Medievalists, assemble!

[ArthChauc]

(Please ignore my Avengers reference. Or, if you like Marvel comics, don't! :]) 

 

I thought it would be fun to have our own thread to discuss a few things such as Ph.D results (lament, triumph, whatever), what we're currently writing about, and maybe mention some of our interests (scholars, texts, etc.)? I know there are a few of us floating around here and it might be fun. Or it might not. Feel free to ignore me. 

 

Anyway, I'll introduce myself (needlessly, if nobody decides to join in). I'm AC, I'm an MA student in literature and I work with Old English/Middle English texts that relate to materiality, technics, and posthumanism. At present, this is a new interest of mine but it comprises much of my current research. I've been accepted to one Ph.D program (rejected by two, waiting on nine) and my aim is to work with narratives about saints and talk about the role of sainthood in Medieval texts as well as the temporality of the saint narratives and how they become reinvigorated during contemporary times (i.e.: Catholic saints and the Irish rebellion). 

 

Anyway, that's a super vague way of saying that I love reading Medieval riddles, writing about St. Aethelthryth, and I need a break from thesis writing. 

[MedievalMadness]

Hey there! Great idea to lump us medievalists in together! If you don't mind my asking, where were you accepted for PhD?

I applied to four programs, though the fourth (Calgary) is specifically through a grant and outside the normal application process. That would specifically be a digital medieval studies (either lit or languages) program. I'm pretty sure I have to offer up a proposal if I make it through the first round, so I'm busily studying up on the various projects out there for some inspiration.

My research interests have primarily been twelfth century depictions of Welsh hagiography and folklore, most specifically as represented in the works of Giraldus Cambrensis. Lately I've been playing with gender theory and fabliaux, though I'm still pretty keen on the Welsh marvels and folklore.

I'm interested in Old English texts, though I have not had much of an opportunity to study the language outside of one class. I've approached Bede from a Latin standpoint. I also work on the Anglo-Saxon Studies journal 'The Heroic Age', which relies on commons-based peer collaboration. (My only real 'digital humanities' project.)

My other interest at the moment is late nineteenth and early twentieth century critical medieval studies. I'm fond of Lewis, White, Eliot, Tolkien, and all the others. I haven't actually done anything with this, I've just been reading. There's a great book on the subject by Diana Glyer titled 'The Company They Keep'. I'm interested in the changing opinions with the Modernist movement of what it meant to be 'literate' and 'educated'. (Thinking here of Eliot's 'The Wasteland'.)

And I'm rambling now... Anyway, I am very excited to hear from all of you!

[cloudofunknowing]

Hi there - my interests cut a swath from the late medieval through the early modern poetry (from Chaucer & the Pearl Poet through Herbert & Donne) and the rise of vernacular theology and lay spirituality in mystical/visionary texts and in medieval drama. Pilgrimage, the cult of saints, and hagiography (and especially Margery Kempe's auto-hagiography) also gets thrown onto my radar from time to time because of my teachers. Community formation, especially in the late Middle Ages, is also interesting to me with respect to the beginnings of the Reformation in England re: Wycliffe in particular and the Lollards in general; this extends to being curious about other lay spiritual communities like the Beguines on the Continent and the writings of Mechthild of Magdeburg and Marguerite Porete. Where theology and mysticism walk hand-in-hand, I'm also very interested in the apophatic trend (whence my username), the writings of Meister Eckhart, and the impact of Pseudo-Dionysus on the writings of medieval theologians. The main lens, or rubric, I use to look at these different things through tends to be along a gender/sexuality axis and, especially, queer studies. 

 

The other half of my interests/pursuits is on the creative writing side - I hold an MFA - so I applied to an array of programs in both areas. So far, I've been accepted by UT-Austin to do literature (medieval/early modern), and I'm 95% certain that is where I'll be come Fall as I was rejected by Duke and the likelihood of getting into Harvard is, well, highly unlikely. 

