The
e-Newsletter of the Texas Medieval Association (TEMA) - Spring/Summer 2005
Published by TEMA through the Department of Social Sciences at Northwestern
State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71497
Edited by Kent G. Hare khare@nsula.edu
In this Issue:
Report on TEMA at Kalamazoo 2005 by Mickey Abel, University of North Texas
TEMA at Kalamazoo 2006: Session Proposals
A Preview of TEMA 2005 at the University of Houston
Past issues of Mirabilia: Winter 2004 |
Summer 2004 | Winter
2003 | Summer 2003 | Winter
2002
Welcome to the latest issue of Mirabilia. Again, it is shorter than I would like. It still suffers from a dearth of news items submitted by our members. That is at least in part my own fault, since I neglected to send the prompting e-mail that usually nets me a few submissions. There are a few items of interest included below, nonetheless. The bulk of the newsletter owes its existence, however, to Mickey Abel of the University of North Texas, who stepped up in response to my plea for a "roving reporter" for this year's meeting in Kalamazoo and thus merits a huge round of thanks! Here follows his report . . . .
Report on TEMA at Kalamazoo 2005 by Mickey Abel, University of North Texas
The
40th International Congress on Medieval Studies was hosted once again by Western
Michigan University in Kalamazoo, May 6-9, 2005. This being the milestone fortieth
anniversary meeting, general excitement and activity at Kalamazoo ran high.
Exemplary plenary addresses were delivered by Jan Ziolkowski of Harvard University
("Mastering Authority and Authorizing Mastery in the Long Twelfth Century")
and A.C. Spearing of the University of Virginia, ("The Medieval Textual
'I'"). Special events commemorating this anniversary included an exhibit
of medieval manuscripts hosted by the Rare Books Collection of Western Michigan's
Library, a corollary display of the complete collection of the Congress's catalogue
of conference proceedings, and a special tribute to Otto Gründler, to which
our own Bonnie Wheeler contributed her own memories. Along this same line, the
Institute published a booklet entitled "The Book of Forty," which
was included in our registration packets. It was a collection of reminiscences
about the Congress over the past forty years, and provided humorous insights
into the genesis of the midnight dance, the "pseudo-society," and
life in the dorms. The conference continues to grow, as does TEMA's participation.
While this reporter did not make it to all of TEMA's sessions — seven in
all — the general consensus at the annual business meeting was that all
sessions were well attended, thought-provoking, and productive of good discussion.
Texas continues to be well represented at Kalamazoo, and TEMA continues to represent
the strength of medieval studies in Texas.
The business meeting on Friday afternoon opened with the traditional sharing
of a bottle of red wine. In attendance were our officers — a nice gathering
of Texas friends, some new faces, and a bevy of attentive graduate students.
Sally Vaughn enthusiastically announced the well-developed status of the plans
for 2005's conference to be held at the University of Houston on Thursday through
Saturday, October 13-15. She described for us the venues for the manuscript
exhibit and the annual dinner, the hotel accommodations, and the University
setting, to include tours of the campus. Exemplary in all the arrangements has
been the support of the President of the UH, who will give a welcoming talk.
Sally reminded all in attendance of the conference deadline of September 15
and suggested that reservations for the hotel should be made as early as possible.
It was reported that paper proposals were already coming in with the anticipation
of a full docket of interesting sessions by the conference date. This promises
to be a successful and well attended conference.
One of the more exciting developments for this year has to be the design for
the fifteenth anniversary T-shirt. Pictures of it can be found on the website,
but by way of preview we were shown the distinctive "Don't mess with Texas"
(written in Latin, of course!) design. Sales are anticipated to be high, so
the initial production was decided to be 150, with a second run possible. They
will sell for $10-$15 depending on size, with the proceeds of these sales to
be split between TEMA and the conference's host university.
While on the topic of money, it was reported that the 2005 conference at the
University of Dallas was very economical because it was so well supported by
the University. And as our revenues continue to grow — especially with
the anticipation of the University of Houston's support— it was suggested
that TEMA should consider establishing some small fellowships or travel funds
to be awarded to students attending the conference. The suggestion was to award
enough to cover a night at the hotel. Along this same line of thought, it was
suggested that we could increase the conference's attendance with the distribution
of flyers — particularly to private schools.
TEMA's participation at Leeds was also discussed.
Sally expressed excitement for this year's sessions on Regal Parentage and Royal
Coronation. For Leeds 2006, there are thus far four sessions proposed, but there
is still time for further suggestions. The deadline is August 15.
As for TEMA at Kalamazoo 2006, we anticipate the same number of sessions to
be granted as in 2005 — a whopping seven! As Don Kagay related, this makes
TEMA one of the best represented associations at the conference. May 15 is the
deadline for session proposals, but several new ideas were proposed from the
floor to include one by Dr Philipp Rosemann on Peter Lombard. There was also
a general call for session chairs and the suggestion that we begin to remind
students and colleagues to submit paper proposals
TEMA at Kalamazoo 2006: Session Proposals
Per Don Kagay, here are the proposed sessions. Be thinking about papers for these sessions if they are approved. The organizer name is included after the session title.
