A large historic castle with brick walls and multiple chimneys, surrounded by a wide driveway and a green lawn, with visitors walking around and a blue sky overhead.

the phd project

a self-guided independent study project,
with the objective of becoming an expert in the subjects of Shakespearean drama, early modern English history, Renaissance literature, and the history of the city of London

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My Back-Alley PhD

After two master’s programs, a string of teaching jobs that left me still working odd jobs summers and weekends, and lingering student debt, I’ve neither the energy nor the promise of ROI to enter another formal academic program. I sold my soul to corporate. Still, my passion for learning, writing, and critical analysis are what sustain me through days of discussions on product copy and marketing campaigns. The answer? A DIY PhD.

READING LISTS

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London: The Reading List

A reading list on the history of London, its art, and its legends.

Reading List: Shakespeare Plays & Accompanying Materials

a scheduled reading of plays with accompanying readings, lectures, and film viewings

Shakespeare Criticism Reading List

A reading list of Shakespeare criticism.

Historical Fiction: Reading List

A reading list of historical fiction novels about English history.

English History: Reading List

A list of readings covering topics such as The War of the Roses, the English Renaissance, and English history, focused on women from the Plantagenets through to the last Tudor.

ALL POSTS

Kathryn Barber 5/19/26 Kathryn Barber 5/19/26

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann

Anne Boleyn wakes up to find herself shoved carelessly into an arrow chest in St Peter ad Vincula.

Her first quest: sew her head back on.

Her second quest: kill Henry VIII.

Kathryn Barber 4/22/26 Kathryn Barber 4/22/26

Contested Will vs. Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies

Did Shakespeare write his plays? Is it a valid question? Should we ask it? Entertain it? Discuss it? Dismiss it?

Kathryn Barber 2/1/26 Kathryn Barber 2/1/26

Holbein’s The Ambassadors and Anne Boleyn

The Ambassadors, Holbein, and how my relationship with them evolved from undergraduate British literature student to postgraduate independent scholar.

Kathryn Barber 1/31/26 Kathryn Barber 1/31/26

Falling in Love with London: The Beginning

When I packed my bags to go live in London for four months at 19 years old, I had no idea just how much that semester would shape the rest of my life.