And now more about “Vanessa”. I have been reading about this woman in particular. I did not admire her much, to say the least.

Not to get ahead of my own presentation in a couple of days, but I wanted to say a few words regarding this woman.

Her real name was not “Vanessa”, but Esther Vanhomrigh. A Dubliner herself, Vanessa crossed paths with Swift in 1707 when she ‘accidently’ spilled coffee over him in an Inn in Dunstable. This, of course, in alignment with many women labeled as “creatures of the night who WILL take you down”. Not very known to many, but this might have something to do with me having just come up with it.

(Please note that Stella was already in the picture. More will be known about her during my presentation.)

This initiated a relationship of seventeen years. In these years there have been highs and lows, as is obvious in many relationships. My job is to analyse both their relationships through their correspondence as well as the one between Swift and Stella.

If you are interested to find out more, be sure to come to my presentation and all will be revealed.

T.

References:

– (ODnB, s.v. “Jonathan Swift”)

– (ODnB, s.v. “Esther Vanhomrigh”)