1) "The Correspondence of St. Anselm," Sally Vaughn, University of Houston
2) "Friendship Networks and Spiritual Friendship," Sally Vaughn, University of Houston
3) "Peasant Revolts of the High and Later Middle Ages," Sally Vaughn, University of Houston
4) "Scandinavian Saints' Lives" Sally Vaughn, University of Houston
5) "Debates Concerning Peter Lombard and his Circle," Philipp Rosemann, University of Dallas
6) "Chaucer, Dante, Juan Ruiz and the Libro de Buen Amor," Paul Larson, Baylor University
7) "Dana C. Munro, 'The Speech of Urban II at Clermont: A Centennial Celebration," Paul Chevedden, Institute of Medieval Mediterranean Spain
8) "The Military Orders and the Waging of Mediterranean Warfare," Theresa Vann, Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St. John's University
9) "The Perception and Regulation of Mental Illness in the High and Later Middle Ages," Wendy Turner, Augusta State University
A Preview of TEMA 2005 at the University of Houston
As
mentioned above and described at the business meeting at Kalamazoo, this year's
TEMA conference is shaping up to be a wonderful gathering organized by Sally
Vaughn at the University of Houston. Several links off the TEMA homepage give
various bits of information on this conference, the venue, and related activities:
the Tentative Schedule, Rockwell
Pavilion, and a Medieval Manuscripts Exhibit.
In addition to Sally's own Presidential Address, there are two Plenary Speakers
lined up. Charles M. Radding, Professor of History at Michigan State University,
will speak on "How Many Middle Ages? Periodization, the Problem of Transition,
and the Disappearing Eleventh Century." As Sally Vaughn describes him,
Prof. Radding "is a cultural historian, very interdisciplinary, with books
on intellectual culture, cognition and learning, architecture, theology, politics,
and law." John Block Friedman, Emeritus Professor of English at the University
of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, and Visiting Professor of English, Kent State
University - Salem, will find "The Human Folly of the World in Odd Places:
A Fifteenth Century Manuscript Herbal." Along with the usual mix of exemplary
presentations that characterize TEMA meetings, these addresses promise to be
both entertaining and enlightening.
Sally also wants to "thank the University of Houston for its generous support
- Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences John Antel; the Department
of History; The Department of English; The M. D. Anderson Library; and the Art
Department."
Since
the publication of last fall's issue of Mirabilia, longtime TEMA member
Daniel Wells reported the completion of his master's degree at the University
of Houston, directed by Sally Vaughn. His thesis is entitled, "The Lithuanian
Grand Princes, Their Nobles, and the Policy of Inclusion, ca. 1180-1377."
Last fall he also toured Latvia visiting various medieval sites - "In Riga,
I explored the surviving medieval fortifications of the town, the Church of
St. Peter, and the remains of the Teutonic Order's castle of St. George. I also
visited the castles of the Teutonic Knights at Tukums, Sigulda, Bauska, Dobele,
and Tervete. I saw the native Semgallian hill-forts at Mezotne and Tervete and
a Livonian one near Sigulda. I also studied artifacts in the Museum of Latvian
History and traveled to an outdoor museum at Lielvarde that consisted of reconstructions
of medieval native buildings."
Daniel is just one of many students shepherded by Sally Vaughn at UH. The Winter
2003-2004 issue of Mirabilia took notice of a long list of medievalists
in the making there. Well, they're moving on through. Sally reports that Holle
Canatella completed with Distinction her M.A. thesis on "Love and Spiritual
Friendship in the Life of Christina of Markyate: A Twelfth-Century Exemplum."
Holle has also been accepted into the Ph.D. program at UH, where she intends
to study Male-Female Spiritual Friendship in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries.
Rogan Brunet successfully completed her Ph.D. this spring with a dissertation
on King Edgar the Peaceable's reign, entitled "One Brief Shining Moment,"
positing that Edgar created a momentary empire with the help of St. Dunstan
and other church reformers. Aylwin Bailey also successfully defended his M.A.
thesis this spring with Distinction. It was on the foreign policy of Duke Richard
II of Normandy, through marriage alliances throughout Northern France. Lori
Lehtola completed her Ph.D. with a dissertation entitled, "King Æthelstan:
Rightwys Kynge borne of all Englond." And, finally, Elizabeth Waluna completed
her M.A. with Distinction, defending a thesis on "Me Tangere: Perceptions
and Portrayals of Healing Relics in Medieval Northwestern Europe."
Your
editor would like to announce the third meeting of the Louisiana
Consortium of Medieval and Renaissance Scholars to be held October 21-22,
2005, at Northwestern State University of Louisiana in Natchitoches. LCMRS was
organized a few years ago to foster dialogue among scholars from state universities,
private institutions, and community colleges in Louisiana, as well as scholars
from out of state, for the development of Medieval and Renaissance studies at
the local, national, and international levels. We welcome proposals for papers
based on the current research of scholars in all disciplines dealing with the
Medieval and Renaissance periods. If you would like to visit historic Natchitoches
and present a paper, send an abstract of not more than three hundred words by
September 1 to: Dr. Jean D'Amato, Louisiana
Scholars' College, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71497
(fax 318-357-5908).
TEMA Secretary-Treasurer Don Kagay reports that he and Andrew Villalon have
put out the first of a multi-volume essay collection on the 100 Years War (The
Hundred Years War: A Wider Focus [Brill 2004]). He furthermore continues
to serve for the second year as President of the Faculty Senate at Albany State
University, as well as on the presidential search committee for ASU.
The Catholic University of America Press recently announced the publication
of "A
Pernicious Sort of Woman": Quasi-Religious Women and Canon Lawyers in the
Later Middle Ages, by Elizabeth Makowski of Texas State University.
That's
it for this go around. Thanks again to those who contributed bits of news to
this issue. Special thanks to Mickey Abel for a great overview of Kalamazoo,
which almost made me feel like I was there. Which reminds me - I would like
to include a report on TEMA at Leeds, so if someone who is attending that conference
in July could write up an account and send it to me, it would be greatly appreciated
(Sally Vaughn, perhaps?).
Finally, once again, thanks are due to Ed Duncan, the TEMA webmaster, for posting
and distributing this newsletter as well as all his other efforts to keep us
in communication.
Houston, here we come! - Kent