Joe Carey

Thesis title:

'Witnesses of virilitie': sickness, health and masculinity in the works of John Donne

The scope of this project will include all of Donne’s work from both his poetry and prose. I am comparing his writing with contemporary medical texts to understand his representation of health and how it reflects early modern standards of the bodily ideal. This research will encompass a number of areas within the broader field of early modern research, including the histories of gender, disability and science.

Research Area

Languages and Literature

Conferences

John Donne Society Annual Conference (July 2025)

+ “Witnesses of virilitie”: a comparative analysis of form, stature and movement in Helkiah Crooke’s 'Mikrokosmographia' and selected works by John Donne

Other Research Interests

My interests primarily lie within the broad field of early modern history. Particular topics include the following:

- Disability studies

- Anatomical history

- Illness and medicine

- Queer/LGBTQ history

- Manuscript culture

- Print and textual history

- Theatre studies

Memberships

Advance HE

+ Senior Fellowship