Jennifer K. Nelson

Nelson’s project will focus on archival research of letters by the humanist Gian Vittorio Rossi (1577-1647) to Roman publishers and booksellers, which reveals the publishing landscape in the 17th century Europe encompassing authors, publishers, sellers, and readers. This research also aims to shed light on the publication history of Rossi’s works, his pseudonyms, and his late-in-life, partly posthumous, publishing success as a satirist.

“The committee thought Nelson’s proposal stood out both for its depth and interdisciplinary scope,” said award co-chairs Lana Soglasnova of the University of Toronto and Kristen Totleben of the University of Rochester. “She links the little-known unpublished primary sources in the Italian and Latin languages to current topics in history of books, literary taste, ideas, and culture. Nelson will examine Rossi’s correspondence held at the Vatican Library and at the Archivio della Congregazione dell’Oratorio di San Filippo Neri in Rome, Italy.”