Call for Papers – Power and Identity in the Pre-Modern Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Seminar is seeking proposals for panels on “Culture, Power and Identity in the Pre-Modern Mediterranean,” organized by Brian Catlos [Religious Studies CU Boulder/Humanities UC Santa Cruz] and Sergio La Porta (Armenian Studies, CSU Fresno)  to be submitted for consideration for the annual meeting of the American Historical Association to be held January 2-5, 2015 in New York City.

Mediterranean Studies represents an approach that is transforming our view of the history of Pre-Modern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by taking an inter-disciplinary and comparative approach to the history of the Medieval West (ie.: the area west of the Indus), by “provincializing” Europe, eschewing grand teleological narratives, and by interrogating essentializing categories that have dominated historical analysis when deployed uncritically and universally (e.g.: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Europe, Byzantium, the Near East…).

We are seeking proposals that focus on the intersection of culture, power and religious and ethnic identity, on communal relations, and/or on processes of acculturation, translatio, and conflict in the broader Mediterranean.

In principle we will propose two panels: “Ideals” and “Action” — the former focusing on the ideology of pre-Modern identity politics and its expression, and the latter on the outcomes of  policy and practice in this regard.

Papers focusing on social, political and economic history are welcome, but we are particularly interested in papers that are interdisciplinary in nature and/or that focus on art history, musicology, architecture, philosophy, history of science and medicine, the construction of class and/or gender identity, material culture or literature, and/or that focus on traditionally understudied groups (e.g.: Berbers, Copts, Armenians) and/or that combine approaches or take a chronologically or regionally comparative approach.

Please submit a proposals for 20-minute papers to be presented in person to Brian Catlos (bcatlos@ucsc.edu) and Sergio La Porta (slaporta@csufresno.edu) on or before Thursday, February 6 for consideration. Include a 150-200 word abstract and a 2-page CV, and indicate whether you will need to request AV equipment, and put “AHA Proposal” in the subject line.

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Medieval and Modern Manuscript Studies in the Digital Age

Medieval and Modern Manuscript Studies in the Digital Age (MMSDA) - 
DiXiT Camp 1
28 April – 2 May 2014, Cambridge & London

We are very pleased to announce the fifth year of this course, funded 
by the Digital Scholarly Editions Initial Training Network (DiXiT),  and 
run by DiXiT with the Institute of English Studies (London), the 
University of Cambridge, the Warburg Institute, and King’s College 
London. For the first time, the course will run in two parallel 
strands: one on medieval and the other on modern manuscripts.

The course is open to any arts and humanities doctoral students  working 
with manuscripts. It involves five days of intensive training  on the 
analysis, description and editing of medieval or modern  manuscripts to 
be held jointly in Cambridge and London. Participants  will receive a 
solid theoretical foundation and hands-on experience in  cataloguing and 
editing manuscripts for both print and digital formats.

The first half of the course involves morning classes and then 
afternoon visits to libraries in Cambridge and London. Participants 
will view original manuscripts and gain practical experience in 
applying the morning’s themes to concrete examples. In the second half 
we will address the cataloguing and description of manuscripts in a 
digital format with particular emphasis on the Text Encoding  Initiative 
(TEI). These sessions will also combine theoretical  principles and 
practical experience and include supervised work on  computers.

The course is free of charge but is open only to doctoral students  (PhD 
or equivalent). It is aimed at those writing dissertations  relating to 
medieval or modern manuscripts, especially those working  on literature, 
art or history. Some bursaries will be available for  travel and 
accommodation. There are eighteen vacancies across the  medieval and 
modern strands, and preference will be given to those  considered by the 
selection panel likely to benefit most from the  course. Applications 
close on 14 February 2014 but early registration  is strongly
recommended.

For further details see http://dixit.uni-koeln.de/mmsda.html
or contact dixit-mmsda@uni-koeln.de
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Postdocs: Hebrew and Arabic Literature

The Maison des Science de l’Homme Lorraine is offering 6 month post-doctoral contracts in Medieval Hebrew and Medieval Arabic Literature at €2400 per month.

