ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

New Analysis Suggests Elizabeth I's Secretaries Wrote Her Angriest Letters

cultural-heritage · 2026-10-01

Analysis of handwriting and word frequency reveals that out of roughly 3,000 letters attributed to Elizabeth I, only around 100 were penned by her, with much of the remaining correspondence likely written by her male secretaries, as reported by Smithsonian. In other news, choreographer Kyle Abraham has rebranded his company for the third time since 2005, now naming it Kyle Abraham Dance Vanguard, inspired by D'Angelo's group; dancers are guaranteed 52-week salaries, retirement benefits, and ongoing royalties, according to Dance Magazine. Among the latest MacArthur fellows are Chip Thomas, 69, a physician active in the Navajo Nation for 36 years, and saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, 29, noted for his unique performances, NPR states. Additionally, in China, students must now read Jane Eyre in its entirety, with state media quoting Jane's poignant line about being perceived as "soulless and heartless." Meanwhile, in Washington, Senator Mike Lee of Utah blocked a bill from Jeff Merkley and Lisa Murkowski aimed at preventing the demolition of presidential memorials without congressional consent, labeling it as "partisan scaremongering," as reported by The Washington Post.

Key facts

  • Of roughly 3,000 surviving letters attributed to Elizabeth I, about 100 are in her own hand
  • Handwriting and word-frequency analysis suggests her male secretaries wrote much of the fury into the rest
  • Kyle Abraham renamed his company for the third time since 2005, to Kyle Abraham Dance Vanguard
  • Dancers keep 52-week salaries, retirement benefits and perpetual royalties
  • Chip Thomas, 69, a physician on the Navajo Nation for 36 years, is among 20 new MacArthur fellows
  • Thomas rewrote a billboard from "Welcome to Pepsi Country" to "Welcome to Diabetes Country"
  • Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, 29, has performed beside a chef cooking onstage
  • China now requires students to read Jane Eyre in full, where it had only been recommended
  • Utah Senator Mike Lee blocked a bill from Jeff Merkley and Lisa Murkowski barring demolition of presidential memorials without Congress's approval
  • Lee called the bill "partisan scaremongering"

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Kyle Abraham Dance Vanguard
  • MacArthur Fellows Program
  • Navajo Nation
  • Smithsonian
  • Dance Magazine
  • NPR
  • The New York Times
  • The Washington Post
  • Kennedy Center
  • Congress
  • ArtsJournal

Locations

  • China
  • Washington
  • Utah
  • United States

Sources