GSC Mentorship Program for Kalamazoo: Deadline April 15

DEADLINE TO REGISTER AS A MENTOR OR MENTEE:
April 15, 2021

*Please note that since the 56th International Congress on Medieval Studies will be conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be running the mentorship program digitally. Because of this, anybody can participate, regardless of their 2021 Annual Meeting attendance plans*

The Graduate Student Committee (GSC) of the Medieval Academy of America invites those attending the 56th International Congress on Medieval Studies, hosted by the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University (10-15 May 2021), and any other interested medievalists to participate in the GSC Virtual Mentoring Program.

The GSC Mentoring Program facilitates networking between graduate students or early career scholars and established scholars by pairing student and scholar according to discipline.

Mentorship exchanges are intended to help students establish professional contacts with scholars who can offer them career advice. The primary objective of this exchange is that the relationship be active during the conference, although mentors and mentees sometimes decide to continue communication after a conference has ended.

We have recorded an increased interest in the GSC Mentorship Program since it has been held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. We will attempt to match all those who register as a mentee with mentors; however, if need be, preference will be granted to those in order of form submission and any surplus will be given priority for the next GSC Mentoring Program (Virtual IMC Leeds 5-8 July 2021).

To volunteer as a mentor (faculty, librarians, curators, independent scholars) or to sign up as a mentee, please submit the online form, linked here, by 15 April 2021.

On behalf of the committee, thank you and our best,

Julia King & Lauren Van Nest
2020-2021 Mentoring Program Coordinators

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Liturgy, Literature & History: Oswald of Northumbria and the Cult of Saints in the High Middle Ages

On 5 & 6 August 2021, we will be holding an online conference, in collaboration with the British Academy and Peterborough Cathedral, which uses the cult of Oswald of Northumbria as a case study to examine the mechanisms by which saints’ cults spread and also the manner in which veneration of the saints drove other forms of political, cultural and social expression.

Although online conferences have the great benefit of enabling participation by delegates from across the world, it is harder to reproduce the informal in-person opportunities for PhD students and Early Career Researchers to talk about their work, connect with peers and mentors, and exchange ideas. To facilitate awareness of PhD/ECR projects and help researchers gain visibility for their projects we are issuing this call for blog posts.

Details about the conference can be found at https://oswaldusrex.co.uk/conference/. This page will be updated with further information in due course and blog posts will be hosted on the same website and publicised over social media. We are currently exploring the possibility of producing a physical newsletter for delegates – if we do this then blog posts would be advertised in this too.

If your research touches on the broader themes of the conference, including but not limited to, medieval liturgy, historical writing, material culture, architecture, the cult of saints, music, literature, or religious communities, and you would like to explore your ideas and share them with an international audience of medievalists interested in similar topics, please consider submitting an abstract. Blog posts of c.600-800 words, with 3-4 accompanying images, will be published in late June / early July.

Please send abstracts of up to 150 words, along with a brief description of yourself (name, stage, affiliation) by 9 April to history.oswald@ucl.ac.uk  with ‘blog’ as the subject line. We will let you know if we are able to host your blog post in early May.

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2021 Virtual Parrish Colloquium on Global Histories of Plague

The History Department (Kansas State Univ.) announces the upcoming Parrish Lecture, featuring independent historian Monica H. Green, who will present “Neolithic to New World: Global Histories of Plague” from 7-8:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday, April 13, via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public.

Even Description: Something extraordinary has happened in infectious disease history recently. Even before COVID-19 arrived on the world scene in December 2019, a sometimes awkward alliance had started between scientists and humanists to reframe the histories of the world’s major infectious diseases, ones that had killed millions, disrupted economies and shifted the power dynamics of major empires. In just a decade’s time, we have new histories of smallpox, leprosy, tuberculosis and other diseases that have afflicted world populations for centuries. But the earliest and most dramatic developments have come in the field of plague history, cause of the Black Death and a disease now found on every continent save Australia and Antarctica.