Deadline for Application: a June 2014
Start of Contract: 1 September 2014
All nationalities are welcome to apply.

For more information, see: http://www.msh-lorraine.fr/actualites/details/article/deux-offres-de-contrat-post-doctoral.html

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Call for Papers – 2015 Medieval Academy Annual Meeting

CALL FOR PAPERS

2015 ANNUAL MEETING OF

THE MEDIEVAL ACADEMY OF AMERICA

HOSTED BY

  THE MEDIEVAL INSTITUTE 

of the 

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

MARCH 12-14, 2015

The Program Committee invites proposals for papers on all topics and in all disciplines and periods of medieval studies. Any member of the Medieval Academy may submit a paper proposal, excepting those who presented papers at the annual meetings of the Medieval Academy in 2013 or 2014; others may submit proposals as well but must become members in order to present papers at the meeting. Special consideration can be given to individuals whose specialty would not normally involve membership in the Medieval Academy.

Location: The Medieval Institute has one of the preeminent library collections for medieval studies in North America, and the University of Notre Dame’s Snite Museum of Art will showcase an exhibit on the reconstruction of a 15th-century Breton Book of Hours by the Library’s Department of Special Collections. The campus Digital Visualization Theater will be used for a 360-degree visual and aural presentation on the cosmology of Hildegard of Bingen, while the University’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, with five venues for film, theater, and music, will offer meeting attendees the chance to enjoy a variety of performing arts activities. Notre Dame is located about two hours’ drive from Chicago, with commuter train service available. Scholars may wish to extend their visit and take advantage of the opportunity for research or sightseeing.

Theme: “Medieval Studies across the Disciplines” will provide a conceptual focus for the meeting. The Medieval Academy welcomes innovative sessions that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries or that use various disciplinary approaches to examine an individual topic. To both facilitate and emphasize interdisciplinarity, the Call for Papers is organized in “threads.” Sessions listed under these threads have been proposed to or by the Program Committee but the list provided below is not meant to be exhaustive or exclusive.

The complete Call for Papers with additional information, submission procedures, selections guidelines and organizers is available here.

Please contact the Program Committee at MAA15@nd.edu with any questions.

THREADS AND SESSIONS:

Anniversaries
1. Dante’s Intellectual Formation
2. Lateran IV
3. Magna Carta
4. The Battle of Agincourt
5. The Council of Constance and the Great Western Schism
6. Jan Hus and the Council of Constance

The Cosmos and the Globe
7. Hildegard of Bingen’s Cosmic Egg
8. Configuring the Cosmos, Diagramming the World
9. Eco-Criticism
10. Representing and Reacting to Landscapes
11. The Medieval Globe
12. Global Exchange in the Middle Ages
13. New Light on the Stars: Medieval Cosmology

Universities

14. Theology in the University: Illustrations from the 13th to 15th Centuries
15. Artes and Philosophy in the University:Illustrations from the 13th to 15th Centuries
16. Gender and the Medieval University
17. Medieval Biblical Exegesis
18. Mystical Theology 75 Years after Gilson

The North Sea
19. North Sea Currents: Latin and Vernacular
20. Reading the Icelandic Sagas Differently
21. Insular Monasticism
22. North Sea Currents: Travelers and Travelers’ Tales
23. Anglo-Saxon Ecologies
24. Danelaw Cultures
25. Archaeology
26. Architecture

Language and Regional Identity
27. Continuity of English in the Multilingual Middle Ages
28. Insularity and Language: Case Studies (e.g., Sicily, Bohemia, Iberia, Northern England)
29. Performance and Embodiment of Medieval German Literature

Medieval Latin Literature
30. Rhetoric in the Middle Ages
31. Dictionary of Latin from Regional English Sources
32. Songs with Latin Texts
33. Chronicles
34. Prose Genres

Manuscript Studies
35. English Manuscript Studies
36. Women in the Scriptorium
37. The New Philology at Twenty-Five
38. The Interdisciplinary Codex
39. Margins/Marginalia
40. The Future of the Critical Edition
41. The Middle Ages Meets Digital Humanities: Text Editing

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Jobs for Medievalists

The Professorship of Medieval and Renaissance English

University of Cambridge

The Board of Electors to the Professorship of Medieval and Renaissance English invite applications for this Professorship to take up appointment on 1 October 2014 or as soon as possible thereafter. Preference will be given to persons whose work is connected with medieval English literature (1066-1550)

Candidates will have an outstanding research record of international stature in medieval and early modern English literature and the vision, leadership, experience and enthusiasm to build on current strengths in maintaining and developing a leading research presence. They will hold a PhD or equivalent postgraduate qualification.

