The
e-Newsletter of the Texas Medieval Association (TEMA) - Spring/Summer 2006
Published by TEMA through the School 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 2006 by Mickey Abel, University of North Texas
TEMA at Kalamazoo 2007 - Session Proposals
Looking Forward to TEMA 16 at Baylor University
In Memoriam - Janice Gordon-Kelter
Past issues of Mirabilia: Winter 2005
| Summer 2005 | Winter
2004 | Summer 2004 | Winter
2003 | Summer 2003 | Winter
2002
This latest issue of Mirabilia once again centers on accounts of and information about the various conferences held by or participated in by TEMA. Although his time at Kalamazoo was cut short by personal business necessitating an early return to Texas, roving reporter Mickey Abel has once more saved the day with a thorough account of TEMA's business meeting during the 41st International Congress of Medieval Studies in May:
Report on TEMA at Kalamazoo 2006 by Mickey Abel, University of North Texas
Don
Kagay, per tradition, opened TEMA's annual business meeting with the opening
of a bottle of red wine and the announcement that once again TEMA was well represented
at Kalamazoo. There was discussion about how well TEMA's sessions were attended,
which all seemed to agree was quite impressive.
Don expressed his sentiments regarding the loss of our colleague from the University
of St. Thomas, Janice Gordon-Kelter. He suggested that the organization honor
her in some way at this year's conference in Waco. Plans were initiated, and
Tom Hanks from Baylor agreed that something suitable would be planned.
Don announced that it was time again to propose sessions for next year's Kalamazoo.
Traditionally TEMA has sponsored six to seven. After a count of the proposals
on the table there appear to be eight or nine to consider. The call for proposals
was, however, left open until the 15th of May so that those not attending the
conference could get their proposals submitted. To date there is a very exciting
(judging by the enthusiasm in the room) session proposing to look at "Excrement"
in the Middle Ages. Additionally, Sally Vaughn has proposed four sessions dealing
with a variety of topics to include "Bishops," "Love," "Trade,"
and "Medicine." Wendy Turner from Augusta State University submitted
a proposal dealing with "Mental Illness" to be co-sponsored by Medica:
The Society for the Study of Healing in the Middle Ages. Philipp Rosemann will
offer a session on "Peter Lombard" and Don Kagay said he would do
a session of "Warfare." Our newest member from the state of Texas,
Dr. Janis Elliott, Texas Tech's new Art Historian, asked if something art historical
would be appreciated. A resounding yes was the answer. Being new to Texas and
to our organization, she proposed to put some thought in that direction, and
further agreed to propose a session for the Waco meetings that would engage
the art historians of Texas.
Tom Hanks of Baylor then took over the floor, giving a group of attentive graduate
students the history of our annual meetings in Texas. There seems to be a great
deal of enthusiasm for this year's conference to be held on the 4th, 5th, and
6th of October. This year's theme will be "The Self and the Other in the
Middle Ages." Tom was particularly excited to announce that Dr. Geraldine
Heng from the University of Texas at Austin will be the plenary speaker and
will be talking about Race in the Middle Ages.
Tom assured everyone that the hotel issue has happily been addressed and that
the Clarion Hotel will be offering attendees a special rate of $80 per night
that can be booked up until the 15th of September. Paper proposals are due September
1st.
The next three conferences are already under planning. TEMA meets at Texas A&M
in 2007, Texas Tech in 2008, and in Austin at the University of Texas in 2009.
All three future hosts said funding was being secured and that excitement was
building.
Don reported that last year's tee-shirt sale was exceptionally successful! We
printed and sold 80 tee-shirts and made enough of a profit to award a couple
of small travel subventions for graduate students attending this year's events
in Waco. A new tee-shirt design is being planned for this year's conference,
but we will retain the "Don't mess with Texas" in Latin inscription,
which seems to be the secret to our sales success. On this financial note Don
added that we now have about $10,000 in our bank account. All agreed TEMA was
in good hands.
On that note the meeting was adjourned with most finishing their glass of red
wine.
TEMA at Kalamazoo 2007 - Session Proposals
Per
Don Kagay, here are the proposed sessions. Be thinking about papers for theses
sessions if they are approved. The organizer name is included after the session
title.
1. "The Formation of Bishops: Education and Role Models," Prof. Sally
Vaughn, University of Houston.
