On the Blink

Consider how my light is spent

Category: My Medieval Renaissance

This page collects all my posts about medieval and renaissance history and culture, including book reviews and conference presentations.

  • My TudorCon talk is live!

    This weekend I presented virtually at TudorCon, a Renaissance history conference. My talk tracks how English has changed since its medieval form. You’ll hear me read in Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English — and you’ll learn some new words! Watch the talk here:

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  • Media Review: The Gloucester History Festival

    Media Review: The Gloucester History Festival

    I purchased a digital pass to the Gloucester History Festival, because I recognized a few names on the program. I was excited to hear from Nicola Tallis, Janina Ramirez, Nathen Amin, and Dan Jones. When I logged into the site, my pass gave me access to over 40 talks on all kinds of history. Topics…

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  • Tudorcon: Last Day to Join the Privy Council

    Tudorcon 2026 is one month away, and you can still attend with a digital pass. Tudorcon from Home is a fully immersive experience where you can stream the talks, ask questions, and have fun in the chat. Here’s a preview of my talk: The conference will feature 16 speakers and a wide range of topics…

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  • Refining Gold: City of Ladies Reflection #1

    In an earlier blog post, I mentioned that I’ve begun a slow read of Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies. Though I possess a Christine de Pizan coffee mug, and her work is often referenced in books on medieval history, I’ve never read this text. I’m using the Audible version of…

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  • Book Review: QUEENS AND KINGS by Lucy Worsley

    ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Dr. Lucy Worsley is one of my favorite author-historians, and I’ve been anticipating her book Queens and Kings: An Unusually Personal History of the Monarchy since she announced it on social media. I enjoyed her previous books on Georgian history: Jane Austen at Home and The Courtiers. She was Chief…

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  • Course Review: Women Who Shook the Medieval World

    ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I’m thrilled to review another virtual course on medieval women! This is my third course with Nathen Amin and Dr. Nicola Tallis, and each course has been a delight. I’ve taken The Tudors: The Creation of a Dynasty and Wars of the Roses: Power and Personalities. Nathen and Nicola are…

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  • A Taste of Tudorcon

    On Saturday I was part of A Taste of Tudorcon: eight speakers from Tudorcon 2026 presented a preview of their talks. It was a live event on YouTube with a fun chat option where we could talk with viewers. Here’s my video: The previews include a wide range of topics — Elizabethan fashion, the Spanish inquisition,…

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  • The Urgent Pull of Poetry: Christine de Pizan & Langston Hughes

    I’ve decided to study Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies. I’m participating in an online close read of this medieval text that will span the next 11 months. Christine de Pizan (1364-1430) received an exceptional education and published her own books, dedicating her work to royalty. She was widely read during…

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  • Tudorcon, Tudor Scroll, and More!

    Get excited! I’m presenting virtually at Tudorcon 2026 in October! At Tudorcon 2025, I spoke about poetry in the Tudor Court: What is Tudorcon? Tudorcon is a conference about Renaissance history and culture. Its founder, Heather Teysko, runs The Renaissance English History Podcast, which is a fabulous resource for history lovers. Tudorcon takes place in…

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  • Book Review: THE HOUSE OF BOLEYN by Tracy Borman

    Tracy Borman is a formidable Tudor historian and a purposeful writer. I’ve read many of her nonfiction books, including Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I, The Private Lives of the Tudors, and Crown & Sceptre. Borman’s work is consistently engaging, lively, and well-researched. The House of Boleyn is Borman’s latest historical novel, and it was released…

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About Me

Emily K. Michael is a blind poet, musician, and writing instructor. She serves as the poetry editor for Wordgathering at Syracuse University. She is also a poetry mentor in AWP’s Writer to Writer program. Her work focuses on music, embodiment, teaching, and ecology. Emily is passionate about birds, medieval history, singing, and guide dogs.

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