Standard professorial duties include teaching and research, examining, supervision and administration. The Professor will be based in Cambridge. A competitive salary will be offered.

Further information is available by clicking the Apply link below or contact the Academic Secretary, University Offices, The Old Schools, Cambridge, CB2 1TT, (email: ibise@admin.cam.ac.uk).

Applications, consisting of a letter of application, a statement of current and future research plans, a curriculum vitae and a publications list, along with details of three referees should be made online no later than 24 February 2014.

Informal enquiries about this Professorship may be directed to Professor David Trotter, Chair of the Faculty of Board of English, email chair@english.cam.ac.uk.

Click here for Employer Profile

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MAA News – Speculum News

As a new feature of the Newsletter, we will summarize in this space the latest

Speculum publication news. Members can access Speculum online free of charge as a perquisite of membership. The easiest way to do so is through the Medieval Academy website; click here for instructions. You will need to sign into the Academy’s website using your member name and password, after which no further sign-ins will be necessary. Once you make your way to the Cambridge University Press Speculum site, you can sign up for Speculum-related notifications if you wish. If not, you can simply read below about what’s new:

October 2013: By now, you should have received the print edition of volume 88.4 (October 2013). This issue (and the entire Speculum archive) is available online.

January 2014: Articles and reviews from volume 89.1 (January 2014) are available now to members in advance of printing, using CUP’s FirstView feature.

Please note: articles and reviews available in FirstView have not yet been assigned permanent page numbers. Page numbers are assigned once the volume is in print.

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MAA News – Executive Director Search

Master and scholars. British Library, MS Royal 19 A IX f. 4

Master and scholars. British Library, MS Royal 19 A IX f. 4

The Medieval Academy of America invites applications to serve as Executive Director of the world’s largest scholarly organization devoted to the study of the Middle Ages. The Executive Director is appointed for a five-year term by the Council; the term is renewable.

The position of Executive Director is of vital importance to the successful fulfillment of the mission of the Medieval Academy of America. As its highest-ranking professional employee, the incumbent is responsible for representing the organization’s members, their elected leadership, and the vibrant programs in Medieval Studies whose role in contemporary society and culture we support. Working from the Academy office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in collaboration with and reporting to the organization’s elected Board (a sixteen-member Council which includes the officers – president, first- and second-vice presidents, and treasurer), the Executive Director proposes, develops and implements policies and programs addressing the present and future needs of a national and international community of medieval scholars.

Responsibilities include advancing the interests of the Academy and implementing policies in conjunction with the elected Officers and Council, overseeing the Academy’s governance and membership services, supervising Academy finances and fundraising efforts, promoting membership growth, facilitating the work of Academy committees, coordinating the Annual Meeting and meetings of the Council and Executive Committee, and managing the Academy office and staff. A fuller description of the position is available on request from the chair of the search committee.

Position qualifications include:
-Proven leadership skills
-Excellent oral and written communication abilities
-Demonstrated ability to direct an office and supervise staff
-Knowledge of financial systems and non-profit accounting
-Ability to engage the Academy’s various constituencies in a positive, tactful manner          -Strategic planning and organizing skills
-Knowledge of and experience in dealing with current challenges confronting higher education and learned societies.

In addition to meeting the above criteria, the ideal candidate will possess a PhD in a recognized sub-discipline of Medieval Studies and have a distinguished record of publications in that field. Compensation will be based on qualifications and comparable to that of administrative leaders in similar institutions.