 

As far as reading goes, since it's been a while since I've had any Chaucer in my life, John Gardner's The Life and Times of Chaucer has been my bedside reading lately. Scholarship-wise, I've been perusing Mark Jordan's The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology and revisiting Carolyn Dinshaw's Getting Medieval (she is, I guess you could say, my idol in terms of the type of scholarship to which I aspire).

 

Good luck to you both! 

[Katia_chan]

First off, AC, I am having a crappy day and your Avengers reference made it so much better.  You win the interwebs today.

 

And I have to take another second to geek out at MM's Welsh love, because that's also part of what I do, and I never find other Welsh folks, and I'm super super excited right now (possibly in an over-caffeinated under-slept way).

 

I guess I should probably introduce myself too.  I'm a mid-to-late period person, mostly, and have two focus areas that I'm still working on connecting, though I've come to terms that they might never do so.  My first area of interest is medieval codicology.  I love lit, but I also love the study of the actual manuscript construction.  The book as an object, and how it fits into material culture, and what happens to the idea of a "book" when we hit the digital age, and not only are we not hand-crafting them anymore, we're not even holding them.  But first and foremost, I love studying how they were made, what decisions went into their crafting, and what that reflected about the society where they were created.

 

My other interest is in the development of identity, from the medieval period up through the end of the eighteenth century, centering on Wales.  I started the process by looking at Geoffrey of Monmouth, and his manipulation of Welsh lore and culture, and have moved on from there to try and pinpoint the origins of Welsh identity, assuming that it wasn't naturally occurring.  So, a combination of Welsh folklore, culture, and literary nationalism.  When I'm not buried in the medieval period, I spend a lot of time exploring this through Iolo Morganwg, infamous forger and magnificent bastard.

 

I wish I was going to school with all of you, because I want to geek out with everyone who's listed interests so far.  And I apologize for the scattered nature of this post.  As I said, I didn't really sleep last night, and I'm not fully with it today.

 

Lastly--MM, did you ever look at U of Rochester?  Sara Higley does a lot of work on the very areas of Welsh you mentioned (though I haven't read much of her stuff, so I'm going off her faculty profile mostly).

[gatsbysghost]

Hi all!

 

I'm from the U.S., but I'm currently working on a one-year master's in the U.K., and my interests are pretty wide-ranging. My master's thesis is a semantic-field study on the Old English notion of "comfort" in an extra-religious context. My intent is to write my Ph.D. thesis on narrative devices in Old English and Old Norse poetry, and most of my academic experience thus far has been focused on Old English literature. In the realm of literature, I'm also very interested in Chaucer (especially Troilus and Criseyde), as well as a lot of non-medieval stuff that I won't bother you all with. 

 

I also do a lot of work with linguistics, and especially Germanic historical phonology--I actually wrote my undergraduate honors thesis about the semantics of a certain verbal prefix in the Gothic language.

 

So, as you can imagine, I'm a big hit at parties.

 

Great to meet you all! Many thanks to AC for starting this thread!

[MedievalMadness]

First off, AC, I am having a crappy day and your Avengers reference made it so much better.  You win the interwebs today.

 

And I have to take another second to geek out at MM's Welsh love, because that's also part of what I do, and I never find other Welsh folks, and I'm super super excited right now (possibly in an over-caffeinated under-slept way).

 

I guess I should probably introduce myself too.  I'm a mid-to-late period person, mostly, and have two focus areas that I'm still working on connecting, though I've come to terms that they might never do so.  My first area of interest is medieval codicology.  I love lit, but I also love the study of the actual manuscript construction.  The book as an object, and how it fits into material culture, and what happens to the idea of a "book" when we hit the digital age, and not only are we not hand-crafting them anymore, we're not even holding them.  But first and foremost, I love studying how they were made, what decisions went into their crafting, and what that reflected about the society where they were created.

 

My other interest is in the development of identity, from the medieval period up through the end of the eighteenth century, centering on Wales.  I started the process by looking at Geoffrey of Monmouth, and his manipulation of Welsh lore and culture, and have moved on from there to try and pinpoint the origins of Welsh identity, assuming that it wasn't naturally occurring.  So, a combination of Welsh folklore, culture, and literary nationalism.  When I'm not buried in the medieval period, I spend a lot of time exploring this through Iolo Morganwg, infamous forger and magnificent bastard.

