MAA News – CARA Prizes: Call for Nominations

Kindrick-CARA Award for Outstanding Service to Medieval Studies
The Robert L. Kindrick-CARA Award for Outstanding Service to Medieval Studies recognizes Medieval Academy members who have provided leadership in developing, organizing, promoting, and sponsoring medieval studies through the extensive administrative work that is so crucial to the health of medieval studies but that often goes unrecognized by the profession at large.

CARA Award for Excellence in Teaching
The CARA Award for Excellence in Teaching Medieval Studies recognizes Medieval Academy members who are outstanding teachers and who have contributed to the profession by inspiring students at the undergraduate or graduate levels or by creating innovative and influential textbooks or other materials for teaching medieval subjects.

Nominations and supporting materials must be received by Nov. 15.

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MAA News – Upcoming Grant Deadlines

Belle Da Costa Greene Award (deadline 15 February)
Applications are now being accepted for the inaugural Belle Da Costa Greene Award supporting research by medievalists of color. The Belle Da Costa Greene Award of $2,000 will be granted annually to a medievalist of color for research and travel. The award may be used to visit archives, attend conferences, or to facilitate writing and research. The award will be granted on the basis of the quality of the proposed project, the applicant’s budgetary needs (as expressed by a submitted budget and in the project narrative), and the estimation of the ways in which the award will facilitate the applicant’s research and contribute to the field. Special consideration will be given to graduate students, emerging junior scholars, adjunct, and unaffiliated scholars. Click here for more information. Click here to make a donation in support of the Greene Award.

Olivia Remie Constable Award (deadline 15 February):
Four Olivia Remie Constable Awards of $1,500 each will be granted to emerging junior faculty, adjunct or unaffiliated scholars (broadly understood: post-doctoral, pre-tenure) for research and travel. Click here for more information.

MAA Dissertation Grants (deadline 15 February):
The nine annual Medieval Academy Dissertation Grants support advanced graduate students who are writing Ph.D. dissertations on medieval topics. The $2,000 grants help defray research expenses. Click here for more information.

Schallek Awards (deadline 15 February):
The five annual Schallek awards support graduate students conducting doctoral research in any relevant discipline dealing with late-medieval Britain (ca. 1350-1500). The $2,000 awards help defray research expenses. Click here for more information.

MAA/GSC Grant for Innovation in Community-Building and Professionalization (deadline 15 February):
The MAA/GSC Grant(s) will be awarded to an individual or graduate student group from one or more universities. The purpose of this grant is to stimulate new and innovative efforts that support pre-professionalization, encourage communication and collaboration across diverse groups of graduate students, and build communities amongst graduate student medievalists. Click here for more information.

Applicants for these and other MAA programs must be members in good standing of the Medieval Academy. Please contact the Executive Director for more information about these and other MAA programs.

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CARMEN Project Prize

CARMEN Project Prize

Do you have a great idea for a project in Medieval Studies?

CARMEN: The Worldwide Medieval Network is pleased to announce the second CARMEN Project Prize. Building on the success of the inaugural competition in 2018, this unique award will recognise a project *idea* in any area of Medieval Studies, which has the potential to advance our understanding of the medieval period or its reception in important and/or innovative ways. Unlike conventional publication prizes, the CARMEN Project Prize seeks to identify the highest-quality academic research at the planning / development stage and to foster its future progress.

The closing date for applications is midday, 14 January, 2019. You’ll find further information, information about last year’s winners, and the short, light-touch application form at http://www.carmen-medieval.net/cz/project-prize-2019-1404041650.html

Good luck!

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Call for Papers – Remembering the Middle Ages? Reception, Identity, Politics

Remembering the Middle Ages? Reception, Identity, Politics
Conference Dates: April 5th-6th, 2019
Abstract Deadline: January 7th, 2019

We invite submissions of abstracts for 20-minute papers to be presented at the two-day conference, “Remembering the Middle Ages? Reception, Identity, Politics,” to be held at Fischer Hall, the University of Notre Dame’s London campus, on April 5th-6th, 2019.

The conference aims to unite an international and interdisciplinary group of scholars in conversation about the uses of the “medieval” period across time. Particularly, we ask how the concept of a “cultural memory” of the Middle Ages can be useful (or not) in understanding how and why scholars, artists, audiences, and other users have resourced or imagined the Middle Ages, in any post-medieval period. We ask participants to interrogate the linguistic, material, and social networks that have been created by medieval things over time.