This talk will summarize the developments in genetics that have laid the foundation for a new evolutionary history of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague. It will then recount the work of historians who have seized upon the findings of the scientists and advanced our understanding of plague’s history, showing that it likely proved more widespread and more lethal than we ever imagined before. As the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, no one field or methodology can provide us with all the answers we need to address the biological, economic and social havoc that pandemics cause. New approaches to old histories in fact show us how to transcend disciplines to answer questions of global import and pressing urgency.

Login information is available on the history department’s events page.

Contact Professor David Defries at ddefries@k-state.edu with any questions.

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Fully-funded PhD and MPhil in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at Australian Catholic University.

The Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) Program of the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at ACU in Melbourne invites applications for six competitive PhD scholarships in connection with its new research project ‘Religious Mobilities: Medieval and Early Modern Europe and the World.’ A major new international research collaboration with partners in Leuven, London, Princeton, Stanford, and Toronto, ‘Religious Mobilities’ seeks to investigate the multiple and intersecting roles that religion has played in relation to mobility in this critical period for the formation of a globalised world. Applicants are encouraged to contact the MEMS director, Prof. Christopher Ocker, to discuss their application and proposed projects in connection to the key aims of the ‘Religious Mobilities’ project.

ACU’s MEMS program is a dynamic, supportive, internationally engaged research community based at ACU’s Melbourne Campus, with activities also on ACU’s Rome Campus. MPhil and PhD students in ACU’s MEMS program are fully immersed in the intellectual life of the program, work closely with supervisors, draw extensively on the talents of the MEMS team, participate in the program’s seminars, workshops, and special lectures, contribute to our international collaborations, and pursue research opportunities with our international partners and in relevant archives. Learn more about our research interests, publications and activities online here.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of ACU’s Higher Degree by Research program. The next round of applications for PhD and MPhil courses closes at 11.59pm on Monday 26 April 2021 (AEST). Due to current Australian government restrictions on international student arrivals as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, students from countries other than Australia and New Zealand may not be able to commence during 2021.

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Workshop and Lecture with Nahir Otaño Gracia, April 15 2021

Please join Fordham Center for Medieval Studies for a workshop and lecture on Zoom with:

Nahir Otaño Gracia (University of New Mexico)
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Workshop (10:00am EDT): “Strategies for creating an anti-racist classroom community”
Lecture (5:00pm EDT): “Whiteness and Arthuriana in the Global North Atlantic”

CLICK HERE to RSVP and receive link

Please email medievals@fordham.edu for more information.

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Call for Papers – Mercenaries and Crusaders (1202-1480s)

The Hungary in Medieval Europe Research Group at the Department of History, University of Debrecen, the Centre for the History of Society and Culture (CHSC) of the University of Coimbra and the Histoire et Cultures de l’Antiquité et du Moyen Âge (HiscAnt-MA) Laboratoire of the University of Lorraine are pleased to announce that the interdisciplinary conference on Mercenaries and Crusaders (1202-1480s) will take place June 22–24 2022, at the University of Debrecen, Hungary.

Crusades and mercenaries were inextricably intertwined throughout the Middle Ages. Mercenaries were employed in and against crusading armies in all major theatres of war from the Middle East to Poland, particularly between 1202 (the siege of Zara/Zadar) and the 1480s (King Matthias Corvinus’ anti-Ottoman ventures). The history of crusades coincides with that of medieval mercenaries. Medieval mercenaries were the only soldiers for and against whom crusades were organised and conducted in the name of the Lord. To bring forward just a few examples, several popes from Innocent VI to Gregory XII tried to find a way out of the predicament caused by the mercenaries in France and Italy. Captains like Sir John Hawkwood or Arnaud de Cervole were often either excommunicated or recruited in the crusading enterprises in the 1360s. Amadeus VI, the Green Count of Savoy employed mercenaries in his crusade of Gallipoli. The Teutonic order recruited mercenaries from Bohemia, Silesia, and even from the West.