 

I wish I was going to school with all of you, because I want to geek out with everyone who's listed interests so far.  And I apologize for the scattered nature of this post.  As I said, I didn't really sleep last night, and I'm not fully with it today.

 

Lastly--MM, did you ever look at U of Rochester?  Sara Higley does a lot of work on the very areas of Welsh you mentioned (though I haven't read much of her stuff, so I'm going off her faculty profile mostly).

Hey there Katia! Have you read Alison Walker's article for the Digital Humanities Quarterly? I think it would be right up your alley. (digitalhumanities.org:8080/dhq/vol/7/1/000140/000140.html) I found it yesterday while perusing some digital medieval studies projects.

And hey! Welsh studies! Have you actually studied the language? Everything I've read has been in Latin (mostly in translation) with a sort of disjointed orientalizing of the Welsh people. (Aside from the Mabinogi, and other such collected stories.) My MA thesis has a whole chapter discussing Geoffrey and Giraldus Cambrensis's textual relationship with the HRB.

Have you published anything on Welsh identity or Geoffrey?

Sadly, I did not look at Rochester. I will look into Higley's work though. Thanks for the rec!

[Katia_chan]

Hey there Katia! Have you read Alison Walker's article for the Digital Humanities Quarterly? I think it would be right up your alley. (digitalhumanities.org:8080/dhq/vol/7/1/000140/000140.html) I found it yesterday while perusing some digital medieval studies projects.

And hey! Welsh studies! Have you actually studied the language? Everything I've read has been in Latin (mostly in translation) with a sort of disjointed orientalizing of the Welsh people. (Aside from the Mabinogi, and other such collected stories.) My MA thesis has a whole chapter discussing Geoffrey and Giraldus Cambrensis's textual relationship with the HRB.

Have you published anything on Welsh identity or Geoffrey?

Sadly, I did not look at Rochester. I will look into Higley's work though. Thanks for the rec!

 

I haven't read that, but I certainly will--thanks so much!

 

I'm, er, trying to learn the language online.  Haven't read anything in it so far.  Most of what I've done has been in Latin translation as well, or books written now discussing what other scholars have done.  My work kind of locked me in the eighteenth century for a while, and I'm just getting back to actual medieval Welsh lit.  But I've got a fun project coming up that's been a long while in the making.

 

I haven't published anything yet.  But my sort of mini-thesis was on Geoffrey and his manipulation of Welsh lore to enable the Norman conquest.  I talked about how he tweaked Welsh folk tradition, to the point where his twisted versions influence even the "core" mythological texts like the Mabinogion.  I love the ways the culture has sort of been twisted around, to suit a multitude of purposes, native or otherwise.  I got to present that at a conference, but it's not ready for publication yet.  I hope someday.  It served as my WS for apps.

 

I actually considered doing the Celtic PHD at Harvard, but was talked out of it by my professor, who told me that my lack of language skills would basically knee-cap me in the apps process.  But maybe a study abroad someday... one of my professors is going to try to get time to look at Geoffrey's annotations on a manuscript in Cambridge. Fingers crossed.  But I'll take a summer in Wales.

[MedievalMadness]

I haven't read that, but I certainly will--thanks so much!

 

I'm, er, trying to learn the language online.  Haven't read anything in it so far.  Most of what I've done has been in Latin translation as well, or books written now discussing what other scholars have done.  My work kind of locked me in the eighteenth century for a while, and I'm just getting back to actual medieval Welsh lit.  But I've got a fun project coming up that's been a long while in the making.

 

I haven't published anything yet.  But my sort of mini-thesis was on Geoffrey and his manipulation of Welsh lore to enable the Norman conquest.  I talked about how he tweaked Welsh folk tradition, to the point where his twisted versions influence even the "core" mythological texts like the Mabinogion.  I love the ways the culture has sort of been twisted around, to suit a multitude of purposes, native or otherwise.  I got to present that at a conference, but it's not ready for publication yet.  I hope someday.  It served as my WS for apps.