Papers considering the intersections of medievalisms, cultural memory, and concepts of identity are particularly welcome. Potential topic areas might include, but are not limited to: discourses of race or ethno-nationalism; medievalisms that remember a multiple and complex Middle Ages; antiquarian scholarship; visual and performance art; translation theory; heritage discourses; global remembrances of the European Middle Ages; assemblages of the European and non-European in medievalist projects; cultural memory of the Middle Ages; the politics of medievalism; periodization; intersections between nativist dialogues and medievalism; right-wing and/ or left-wing medievalisms; medievalisms that disrupt stereotypes.

We encourage researchers at all career stages to apply. Please submit 300-word abstracts and a short bio to mensley@nd.edu and francesca.allfrey@kcl.ac.uk by 7 January, 2019

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11th Annual Schoenberg Symposium

In partnership with the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS) at the University of Pennsylvania is pleased to present the 11th Annual Lawrence J. Schoenberg Symposium on Manuscript Studies in the Digital Age:

IIlluminations: Manuscript, Medium, Message

November 15–17, 2018

Manuscript illumination has often been considered in relation to the texts it accompanies, but rarely in terms of its interplay with other artistic media. Historically, however, the technique was closely associated with other forms of artistic expression and served as a crucial point of contact and transfer for visual motifs across space and time. The goal of this year’s symposium is to examine cases of intermedial exchange through the lenses of technique, style, iconography, social context, and cultural geography, while also posing broader questions about the deep connections between the craft of illumination and other arts more widely. Of special interest will be insights gained from the technical examination of works in different media, new comparisons made possible by digital technology, and the discovery of linkages once obscured by strict historiographical divisions

The program will begin Thursday evening at 5:00 pm on November 15, 2018, at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central Library, with a keynote lecture by Professor Susie Nash of the Courtauld Institute of Art. The symposium will continue November 16th-17th at the Kislak Center of Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania.

For more information on the program and to register, please go tohttp://www.library.upenn.edu/about/events/kislak/SIMS/ljs-symposium11

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Tashjian Travel Awards & Szarmach Article Prize

Tashjian Travel Awards

For the first time this year, the Tashjian Travel Awards are open to scholars from North America without access to institutional funding . Sponsored by the Richard Rawlinson Center for Anglo-Saxon Studies and Manuscript Research, the awards are made to participants in the International Congress on Medieval Studies giving papers on topics in Anglo-Saxon studies in sponsored and special sessions. Eligibility is limited to scholars from outside North America and to scholars from North America without access to institutional funding, with preference toward emerging scholars not more than three years beyond their doctoral degree. Doctoral candidates writing their dissertations are also eligible. Award recipients are ineligible for another award until the fourth year after a successful application. There are two awards for each congress. Both awards offer a waiver of registration and room and board fees. One of these awards also carries a $500 stipend, which is presented at the congress. The application deadline is November 1.

https://www.wmich.edu/medievalcongress/awards

Szarmach Article Prize

The Richard Rawlinson Center for Anglo-Saxon Studies and Manuscript Research at Western Michigan University announces the second Paul E. Szarmach Prize, to be awarded in May 2019. It consists of an award of $500 to the author of a first article in the field of Anglo-Saxon studies published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal that is judged by the selection committee to be of outstanding quality. Authors from any country and articles written in any language are eligible. To be eligible for the 2019 prize, the article must have appeared in a journal bearing a publication date of 2017. Nominations and self-nominations are invited from authors, editors, and readers. The deadline is November 1.

https://www.wmich.edu/medieval/research/anglo-saxon/article-prize

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Jobs for Medievalists

JOB POSTING: ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN, Grolier Club Library, New York, NY

The Grolier Club of New York, North America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and enthusiasts in the graphic arts, is seeking a full-time Assistant Librarian. Reporting to the Librarian, the Assistant Librarian supports the maintenance, development, and daily operation of the Grolier Club Library, a ca. 150,000 volume research collection dedicated to the art and history of the book.

