, accepted, or refused were not objects at all, but promises and advice.
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WORK
The Secret History of How England & Elizabeth I Defeated the Spanish Armada
The Secret History of England and Elizabeth I Defeated the Spanish Armada is a sweet fantasy about how young Princess Elizabeth grew up to be the great Tudor queen. She gets help from the magician John Dee, who creates for her a small group of creatures -- a bear, a lamb, and two flying wingless pigs -- who support her from the time she was a child and to when they help the English defeat the Spanish Armada. For children ages 8 and up and for adults who love Queen Elizabeth I
The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power
In her famous speech to rouse the English troops staking out Tilbury at the mouth of the Thames during the Spanish Armada's campaign, Queen Elizabeth I is said to have proclaimed, "I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king."
In The Heart and Stomach of a King, Carole Levin explores the myriad ways the unmarried, childless Elizabeth represented herself and the ways members of her court, foreign ambassadors, and subjects represented and responded to her as a public figure. In particular, Levin interrogates the gender constructions, role expectations, and beliefs about sexuality that influenced her public persona and the way she was perceived as a female Protestant ruler. With a new introduction that situates the book within the emerging genre of cultural biography, the second edition of The Heart and Stomach of a King offers insight into the continued fascination with Elizabeth I and her reign.
Scholars and Poets Talk About Queens
Scholars and Poets Talk About Queens is a lively and erudite collection, unusual in an especially appealing way. This collection of essays shows how queens were represented in the Middle Ages and Renaissance through primary accounts, chronicles, and literary representations. The book also contains modern poetry and short plays about these same queens, allowing readers to understand and appreciate them both intellectually and emotionally.
Contributors study a wide range of queens including such famous and fascinating women as Queen Elizabeth I, Cleopatra, Hecuba, the Empress Matilda, Mary Stuart, Margaret of Anjou, Catherine of Aragon, and the pirate queen Grace O'Malley.
By pairing scholarly essays with contemporary poems about them, the collection demonstrates the continued relevance and immediacy of these powerful and fascinating women.