 

I actually considered doing the Celtic PHD at Harvard, but was talked out of it by my professor, who told me that my lack of language skills would basically knee-cap me in the apps process.  But maybe a study abroad someday... one of my professors is going to try to get time to look at Geoffrey's annotations on a manuscript in Cambridge. Fingers crossed.  But I'll take a summer in Wales.

Where online are you studying Welsh? And is it medieval Welsh? I would love to read Mabinogi in its original language (and in fact picked up a copy of it in medieval Welsh when I was in Aberystwyth a couple years back).

Curiously, my MA thesis covered a similar treatment from Giraldus. I discussed his use of Welsh folklore and marvels in his manipulation of ecclesiastical power relationships, particularly for the decentralizing of Canterbury's power over the see of St. David's. I'd be very curious to read your paper, though I fully understand that you probably don't want to share since you haven't published it.

I too looked at Harvard's Celtic Studies program, though I knew my GPA/GRE would keep me from admission. Still, I attended one of their panels at Kzoo a couple years ago and was very impressed by their scholarship.

I attended a conference a few years ago just outside Aberystwyth and got the chance to visit their National Library. Unfortunately, I didn't have a LOR to permit me access to the manuscripts. I did get to check out some of the facsimiles though, which was pretty cool. They house some of the biggies - such as the White Book of Rhydderch, a Geoffrey manuscript, the Book of Taliesin, and the Black Book of Carmarthen. I still have my student library card.

It's too bad we won't be attending the same school! Do you ever attend any of the conferences?

[cloudofunknowing]

Wow, it's so interesting to see how varied all of your interests are across the spectrum of the "Middle Ages!" I don't know about you, but in the literature courses I took as a part of my MFA - a Non-Chaucerian course and one on Medieval Women Writers - and, especially, the ones I took as an undergraduate, I was often one of the only (if not the only) ones electrified by the subject matter. (How anyone doesn't find Chaucer hilarious and heartbreaking is beyond me. Not to mention the naughtiness.) It's nice to see others tracking down parallel paths in the wilderness, however geographically far-flung each of us is. 

 

Where the visionary meets up with gender and/or sexuality in queer ways is, I guess, my bread and butter. Whether the text(s) in question are Middle English or sixteenth-century. And where the cultural studies part comes in, usually, has to do with how the slipperiness, or instability, or incoherence of categories like man/woman, male/female, ab/normal in medieval contexts has a great deal to say about similar fractures in contemporary societies. How the instability or incoherence of a term like "sodomy," for example - to lift out of the book by Jordan I've been reading - began/had its inception in a state of confusion that has only gotten more layered as time has gone on. (Interestingly, he claims that, for the medieval theologians who invented the term, sodomy finally came to mean whatever said theologian wanted it to mean. A curious parallel, to me, is how sodomy was often one of the vices attributed to someone suspected of Lollardy, despite the fact that pinning down what Lollardy was, let alone a Lollard, was almost hopelessly vexing.) Along those lines, questions regarding space and, especially, temporalities have most recently begun to vie for my attention. 

[guinevere29]

My other interest at the moment is late nineteenth and early twentieth century critical medieval studies. I'm fond of Lewis, White, Eliot, Tolkien, and all the others. I haven't actually done anything with this, I've just been reading. There's a great book on the subject by Diana Glyer titled 'The Company They Keep'. I'm interested in the changing opinions with the Modernist movement of what it meant to be 'literate' and 'educated'. (Thinking here of Eliot's 'The Wasteland'.)

 

This bit is really interesting! I'd like to hear more about what type of research you might do on this. I'm in the PhD program at Indiana U Bloomington. I mostly do Anglo-Saxon/Old English studies and I'm always fascinated by how much OE Tolkien puts in his writing. In my program start out teaching Intro to Composition but we can apply in later years to teach a lit class based on our own research, and I've always thought Tolkien and his medieval sources would make an awesome class that might get undergrads interested in Medieval Lit.