This position is funded by a gift from the Florence Gould Foundation in honor of Mary K. Young and her dedicated service to the Grolier Club Library.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

REFERENCE AND PUBLIC SERVICES. Primary responsibility for overseeing the operation of the reading room. Answers reference queries from members and non-members. May occasionally be asked to mount library exhibitions and assist class visits to the library. Performs and oversees scanning, digital photography, and photocopying of library materials. Supports social media and outreach initiatives through regular contributions to the library’s Instagram account and longer-form posts to the library blog. 

COLLECTION MAINTENANCE. Shelves incoming books, periodical issues, and auction and dealer catalogs and updates catalog records for these holdings as necessary. Takes primary responsibility for the retrieval and replacement of material paged for researchers. Shifts library materials and identifies and processes items for off-site storage. Conducts shelf-reading and general inventory projects. Assists in maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of the library and library materials in all areas of the Club.

PRESERVATION/CONSERVATION. Measures fragile items for enclosures. Assesses the condition of library materials in the course of daily operations and makes recommendations for preservation actions to the Librarian. Rehouses material as needed. Assists in the development and maintenance of disaster planning efforts.

CLERICAL. Sorts through daily mail and keeps catalog/periodical table neat and up-to-date. Takes Minutes at staff meetings.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

–Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited library school or combination of education & professional library experience.

–Professional experience in a library, special collections, museum, or cultural organization.

–Proficiency in basic Microsoft office applications and automated library systems.

–Strong attention to detail.

–Excellent communication skills.

–Ability to take direction and to work independently.

–Knowledge of basic preservation and conservation standards for rare books, as well as demonstrated experience handling rare books.

–Interest in rare books and/or the antiquarian book trade.

–Ability to work in conditions where dust is frequently encountered, lift boxes weighing up to 30 lbs; push and pull loaded book carts and other library equipment and materials; and work for prolonged periods in standing, bending, and stooping positions

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

–Reading knowledge of French, German or another European language.

–Experience providing reference services to library patrons.

–Project management experience

–Coursework in rare books or special collections librarianship.

HOURS, SALARY AND BENEFITS

The Assistant Librarian is a full-time position; preferred hours are Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00.

Salary: $45,000 per year plus benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and a list of three professional references with contact info to Meghan Constantinou, Librarian, mconstantinou@grolierclub.org.

The preferred start date for this position is December 3, 2019.

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Frantz Fellowship in Post-Classical Studies at the Gennadius Library

THE M. ALISON FRANTZ FELLOWSHIP IN POST-CLASSICAL STUDIES AT THE GENNADIUS LIBRARY

Deadline: January 15, 2019

The M. Alison Frantz Fellowship, formerly known as the Gennadeion Fellowship in Post-Classical Studies, was named in honor of archaeologist, Byzantinist, and photographer M. Alison Frantz (1903–1995), a scholar of the post-classical Athenian Agora whose photographs of antiquities are widely used in books on Greek culture.

Fields of study: Late Antique through Modern Greek Studies, including but not limited to the Byzantine, Frankish, Post-Byzantine, and Ottoman periods.

Eligibility: Ph.D. candidates and recent Ph.D.s (up to five years) from a U.S. or Canadian institution. Candidates should demonstrate their need to work in the Gennadius Library.

Terms: A stipend of $11,500 plus room, board, and waiver of School fees. Fellows are expected to be in residence at the School for the full academic year from early September to June 1. A final report is due at the end of the award period, and the ASCSA expects that copies of all publications that result from research conducted as a Fellow of the ASCSA be contributed to the Gennadius Library.

Application: Submit application form for the “M. Alison Frantz Fellowship in Post-Classical studies at the Gennadius Library,” curriculum vitae, description of the proposed project (up to 750 words), and three letters of reference online. Student applicants must submit transcripts. For more information about the application, visit the ASCSA web site at: http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/index.php/admission-membership/Graduate-and-Post-Doctoral.
Direct link to the online application:
https://ascsa.submittable.com/submit/116910/m-alison-frantz-fellowship-in-post-classical-studies-at-the-gennadius-library

Web site: www.ascsa.edu.gr or http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/index.php/admission- membership/fellowships-and-grants
E-mail: application@ascsa.org

The award will be announced by March 15.

The American School of Classical Studies at Athens does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, sexual orientation, color, religion, ethnic origin, or disability when considering admission to any form of membership or application for employment

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Call for Papers – Time/ Le temps Symposium of the International Medieval Society, Paris

Time/ Le temps

Symposium of the International Medieval Society, Paris
Paris, 8–10 July /juillet 2019
L’appel à communications français suit l’appel anglais.

