The Medieval Academy Blog

Call for Papers – 41st Saint Louis Conference on Manuscript Studies

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Chris

41st Saint Louis Conference on Manuscript Studies, 17–18 October 2014

Vatican Film Library—Saint Louis University Libraries Special Collections

Saint Louis University
St. Louis, MO

The Saint Louis Conference on Manuscript Studies is organized annually by the Vatican Film Library and its journal, Manuscripta, and is the longest running conference in North America devoted exclusively to medieval and Renaissance manuscript studies. The two-day program each year offers sessions on a variety of themes relating to medieval book production, distribution, reception, and transmission in such areas as paleography, codicology, illumination, textual transmission, library history, cataloguing, and more.

2014 Guest Speaker: Richard H. Rouse (University of California, Los Angeles)

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Vatican Film Library invites submissions of papers in the following sessions at the 41st Saint Louis Conference on Manuscript Studies, to be held at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO, 17–18 October 2014.

Captions and their Functions in Medieval Manuscripts
Captions may be found in a variety of manuscript genres and fulfill a range of functions. Papers could address their roles in explicating or defining texts and images and their transmitted messages—or could suggest and discuss their alternate dimensions.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Depicting (and Stereotyping) Gender and Race
Papers in this session will focus on visual, rather than textual representations, drawing on images that illustrate chronicles, maps, narratives, and other expository works.

Games People Played
Medieval leisure hours were frequently spent in recreational activities: board and dice games, sporting events, and hunting and trapping excursions. Rather than simply describing these games and their activities, this session could be devoted to exploring the material and conceptual technology supporting these pursuits: traps, weapons, jousting equipment, dice and chess/checker pieces; strategies, procedures, and techniques—as expressed in medieval and Renaissance manuscripts.

Please send a title and an abstract of not more than 200 words to Susan L’Engle (lengles@slu.edu) by 15 February 2014. Each session consists of three 20-minute papers. If you are interested in organizing one of these sessions yourself, please contact us as soon as possible. Those whose proposals are accepted are reminded that travel and accommodation expenses for the conference are the responsibility of speakers and/or their institutions.

For more information, contact Erica Lauriello, Library Associate for Special Collections Administration, at 314-977-3090 or elauriel@slu.edu . Conference information is posted at http://libraries.slu.edu/special_collections/stl_conf_manu.

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MAA News – Membership Renewals

Posted on December 25, 2013 by Chris

All members should have received by now the following message from the Academy with information about membership renewal for 2014:

To the Members of the Medieval Academy,

The end of the year is now quickly approaching, and we encourage you to renew your membership in the Medieval Academy for 2014 as soon as possible. If you have not already paid your 2014 membership dues, please do so by 31 December 2013. Remember to take advantage of the reduced subscriptions to several online bibliographies and the ACLS Humanities E-Book Library that are available to Medieval Academy members.

We are pleased to report that in 2013, with your contribution, the Academy increased its support of members, especially graduate students, through the numerous awards and fellowships offered annually. Funds awarded to graduate students topped $100,000 this year, and we are poised to do even more in 2014. The Academy will also be able to give increased support to the efforts of its numerous volunteer committees that are responsible for so much of the work of the Academy, from the Speculum boards to the many awards committees, from the Committee on Centers and Regional Associations (CARA) to the Graduate Student Committee. We are doing all this while continuing to streamline administrative functions and expand digital offerings.

Since the Medieval Academy is a membership organization not affiliated with any other institution, we rely upon the income received annually from member dues to maintain our program of publications, awards, grants, and conferences.

You can now pay your dues through the robust and expanded MAA website. You will need to sign in with your username and password to renew online. If you have forgotten either, please contact us at info@themedievalacademy.org. The dues and donations categories are outlined on the website with links you can follow for further explanation. If you have already renewed, thank you. If you are a Corresponding Fellow, an Honorary Life Member, or a Life Member, no dues are payable, but we hope that you will consider making a gift to the Academy here. We encourage all members to consider supplementing their membership by becoming a Sustaining or Contributing member or by remembering the Academy with a bequest as part of our Legacy Society.

If you prefer to renew by mail, our traditional paper membership form can be printed here.

With a healthy fiscal outlook, increased digital offerings, and expanded services, the Medieval Academy has more to offer members than ever before. We sincerely hope that you will renew soon and continue your valued membership in the Academy. We look forward to working with you in developing the future of the Medieval Academy of America and of medieval studies in North America and beyond.

Richard Unger, President
Lisa Fagin Davis, Acting Executive Director

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Call for Papers – International Medieval Meeting Lleida 2014

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Chris

The Consolidated Medieval Research Group “Space, Power and Culture” of Lleida University is currently organising the fourth International Medieval Meeting Lleida, which will be held at Lleida’s Facultat de Lletres on 25, 26, 27 June 2014. Like the last IMMLleida, this event will featurefour different conferences, each of them focusing on a different aspect of “POTESTAS” and different papers on a different aspects of medieval studies (i.e. history, art history, archaeology, philology and literature).
Furthermore, there will be sessions about research management, as well as sessions introducing the activities of research institutions,
presentations by companies dedicated to the management and promotion of heritage, and other activities related to the Middle Ages.

Anyone interested in any aspect of Medieval History is welcome to participate in the IMMLleida! We would like to encourage you to present a paper or organise a session or, if applicable, introduce your research group, your publications, or simply come along to enjoy the conference and take part in the free cultural events we have organised for those summer nights.

To enrol, simply fill in the relevant form on our website: www.internationalmedievalmeetinglleida.udl.cat

If you have any queries at all, please contact us: immlleida@historia.udl.cat

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Duke University Rubenstein Library, History of Medicine Collections Travel Grants

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Chris

The History of Medicine Collections in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University is pleased to announce our new travel grant program.