Anyone presenting at Kalamazoo or attending? Cause you should definitely check out the 1:30pm sessions on Sat (I'm presenting on Beowulf)

[Fiz]

ASSEMBLE THE MINIONS 

[cloudofunknowing]

Hey there, Guinevere - that class sounds fantastic - I'd take it, anyway! Sadly, no, not going to Kalamazoo (this year). And Indiana - I take it you've studied (or will) with Karma Lochrie? She and Dinshaw are (my teachers aside) who/what made me want to embark on this trek. Her book Heterosyncrasies: Female Sexuality When Normal Wasn't - just fantastic. 

[MedievalMadness]

Wow, it's so interesting to see how varied all of your interests are across the spectrum of the "Middle Ages!" I don't know about you, but in the literature courses I took as a part of my MFA - a Non-Chaucerian course and one on Medieval Women Writers - and, especially, the ones I took as an undergraduate, I was often one of the only (if not the only) ones electrified by the subject matter. (How anyone doesn't find Chaucer hilarious and heartbreaking is beyond me. Not to mention the naughtiness.) It's nice to see others tracking down parallel paths in the wilderness, however geographically far-flung each of us is. 

 

Where the visionary meets up with gender and/or sexuality in queer ways is, I guess, my bread and butter. Whether the text(s) in question are Middle English or sixteenth-century. And where the cultural studies part comes in, usually, has to do with how the slipperiness, or instability, or incoherence of categories like man/woman, male/female, ab/normal in medieval contexts has a great deal to say about similar fractures in contemporary societies. How the instability or incoherence of a term like "sodomy," for example - to lift out of the book by Jordan I've been reading - began/had its inception in a state of confusion that has only gotten more layered as time has gone on. (Interestingly, he claims that, for the medieval theologians who invented the term, sodomy finally came to mean whatever said theologian wanted it to mean. A curious parallel, to me, is how sodomy was often one of the vices attributed to someone suspected of Lollardy, despite the fact that pinning down what Lollardy was, let alone a Lollard, was almost hopelessly vexing.) Along those lines, questions regarding space and, especially, temporalities have most recently begun to vie for my attention.

Agreed! People tend to lump us together, but 'Medieval Studies' covers such a massive array of not only subjects of study, but methods of study! We have it all... archaeology, art history, linguistics, literature, history, etc. This is why I love attending the really big conferences like Kalamazoo. (One of these days I'm going to go to the Leeds conference!) I really enjoy sitting in on such a variety of different kinds of sessions.

I'd be curious to hear more about the intersections of visionary literature and queer theory. I've studied a bit of both, but neither in any really extensive context. Right now I'm playing with applications of Judith Butler's gender performance theory and transformations in the lais of Marie de France. I'm supposed to be presenting on the topic next month in Austin.

Oh and speaking of... anyone else going to the Vagantes conference at UT Austin?

[MedievalMadness]

This bit is really interesting! I'd like to hear more about what type of research you might do on this. I'm in the PhD program at Indiana U Bloomington. I mostly do Anglo-Saxon/Old English studies and I'm always fascinated by how much OE Tolkien puts in his writing. In my program start out teaching Intro to Composition but we can apply in later years to teach a lit class based on our own research, and I've always thought Tolkien and his medieval sources would make an awesome class that might get undergrads interested in Medieval Lit.

Anyone presenting at Kalamazoo or attending? Cause you should definitely check out the 1:30pm sessions on Sat (I'm presenting on Beowulf)

Sadly, no. I'm not attending Kzoo this year! My finances have been completely eaten up. Are you, by any chance, participating in Larry Swain's panel?

As for Tolkien and his crew... I am interested in this concept of 'philology' and their analysis of medieval languages. For example, have you checked out Tolkien's Middle English glossary? It's fabulous. Also, C.S. Lewis's 'The Discarded Image' was incredibly influential in my way of thinking about what we call the 'medieval period'. It's such a vast time frame and covers so many cultures and ideas... it's all too numerous to be reduced down to one philosophy or basic timeline. Lewis and Tolkien were participants in a new era of academic study. The Literature degree didn't come to Oxford until right around the turn of the century, so prior to that students had to train in languages if they wanted to read literature for a degree. And, if you think about it, that's how Tolkien approaches writing literature. The story is there to suit the language -- not the other way around. Hmm... I could talk about this all day. Don't let me bore you!

