We have an amazing panel lined up to celebrate Maureen Duffy, including Bernardine Evaristo herself, @valmcdermid.bsky.social, @suchmayer.bsky.social, @lawrencewarner.bsky.social, Elaine Hobby and Bee Rowlatt, and Rebecca Scroggs reading Maureen Duffy's work.

Yeah I saw that and vile calumny

Thank you for this! I have somehow selected the most virtuous group of folks on this platform and wanted instead to see something beautiful. Nice 👌

I did for medieval (I think). Will go looking for Swifties now 👍🏼

In case you’re interested here’s a portion of my photo of the document, a bit closer than we can get at the BL

I’m sorry —I just like talking about this document , as do my students (who compared it to songs by Taylor, the Kinks, Chappell Roan etc) and didn’t realize it came across as a fight. I genuinely wonder what was going on in the mayor’s court’s minds. It’s an amazing document and I’m glad you agree

But sodomy was not the purview of the Mayor’s Court—that would have been ecclesiastical. And why was Britby not there too? No, nothing about it is clear to you or to anyone, as the document is baffling all around and to repeat we have no idea what happened next

But again all I’m saying is that we don’t know. Imagination is all there is re what happened next

Well it’s not even clear what the prompt was. Cross-dressing alone? Prostitution? Neither seems sufficient—and why the City? It’s all very odd. I don’t see why they would keep her.

Probably. We just don’t know either way though as the document doesn’t say. ‘Arrest’ is not quite the right word either

Though could be the same . In any case no evidence that Eleanor was imprisoned in 1395 for this

Oh that essay. Thanks —Goldberg also thinks the whole thing might be fictional. He’s inventing this stuff …

Just think Eleanor is awesome enough to make sure we get her dates right 👍🏼

??

We all wonder and no there are no records

Not born 1395… the document refers to an event December 1394

The document wasn’t written under duress at all—it is an official account . Not Rykener’s direct testimony

And where does the ‘may have escaped’ the supposed imprisonment in 1399 thing come from?