Call for Papers:

“What is time?” asked St. Augustine. “Who can comprehend this even in thought so as to articulate the answer in words? Yet what do we speak of, in our familiar everyday conversation, more than of time?”

From the diverse reckoning of historical dates to the calculation of the date of Easter and the elaboration of the liturgical calendar, medieval scholars counted time. The movement of the bodies in the night sky allowed medieval viewers to calculate the hour, and so did such instruments as the sundial, the water clock, the candle clock, and eventually the mechanical clock. Architects, sculptors, illuminators, and artisans strove to represent time iconographically in different media, and complex programs of images employed allegorical or anagogical relations in order to interweave narratives. Narrative writers experimented with ways to represent the passage of time and organize narrative action, while lyric poets used patterned repetition to turn time back on itself. In the domain of musical notation, late medieval theorists developed different ways of indicating rhythm, a phenomenon whose absence from earlier notation, such as that of vernacular monophony, has inspired debates among modern scholars.

In the medieval monastic context, time consisted of nested cycles that determined daily, monthly, and annual practice by building concrete associations between time and types of labor, reading, and eating. In this, time not only corresponded to, but was a feature of, a material world that could be transcended through contemplation. For their part, philosophers and theologians reflected on the points of articulation between different temporalities: the linear and finite time of human life, the cyclical time of the liturgy, the eschatological time of Salvation.

Today, historians ask with Jacques Le Goff, “Must we chop up history into slices?,” and some question the traditional period markers that separate Antiquity from the Middle Ages and the Middle Ages from the Renaissance, as well as the effects of that periodization for conceptualizing the historical object.

How, therefore, can we best reflect on duration, on the event, on the moment? How can we reflect on the experience of time’s dilation, or of its depth?

For its 16th annual symposium, the International Medieval Society Paris invites scholarly papers on any aspect of time in the Middle Ages. Papers may deal with the experience or exploitation of time, its reckoning or measuring, its inscription, its theorization, or the question of how or why or whether we should demarcate the “Middle Ages.” Papers focusing on historical or cultural material from medieval France or post-Roman Gaul, or on texts written in medieval French or Occitan, are particularly encouraged, but compelling papers on other material will also be considered.

The annual symposium of the International Medieval Society Paris is an interdisciplinary, international, bilingual meeting of faculty, researchers, and advanced graduate students. We welcome submissions in French or English from art history, musicology, studies of ritual or liturgy, history of dance, literature, linguistics, philosophy, theology, anthropology, history, history of science and technology, or archaeology.

An abstract of no more than 300 words (in French or English) for a paper of 20 minutes should be sent, along with a CV, to communications.ims.paris@gmail.com by 30 November. Abstracts will receive a preliminary blind review before the final selection and should give a clear idea of the topic and anticipated argument of the paper. Presenters will be notified of their selection in January 2019.

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Jobs for Medievalists

Tenure-track Assistant Professor, arts, architecture, and/or archaeology of medieval Europe and/or the medieval Mediterranean (500-1500 CE).

The Department of Art History at the University of Chicago invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professorship in the arts, architecture, and/or archaeology of medieval Europe and/or the medieval Mediterranean, 500-1500 CE. The Department seeks applicants with ambitious research agendas and a serious commitment to teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. An engagement with interdisciplinary medieval studies is strongly encouraged. The appointment will begin 1 July 2019, or as soon as possible thereafter. All requirements for the PhD must be completed by the start of the appointment.

Applicants must apply online at the University of Chicago’s Academic Career Opportunities web site at https://academiccareers.uchicago.edu and select requisition #03872, and upload the following materials: a cover letter introducing research and teaching interests and detailing progress toward completion of Ph.D. if not in hand; a current curriculum vitae; names and contact information of three individuals who have agreed to provide a letter of recommendation; and a dissertation abstract. In addition, applicants must submit one writing sample via email to eehayes@uchicago.edu. Application deadline is November 12. Only complete applications will be considered.

The position is contingent on final budgetary approval. The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination at  http://www.uchicago.edu/about/non_discrimination_statement/. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-0287 or email ACOppAdministrator@uchicago.edu with their request.

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