[Katia_chan]

Where online are you studying Welsh? And is it medieval Welsh? I would love to read Mabinogi in its original language (and in fact picked up a copy of it in medieval Welsh when I was in Aberystwyth a couple years back).

Curiously, my MA thesis covered a similar treatment from Giraldus. I discussed his use of Welsh folklore and marvels in his manipulation of ecclesiastical power relationships, particularly for the decentralizing of Canterbury's power over the see of St. David's. I'd be very curious to read your paper, though I fully understand that you probably don't want to share since you haven't published it.

I too looked at Harvard's Celtic Studies program, though I knew my GPA/GRE would keep me from admission. Still, I attended one of their panels at Kzoo a couple years ago and was very impressed by their scholarship.

I attended a conference a few years ago just outside Aberystwyth and got the chance to visit their National Library. Unfortunately, I didn't have a LOR to permit me access to the manuscripts. I did get to check out some of the facsimiles though, which was pretty cool. They house some of the biggies - such as the White Book of Rhydderch, a Geoffrey manuscript, the Book of Taliesin, and the Black Book of Carmarthen. I still have my student library card.

It's too bad we won't be attending the same school! Do you ever attend any of the conferences?

 

Unfortunately, it's not Medieval Welsh at this point.  It's one of the "say something in" language courses--I don't know much about the whole company, but it's free downloadable lessons.  I haven't gotten very far, but I feel like getting a handle on the modern is good for now--I'll try to work on the medieval under some guidance.  (Also I am so drooling over your Medieval Welsh copy...that is just so freaking awesome. [yeah I use scholarly terms look at me. ]).

 

Your paper sounds really interesting; is it published anywhere?  I'd like to read it sometime.  And I have no problem with you reading my paper, except for being embarrassed.  The ideas are alright, but I'm not very confident on the execution.  I don't like much of what I write...but I'm fairly sure you're not going to, like, steal it and run away cackling, so I'll send it over sometime if you want.

 

I have yet to make it to Aberystwyth, but having the chance to look at those manuscripts sounds like it was *amazing*.  I hope to be able to go when I'm officially attached to a PHD program, and can maybe get access to things like that.  As is, my professor from my MA was going to look at the Cambridge thing for me if he got over there this year, but we still don't know if it'll happen.

 

I've spent about a grand total of 12 hours in Wales, and all of that in Cardiff, either at the castle, the Doctor Who museum, or eating Turkish food.  But I really want to do actual *work* there, hopefully over some sort of summer study program.

 

And I've only gone to two conferences... ever, a graduate one at Purdue, and the midwest MLA.  I'm not officially part of any university right now, so cost is fairly prohibitive.  But if you're going to anything, let me know.  I have a feeling if it's a conference that hits your interests, it'll hit mine.  It's going to be very exciting to have access to some travel funding again...

[Katia_chan]

This bit is really interesting! I'd like to hear more about what type of research you might do on this. I'm in the PhD program at Indiana U Bloomington. I mostly do Anglo-Saxon/Old English studies and I'm always fascinated by how much OE Tolkien puts in his writing. In my program start out teaching Intro to Composition but we can apply in later years to teach a lit class based on our own research, and I've always thought Tolkien and his medieval sources would make an awesome class that might get undergrads interested in Medieval Lit.

Anyone presenting at Kalamazoo or attending? Cause you should definitely check out the 1:30pm sessions on Sat (I'm presenting on Beowulf)

 

I would take that course.  I think it would be absolutely fantastic.  It's amazing how applicable Tolkien is--one of my medieval history professors uses him frequently in class, just to illustrate medieval social structures, but having a real lit class would definitely bring undergrads in.

 

See, kids?  Medievalists are fun...

 

Also a guy I used to adjunct with is in your program.  It sounds like it's a really fantastic place to study, from what he's told me.