The organisers encourage thematic panels, but individual papers may also be submitted. Each paper – in a panel or independently – will be of a duration of 20 minutes. Panels preferably consisting of three to four papers should ideally include a brief 5-minute introductory presentation of their theme and rationale. All sessions will be followed by a brief discussion.

The conference does not have a specific theme, however, the organisers welcome panels and individual papers that fall under the following topics:

  • Mercenaries in the Hundred Years’ War
  • Mercenaries in the Holy Land
  • Mercenaries in the Baltic Crusades
  • Mercenaries in the Iberian Peninsula
  • Mercenaries and the Papal State
  • Condottieri in Italy
  • Crusades against Mercenaries in the Hundred Years’ War
  • Mercenaries in Central Europe
  • Mercenaries in Byzantine Armies
  • Mercenaries in the Crusades against the Ottomans
  • Crusades in the Holy Land, the Baltics, the Iberian Peninsula; against the Ottomans
  • Crusades against Christians
  • Crusades, Crusaders and the Holy See
  • Crusades and Crusaders in the Eastern Frontiers of Christendom
  • Recruitment
  • Ideology and Faith
  • Tactics and Strategy
  • Supply, Logistics, Equipment
  • Impact of Crusaders and Mercenaries` Armies on Non-combatants
  • Artillery and Engineers
  • Siege Warfare and Fortifications
  • Perception of Mercenaries in Narrative Literature

We are, however, open to any variations of the general theme.

All interested lecturers, researchers, independent scholars and PhD-students are invited to submit an abstract on our website using the conference abstract template: https://mercenariesandcrusaders.com/

Abstracts for individual papers should not exceed 400 words, while abstracts for papers that are part of a panel should be up to 300 words each. Additionally, panel proposals should also be accompanied by an abstract of up to 400 words on the general theme of the panel, explaining how the papers are interconnected and how they contribute to the theme. The latter is to be submitted by the panel leader only, i.e. the person taking the initiative to organise the panel.

The working languages of the conference are English, French and German.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 15 November 2021.

All panel and individual paper proposals will be examined by an international advisory board that will be appointed by the three institutions (Debrecen, Nancy, and Coimbra). The selection process is double blind, following the established academic practice for peer review. The Organising Committee will announce the results of the selection process by 31 January 2022.

The organisers will provide accommodation, light lunch and coffee breaks between the conference sessions.

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Jobs for Medievalists

Position Announcement: Early Materials Cataloger, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University

Position: Early Materials Cataloger

Department: Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

STARS Requisition: 64643BR

Minimum salary: $60,500

Yale University, conveniently located between Boston and New York, offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut. Located in the heart of historic downtown New Haven with more than 100 local boutiques, national retailers, cafés, casual eateries, award-winning restaurants, and world-renowned theaters, galleries, and museums.

General Purpose:

Reporting to the Head of the Rare Book Cataloging Unit, the Early Materials Cataloger creates, enhances, and maintains original and complex bibliographic and authority records for manuscript items and printed works, chiefly from the medieval through the early modern periods, in the fields of British and European literature, history, and the humanities. Plans, directs, and reviews work of cataloging assistants and student assistants. Assists in the ongoing development of the unit’s cataloging procedures for related collections. Completes special projects as assigned. Contributes to Yale University Library and University-wide initiatives and is expected to be active professionally.

This position represents an exciting opportunity for a scholar-librarian to work at the intersection of early materials cataloging and scholarship. We seek applicants interested in the politics of metadata, the materiality of the textual object, trends in forensic analysis, and the broader questions relating the creation, survival, transmission, ownership, description and use of special collections to their understanding within scholarship, the classroom, and the public spheres of the humanities. Applicants that meet the minimum education/experience qualifications are encouraged to apply. The successful applicant will receive intensive on-the-job training in manuscript and print cataloging and paleography if needed, according to the protocols of the department and library.

The Rare Book Cataloging Unit, part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s Technical Services Department, is responsible for cataloging material principally ranging from incunabula to twenty-first century publications.

