S. Worthen | Weblog

International Medieval Congress, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 12-15, 2011
International Medieval Congress, Leeds, UK, July 11-14, 2011.

These two AVISTA-sponsored sessions, one each at the Medieval Congresses at Kalamazoo and at Leeds in 2010, offer a venue for literary scholars to contemplate where and how technology appears in medieval romances, sagas, fabulae, and other forms, as well as technology’s meanings, importance, and change over time. Recent work on early modern technology and literature (e.g. Cohen’s Shakespeare and Technology (Palgrave 2006)) has shown both the value of this approach, but also highlighted its difficulties and pitfalls, an additional element we hope to bring out in this session.

The Association Villard de Honnecourt for Interdisciplinary Study of Medieval Technology, Science, and Art (AVISTA) is a scholarly organization dedicated to any and all medieval topics which relate to the practical sciences or technologies. For more information on it, see its website: http://orgs.uww.edu/avista/

Abstracts and cover pages are due to Shana Worthen (sworthen@owlfish.com) no later than September 15, 2010 for either session. (Cover pages for submissions for papers at Kalamazoo are available here: http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html#PIF. For Leeds, only contact details will be needed in addition to your abstract.)

CFP: Weblogs and the Academy: The Scope of the Professional and Boundaries of the Personal in Open, Pseudo-Anonymous, and Anonymous Blogging
International Medieval Congress at Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 7-10, 2009

Elisabeth Carnell and I are organizing next year's installation of the "Weblogs and the Academy" series for Kalamazo in 2009. Would you be interested in giving a paper on personal/professional boundaries; the Tribble effect; open, pseudo-anonymous, and anonymous academic blogging; or any other related topic as it relates, in some way, to Medieval Studies?

Last year's session ended with a passionate discussion on this very subject, far more material than could be fit into question time, so it's high time that it had a session of its own. Contact me about it, or the official pointwoman, Elisabeth. Her details are listed on the last page of the official K'zoo CFP. (PDF)

All paper abstracts must be received no later than September 15th, along with cover pages detailing contact information and equipment requirements.

Call for Papers

Book Technologies (Sponsored by AVISTA)
International Medieval Congress, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 7-10, 2009

In the production, use, and storage of books, a large variety of tools and techniques come together, including pens, pen knives, parchment and paper production, clocks for timing the pace of writing, organizational technologies such as indices, bookmarks, bookshelves, lecturns, libraries, book chains, and eyeglasses for reading books.

AVISTA is sponsoring two sessions on Book Technologies for the International Medieval Congress (Kalamazoo, Michigan) for 2009. These panels will explore the multitude of technologies which come together in all apects of the production and use of books.

The Association Villard de Honnecourt for Interdisciplinary Study of Medieval Technology, Science, and Art (AVISTA) is a scholarly organization dedicated to any and all medieval topics which relate to the practical sciences or technologies. For more information on it, see its website: http://orgs.uww.edu/avista/

Abstracts and cover pages are due to Shana Worthen (sworthen@owlfish.com) no later than September 15, 2008. Cover pages are available here: http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions.html#PIF