[cloudofunknowing]

I'd be curious to hear more about the intersections of visionary literature and queer theory. I've studied a bit of both, but neither in any really extensive context. Right now I'm playing with applications of Judith Butler's gender performance theory and transformations in the lais of Marie de France. I'm supposed to be presenting on the topic next month in Austin.

Oh and speaking of... anyone else going to the Vagantes conference at UT Austin?

 

Re: where the visionary and the queer intersect, the signposts I've followed & learned from in my own work have largely come by way of Dinshaw (Getting Medieval but also more generally), Lochrie (especially her essay "Queer Acts, Mystical Tendencies" in the edited volume Constructing Medieval Sexuality) in terms of method and directions and, more generally in terms of cultural studies and gender studies, the writings of Gail McMurray Gibson.  

 

And Butler! Are you using the final parts of Gender Trouble in relation to the lais? I actually will be in Austin and at UT during that conference but won't be attending it -- unless they incorporate parts of it as a part of their recruitment activities. But that paper sounds fascinating!     

[ArthChauc]

Okay, so much to respond to here. I just realized that since I deferred my graduation until summer, I can attend Kzoo now! (Before it was on the same Friday as my graduation, haha.) Super exciting, I'm going to start looking into that soon. Maybe, if people are going, we can all grab coffee and pretend we know each other in real life? Or not. You know. Whatever. 

 

I'm actually in the Babel working group's Facebook group, there's some pretty interesting ideas being thrown around there, such a fascinating group to follow. Truth be told, I used the Bable listserv as my main source for choosing schools and ended up applying to the universities that had multiple people on the Babel listserv. It was a great way to start looking for people and I ended up finding a few gems here and there at smaller (but still R1) institutions--check out Hilary Fox at Wayne State, for example. 

 

Also, I saw my girl Judy B mentioned above. In my cohort, we treat Judith Butler like Miranda in The Devil Wears Prada. I really hope you guys get that reference. We say things like "Uh, Judy B would NOT" or "Oh yeah, Judy wants to know if you finished that draft yet". It's a lot of fun, if not veiled insanity. Anyway, I work with trauma theory a lot (Felman, Butler, Berlant, etc.) and am obsessed with Precarious Life. Pure genius. 

 

Also, Guin (we're there, right? I can call you Guin?) I love Beowulf so if I end up trucking it from Ohio to M*chigan, I'll definitely stop by. I'd love to see your abstract? (Is that a thing I'm allowed to ask for? #nosenseofdecorum)

 

Additionally, I saw Rochester mentioned above. Ugh, what an amazing school (with tons of Medievalists)! It's definitely one I applied to and one of my favorites. I have no hope of getting in, but I'm still crossing my fingers (toes, other limbs) anyway. Ohio has been pounded with snow for the last month and a half, but I'd take five more years of it if it meant going there. Sigh...if only, if only.

 

Also, I saw a few people mentioning manuscripts above...does anyone know how, exactly, to go about securing getting to see them? I've been accepted to one Ph.D program (which I will attend even if the other nine are no's) and will be visiting England, Ireland, and Scotland this time next year for my honeymoon so I'll be in the right place. Help!

[Katia_chan]

Rochester is amazing.  I look at all their ongoing projects--especially Camelot project, and have to wipe the drool from my face.  We have a professor where I did my MA who did her PHD there, and she was telling me about how awesome Sarah Higley was--nutty in the best kind of professor way.

 

I had a professor express concern about the state of that university, so I'm a little skittish at the moment, but that's also just... him.  So I take it with a grain of salt, or a shaker.

 

And AC, don't count yourself out--I managed to sneak onto their waitlist last year, and I'm pretty sure your research is kicking the crap out of mine, so you definitely have a good shot!  Stay strong!  If the past guides us, they might be sending out acceptances this week... *eyes inbox warily*

 

As for looking at manuscripts, I think you neeed some sort of letter or university approval.  But I've never gotten it, so I don't know how.

 

Also, now I want to go to Kzoo (can I call it that? I feel like an imposter calling it that).  I want to see awesome panels and meet up with my medieval GC folks...  I wonder if I can make this work financially.  I've never been to a real medieval conference before...

