Marlene Hennessy

Marlene Hennessy is a Professor of English at Hunter College, City University of New York, affiliated with the School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of English. She serves on Hunter's Council on Honors and specializes in medieval literature, manuscript studies, and religious culture. Her research spans Chaucerian contexts, late medieval Scottish manuscripts, and visual-liturgical intersections.

• B.A., Bard College
• Ph.D., Columbia University (2001)
• Andrew W. Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow (2003-2004)

Hennessy's research focuses on Middle English literature, medieval manuscript culture, and religious practices, particularly in Scottish and Carthusian contexts. She examines symbolic elements like blood piety, devotional imagery, and book ownership by diverse medieval communities.

Her recent publications include An Index of Images in English and Scottish Manuscripts (2022) and studies on Charterhouse manuscripts. She has co-edited collections on medieval illuminators and is working on Blood Writing: Manuscripts and Metaphors in the Late Middle Ages, while preparing collaborative projects on merchant book ownership and late medieval women's roles.

Scientific awards include the Donald Bullough Fellowship (2012). She has taught courses on Chaucer, Early British Literature, and Medieval Women, contributing to graduate and undergraduate education at Hunter College.