Nominations, including self-nominations, are welcome. Interested parties should submit applications including a curriculum vitae, a statement outlining plans for the development of the organization, and three names (with contact information) of individuals who can speak to the applicant’s qualifications, to directorsearch@themedievalacademy.org or as hard copy to the Academy office, 17 Dunster St., Suite 202, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA addressed to Director Search. Screening of applications will begin 15 February 2014. EEO/AA

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MAA News – 2014 Annual Meeting

annualmeeting2014The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of California Los Angeles is pleased to host the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America, which will be held jointly with the annual meeting of the Medieval Association of the Pacific at UCLA on April 10-12, 2014. The meeting’s theme is “Empires and Encounters.”

The program will include four plenary sessions:

Presidential Address: Richard Unger, University of British Columbia
Opening Plenary Session: Susan Boynton, Columbia University
Fellows Plenary Session: Margaret Mullett, Dumbarton Oaks
CARA Plenary Session

The meeting will conclude with a private reception at the Getty Villa in Malibu on Saturday evening. The annual meeting of CARA delegates will take place on Sunday.

Registration is now open. The Program, registration link and hotel information can be found here:

http://www.cmrs.ucla.edu/medieval_academy/index.html

We hope you will join us for what promises to be a very successful meeting.

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MAA News – Jacqueline Brown Retires

On behalf of the staff, members and leadership of the Medieval Academy, I want to offer my thanks to Jacqueline Brown for her thirty-three years of service to Speculum and the Academy. Since 1981, she has edited hundreds of articles and more than 9,000 book reviews, guiding hundreds of authors from submission to publication. With her uncompromising attention to detail and consistency and her commitment to grammatical and rhetorical rigor, Jackie has earned the respect and gratitude of all who have worked with her. We are particularly grateful for her service these last eight months, when she stepped into the role of Acting Editor with little notice and proceeded to return the journal to a regular publication schedule without compromising the high standards for which Speculum is known. All of us in the office will miss her, and we wish her good luck in her retirement.

– Lisa Fagin Davis, Acting Executive Director

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MAA News – New Editor of Speculum

To the Memberssspence of the Medieval Academy:

The Council, on the recommendation of a search committee chaired by Richard Unger, is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Sarah Spence as the new editor of Speculum.

Sarah Spence has just taken early retirement from her post as Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature at the University of Georgia, where she was Distinguished Research Professor from 2009 to 2013.  A specialist particularly in troubadour poetry, Spence’s scholarship and professional activities demonstrate a great range, from classical antiquity to the Renaissance and beyond.  Her career has been marked not only by an impressive list of publications but also by skill in working collegially.  She has an extensive history as an editor.  In addition to two co-edited volumes of critical essays, Spence has developed particular expertise as a journal editor.  She was founding editor of Literary Imagination and held that post for eight years.  Before that, she was managing editor of Tenso.  After leaving Literary Imagination, Spence took on Vergilius for three years, raising its quality and readership.  Editing has thus been a major thread in Spence’s career, rivaling her activities as scholar and teacher.  Editing and the study of literature, while they are twin strands in her career, have never been divided.  Her interest in encouraging younger scholars to send their work to Speculum, though they may be daunted by the idea of publishing in the field’s most prestigious journal – famed (as it should be) for its rigorous standards – has the potential to establish new directions.  Her wide experience and genuine pleasure in the nitty-gritty of nurturing and editing articles hold great promise for her term as the editor of Speculum.

The task of the search committee proved a difficult one.  Making a choice among the ten applicants, individuals with varied and distinguished credentials, took longer than anyone had anticipated.  After extensive, careful, and thoughtful deliberation the committee made its recommendation to appoint Sarah Spence. The Academy is grateful to all ten members who applied for their willingness to serve and their interest in the organization. We owe a special debt of gratitude to the members of the search committee – Christopher Baswell, Susan Einbinder, Cynthia Hahn, and Cary Nederman – for their hard work over the last months and their contributions to the difficult decision that has now been made.

Sarah Spence is enthusiastic about this appointment and is very much looking forward to her new role as editor of Speculum. We are sure you will join us in wishing her all the best in her service to the Academy.

Richard Unger, President
William Chester Jordan, First Vice-President
Barbara Newman, Second Vice-President

Sarah Spence: Curriculum Vitae

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