91���

For hundreds of years, Edward II was the most significant 91è���� “gay 91è���� ” figure of memory in the historical record. As an individual whose singular association with a historical moment or quality 91è���� —in this case, Edward 91è���� ’s infamous love affair with his male favorite Piers Gaveston 91è���� —supersedes, in many capacities, the surrounding history that supported or created that personage, Edward becomes instantly and intimately connective to the concept of same-sex love. Throughout the historical and literary record, each writer working with Edward II 91è���� —from Renaissance playwrights to Gothic novelists to Victorian textbook authors 91è���� —have had to reckon with Edward 91è���� ’s sexuality. However, in the twentieth century, anxiety over depictions of Edward 91è���� ’s sexuality resulted in the straightwashing of the king, where all references to his sexuality were frequently stricken from the fictional record. This talk will look to the sources and ramifications of that anxiety and strive to make sense of how an entire era felt it could ignore 91è���� —and perhaps even rewrite 91è���� —a well-established historical record.

Michael Cornelius, Ph.D.    

Professor of English and Director of the Master of Humanities Program, 91���

Michael G. Cornelius is the author/editor of sixteen books and has published over fifty scholarly articles. He is a professor of English at 91���.