The History of Medicine Collections offers research grants of up to $1,000 to researchers whose work would benefit from access to the historical medical collections at the Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Our holdings include over 20,000 print items and 4,500 unique manuscripts along with prints, photographs, and approximately 500 medical instruments and artifacts including a large collection of ivory anatomical manikins. Collection strengths include but are not limited to pediatrics, psychiatry, human sexuality, yellow fever, and materia medica.

Any faculty member, graduate or undergraduate student, or independent scholar with a research project requiring the use of materials held by the History of Medicine Collections is eligible to apply. All applicants must reside outside of a 100-mile radius of Durham, NC.

We encourage each prospective grant applicant to discuss his or her research project and the collections that might support it with the Curator before submitting an application.

The travel grant may cover:

Transportation expenses, including air, train, or bus ticket charges; car rental; mileage using a personal vehicle; and parking fees
Accommodations
Meals

To apply:

Review the application instructions carefully. A sample application form is available as a PDF for reference purposes only.
Complete the online application form, which includes your C.V. (You may start the form and return to it later, but it must be completed within a week from the same computer and browser.)
Graduate and undergraduate students must ask a faculty advisor to write them a letter of recommendation. We will not consider an application complete until we receive the recommendation.
Advisors may submit a letter of recommendation as an e-mail attachment to rachel.ingold@duke.edu or mail a hardcopy letter to:

History of Medicine Collections
Attn: Research Grant Program
David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Box 90185
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0185

The deadline for applications is January 31, 2014 by 5:00 PM EST. Grant recipients will be announced by March 28, 2014. Grants must be used between April 2014 and June 2015.

Please view our website for further details or feel free to contact the Curator of the History of Medicine Collections at rachel.ingold@duke.edu or (919)684-8549.

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Summer Programs – Geographical, Ethnic, Social and Cultural Frontiers in Late Antiquity

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Chris

The Summer Intensive Course – Luminosus Limes: Geographical, Ethnic, Social and Cultural Frontiers in Late Antiquity to be held at Central European University, in Budapest, July 7-12, 2014 is calling for participants.

The “Bright Frontier” summer course explores the dynamic transformation of classical frontiers between the second and the sixth century from a multidisciplinary perspective: archaeology, medieval studies, social and cultural history, art, theology, and literature. Offering a groundbreaking approach to the field of border studies including social, gender, ethnic and religious categories with the participation of outstanding scholars in the field, this course will provide students with a solid knowledge of up-to-date international scholarship on frontiers: a strong theoretical background as well as hands-on acquaintance with physical borders and material artifacts excavated along the Danube River (the ripa Pannonica) as well as in the late antique cemetery of Pécs in Hungary.

For more information, see: http://www.summer.ceu.hu/limes-2014

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Jobs for Medievalists

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Chris

The Department of Art in The College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University is seeking candidates for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor with a primary research specialty in the visual and material culture of the Mediterranean and/or Near Eastern World (ancient or early medieval), with the ability to teach courses in ancient and medieval art as well as diverse secondary areas. Continued research activity required. The typical teaching load is four courses a year (2/2), and includes the art history surveys. Duties also include academic advising, curriculum development, and service on committees. The appointment will begin August 16, 2014.

Minimum qualifications: A Ph.D. degree in Art History or a closely related field before the employment date is highly desired; outstanding candidates who are in the final stages of dissertation writing (ABD) will be considered. However, appointment to the tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor requires the earned doctorate by the August 16, 2014 start date.

Successful candidates must have an active record of scholarly achievement in the visual and material culture of the Mediterranean and/or Near Eastern World (ancient or early medieval). The Department of Art is seeking individuals with a minimum of 2 years of effective teaching experience as the instructor of record at the college level.

Application materials will be submitted online through Auburn University’s employment site: https://aufacultypositions.peopleadmin.com/postings/373
Please submit the following:
•   Letter of application addressing research projects, plans, and publications, teaching experience and philosophy, and other professional qualifications as they relate to the position.
•   Curriculum Vitae
•   Writing sample: dissertation chapter or published article, c. 20 pages in length
•   Sample syllabi for two courses: one related to the primary research field, one related to a secondary field
•   Names and contact information of three references (letters will be requested at a later date for finalists)
•   Transcript of the terminal degree

Review of applications will begin February 12, 2014 and continue until the position is filled. Following the initial screening of applications, preliminary interviews with selected candidates will be conducted via Skype in late February/early March.

The candidate selected for this position must be able to meet eligibility requirements to work in the United States at the time the appointment is scheduled to begin and continue working legally for the proposed term of employment; excellent communication skills required.

Additional Information: The Department of Art currently offers a B.A. degree in art history, a minor in art history, two degrees in studio art (B.A., B.F.A), and a minor in studio art. Fifteen permanent faculty work with 150 majors. The Department of Art is a charter member of NASAD and is the oldest fully accredited art department in the Southeast. Housed in historic and recently renovated Biggin Hall and a 3D Arts Building, the department includes an 800 sq. ft. instructional exhibitions gallery. For more details, visit the department website at: http://www.cla.auburn.edu/art/

Auburn University, with an enrollment of 24,864 students, is ranked 40th among public universities nationwide according to the U.S. News and World Report 2014 survey. The university’s 1800-acre campus includes the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, the only university art museum in Alabama. The city of Auburn is a thriving intellectual community located approximately 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, GA and southeast of Birmingham, AL.

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
Auburn University is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.
Please apply online:https://aufacultypositions.peopleadmin.com/postings/373
Questions? Contact Art@auburn.edu

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Editor of Speculum

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Chris

To the Members 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