A native Minnesotan, Scott Koski received both his BA and MA in English from the University of Minnesota Duluth. His main focus is in Early Modern Studies, and though a passion for Shakespeare has been with him since an early age, his scholarly efforts have focused less on the Bard and more on the writers whose careers were eclipsed over time by Shakespeare’s legend. At UMD, Koski focused primarily on the pamphlets of Robert Greene, arguing that Greene, by adopting such a scandalous persona—near indistinguishable on or off the page—created a buzz that deliberately amplified his popularity and success as a writer; a state cut short by his premature death. After graduating, Koski was accepted into the Ph.D. program at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, where he continues his research in semi-canonical Early Modern literature.
Using his work at UMD as a foundation, Koski is expanding his focus to the other writers popular in the literary scene of late 16th century London, use the conversations happening in lesser known works with the hopes of triangulating a young Shakespeare at the beginning of his career. Koski will be one of thirty-two scholars from across the United States and Britain attending the “Thomas Nashe and His Contemporaries” symposium at the Folger Shakespeare Institute in Washington D.C. held this September 7th-9th.
This symposium explores the works and significance of Thomas Nashe (1567 – c.1600), an innovative writer whose influence on prose extends well beyond his own period. Nashe was also a significant dramatist, collaborating with Marlowe, Jonson, and Shakespeare, while his bitter quarrel with the humanist educator, Gabriel Harvey, and his part in the Marprelate controversy expanded the possibilities of English invective and satire. Showcasing the Folger’s exceptional manuscript and print collection of his writings, the symposium will help recover Nashe and his world—especially London, Cambridge, and Great Yarmouth. Session topics will include geographies, oral/aural culture, genres, drama, popular culture, and pamphlets; two dozen participants with relevant projects will be welcomed to join the conversation.