The Beinecke Library is Yale’s principal repository for literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. One of the great collections in North America, the Beinecke collections are internationally known and heavily used by scholars from around the world. For further information about the Beinecke Library, consult the library’s web site at: http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/.

This position will be assigned a rank of Librarian 1 to Librarian 3. Librarian ranking information can be found at http://bit.ly/YULRanksPromotions. The minimum salary is $60,500.

Required Education and Experience:

1. Master’s degree from an American Library Association accredited library school. In selective cases a graduate degree in a related subject field may be substituted. 2. Demonstrated knowledge of current national cataloging/metadata content and structural standards. Knowledge of subject analysis and classification systems. 3. If supervision of professional and/or support staff is a principal responsibility, supervisory experience is required. 4. Experience designing projects and bringing them to conclusion in a timely fashion. 5. Demonstrated excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communications; analytical ability; accuracy and attention to detail. 6. Ability to initiate and adapt to change. 7. Experience working collegially and cooperatively within and across organizations. 8. Experience working collaboratively and independently with varied groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing, team environment.

Qualifications:

  • Strong knowledge of medieval and early modern European literature or history, and broad knowledge in the humanities, as demonstrated through academic degrees or an equivalent combination of training or experience.
  • Advanced reading knowledge of Latin, including neo-Latin and Latin abbreviations.
  • Good knowledge of Latin and English paleography, and broad knowledge of medieval European paleography 1100-1600, including both book and document scripts.
  • Good reading ability in Middle English and/or Middle French, in addition to Italian, French, German or another European vernacular.
  • Preferred Education and Experience: MA or PhD in European history or literature specializing in a field relating to pre-1800 British and European collections. Demonstrated knowledge of the material culture of medieval and early modern books. Good reading knowledge of paleography for a European language beyond Latin and English. Experience creating MARC records. Cataloging experience using DCRM, AMREMM, DACS, AACR2, and/or RDA.

Application: For more information and immediate consideration, please apply online at https://bit.ly/YaleCareers-64643BR. Please be sure to reference this website when applying for this position.

We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country’s great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.

Yale University considers applicants for employment without regard to and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

OR

AA/EEO – M/F/Disability/Vetera

https://your.yale.edu/careersv

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Message from Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski to the Members of the MAA

Dear Colleagues,

The recent wave of hate crimes against Asian Americans and people of Pacific Islander descent culminated in the horrific murders near Atlanta last week. Our Asian American and PI colleagues have been facing this kind of terror and discrimination for a long time and it is time for us to reflect on what our responsibility is as medievalists – as students, teachers, and scholars – in thinking through the history of hate, racism, and scapegoating minority groups and to formulate calls to action. The American Historical Association has documented the long history of discrimination and racism against Asian Americans in a recent statement. The upcoming Annual Meeting of the MAA’s Committee on Centers and Regional Associations (CARA) will include a breakout session focusing on how we can better support our AAPI and BIPOC colleagues and students, and the Council of the Medieval Academy of America is working intensively on a meaningful response to the anguish, fury, and exasperation our AAPI colleagues experience at this fraught moment.

Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski, President
renatebk80@gmail.com

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Self-nominations for Volunteers to Serve as Contributing Reviewers of Proposals for Sponsored and Special Sessions

The International Congress on Medieval Studies, hosted by the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University, is now accepting self-nominations for volunteers to serve as contributing reviewers of proposals for Sponsored and Special Sessions for the 57th and 58th congresses (2022 and 2023). The deadline for self-nomination is April 1: wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions/selection.

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Fragmentarium Video Conference – “Evidence Preserved by Destruction: Recycling Medieval Manuscript Fragments in Transylvania during the (Counter)Reformation.”

A Fragmentarium Video Conference will take place on Friday, 26 March 2021 at 16:00 Central European Time:

Dr. Adrian Papahagi (Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

“Evidence Preserved by Destruction: Recycling Medieval Manuscript Fragments in Transylvania during the (Counter)Reformation.”

(please register to this link)
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkceivqzIsHNNLxdELus7pJp8NbAcUevXr

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