2. "Love and its Manifestations in the High Middle Ages," Prof. Sally
Vaughn, University of Houston.
3. "Kingship, Trade and Urban Centers in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries,"
Prof. Sally Vaughn, University of Houston.
4. "Medieval Medicine," Prof. Sally Vaughn, University of Houston.
5. "900th Anniversary of St. Anselm's Return from Exile: Teacher Theologian,
and Statesman," Prof. Sally Vaughn, University of Houston.
6. "The (Dis)ability and (Ab)normality of the Mad in the Middle Ages,"
Prof. Wendy Turner, Augusta State University.
7. "The Far-Ranging Effects of Medieval War: Captains, Crusaders, and Aristocratic
Families," Prof. L.J. Andrew Villalon, University of Texas.
8. "Peter Lombard and His Commentators," Prof. Philipp Rosemann, University
of Dallas.
9. "Priestly Celibacy and Libro de Buen Amor," Prof. Paul Larson,
Baylor University.
10. "Islamic and Jewish Literature in the Libro de Buen Amor,"
Prof. Paul Larson, Baylor University.
11. "The Subversive Libro de Buen Amor," Prof. Paul Larson,
Baylor University.
In
addition to email notices a couple months ago, the official hard copy Call for
Papers for the 16th Annual Conference of TEMA, to be hosted by Baylor University
in Waco, Texas on 6-7 October 2006, have gone out through snail mail. Although
there is a general conference theme of "The Self and the Other in the Middle
Ages" (as noted in the TEMA-Kalamazoo business meeting), please remember
that papers on literature, music, philosophy, art, history, politics, or any
other medieval topic are always welcome and encouraged. Please submit session
and paper abstracts of 150 words by 1 September to Prof.
D. Thomas Hanks, Department of English, Baylor University, P.O. Box 97404,
Carroll Science Building, Room 106, Waco, TX 76798-7404 or Don
Kagay, 2812-A Westgate, Albany, GA 31721).
In communication since the adjournment of Kalamazoo, Ed Duncan reported that
"we've now 'corraled' (Tom Hanks's wording, not mine) two prominent scholars
to be our plenary speakers." In addition to Geraldine Heng of UT-Austin
as noted above, Cynthia Neville of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia will
make the long trek to join us as well.
Finally, Ed has also put contact information for the conference hotel, the newly
renovated Clarion, on the TEMA web site.
I have no information on the current year's TEMA participation at Leeds beyond what may have appeared in past issues of Mirabilia (and separately on the TEMA web site), but plans are already under way for next year's meeting. Sally Vaughn, our semi-official liaison with Leeds, is soliciting papers for TEMA sessions at Leeds in July 2007. She says she'll be happy to try to organize sessions around proposed papers. The theme for Leeds 2007 will be "Urban Development." Paper proposals should be sent to Sally Vaughn, Department of History, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-3003. For further information please e-mail Sally directly.
In response to my call for information a few weeks ago, Cary Nederman of Texas A&M submitted quite a list of recent publications:
As usual, I am certain that there are many other such newsworthy accomplishments to be noted, but if they are not sent to me, I don't know about them and can't include them! I can resort to tooting my own horn, though:
In Memoriam - Janice Gordon-Kelter
As we all returned to our posts after the Christmas-New Year's holidays, the word went out that TEMA had lost one of its own. In addition to his general e-mail at the time, Ed Duncan also submitted the following short notice:
TEMA members were saddened to learn that long-time TEMA member Janice Gordon-Kelter passed away over the semester break in Paris, France, while vacationing with her husband. Dr. Gordon-Kelter was Dean of the Master of Liberal Arts program at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and wife of former TEMA President Irving Kelter, Professor of History at St. Thomas. Including the most recent conference at the University of Houston, she was a regular participant at TEMA conferences for several years, chairing sessions and reading papers on medieval law and government. Those who attended the TEMA conference at St. Thomas in 2002 will also remember the part she played in the success of that meeting. We will all miss her warmth and cheerfulness.
As noted in the report of the TEMA-Kalamazoo business meeting above, some kind of memorial is planned during the forthcoming Waco meeting. Requiescat in pace.
Thank you to Mickey Abel, Ed Duncan, and all the others who make this newsletter possible. See y'all in Waco! - Kent