[ArthChauc]

Katia, you should come to Kzoo (and yes, call it that)! I've looked at the website and you can stay in a dorm--as I will be doing--for about $32 a night which is a great deal when you see that the hotels are about 3x that and up. I'll post a link to the website here and a link to the schedule here. The registration fee is only about $80 or so for students and Bonnie Wheeler (ahh!) is going to be there, so it's probably worth it. I got to see her speak at MLA this year. Pretty awesome.

 

I have a friend who did some work at Rochester and expressed a similar sentiment, but this had to do with an English department scandal. I don't want to get into it too much--mainly, because I don't know a lot--but it certainly made him feel uncomfortable. I don't know that I struggle with it enough to not attend because I'm thrilled with their faculty, but I also don't think I have much of a shot anyway--I come from a very small MA program and my GREs are pretty average, unfortunately. But anyway, only time will tell. Also, you beat me out for St. Louis so I wouldn't be shocked if you did it again How are you feeling about that program, anyway? 

 

I'll have to sort the manuscript thing out with whatever university I end up attending. Looking at the boards (and your list, Katia) it looks like Oregon is notifying around this time. Fingers crossed a million times over for the pair of us. 

 

 

Anyone else interested in trekking to Kzoo? 

[Katia_chan]

Katia, you should come to Kzoo (and yes, call it that)! I've looked at the website and you can stay in a dorm--as I will be doing--for about $32 a night which is a great deal when you see that the hotels are about 3x that and up. I'll post a link to the website here and a link to the schedule here. The registration fee is only about $80 or so for students and Bonnie Wheeler (ahh!) is going to be there, so it's probably worth it. I got to see her speak at MLA this year. Pretty awesome.

 

I have a friend who did some work at Rochester and expressed a similar sentiment, but this had to do with an English department scandal. I don't want to get into it too much--mainly, because I don't know a lot--but it certainly made him feel uncomfortable. I don't know that I struggle with it enough to not attend because I'm thrilled with their faculty, but I also don't think I have much of a shot anyway--I come from a very small MA program and my GREs are pretty average, unfortunately. But anyway, only time will tell. Also, you beat me out for St. Louis so I wouldn't be shocked if you did it again How are you feeling about that program, anyway? 

 

I'll have to sort the manuscript thing out with whatever university I end up attending. Looking at the boards (and your list, Katia) it looks like Oregon is notifying around this time. Fingers crossed a million times over for the pair of us. 

 

 

Anyone else interested in trekking to Kzoo? 

 

Dammit...so tempted.  I'm gonna have to give this serious consideration.  If it's that cheap to stay there, that could be super freaking awesome.  Just have to figure out how to *get* there without it costing me a fortune.  But I'm gonna sit over here with celebrity stars in my eyes and think about it... I would love to see her speak.

 

Yeah, I don't know where my "no thanks" point would be for Rochester.  I think my professor would work to discourage me from going there if I had to pick between the two, but as I said, he can be a bit cynical.  So if you get in, definitely go--then I can pick your brain about the awesome faculty you're working with. I have my fingers seriously crossed for you.

 

And bah--I'm convinced, at most, I got lucky with STL.  I'm still slightly unsure, because some places I applied, like Rochester and, weirdly, U of Georgia, had better faculty fits.  But St. Louis has lots of awesome resources...  That being said though, their DGS is like one of the nicest people ever.  And unless I get snowed in, I'm going to the visit weekend tomorrow.  So I should have some good ideas by then.

 

And I saw the Oregon stuff too...but from what that person said on the other thread, I'm a little nervous for there.  Their stipend is... not looking so good.  I think what you're getting where you've been accepted is way better.  Oregon is a fantastic school though.

[ArthChauc]

Dammit...so tempted.  I'm gonna have to give this serious consideration.  If it's that cheap to stay there, that could be super freaking awesome.  Just have to figure out how to *get* there without it costing me a fortune.  But I'm gonna sit over here with celebrity stars in my eyes and think about it... I would love to see her speak.

 

Yeah, I don't know where my "no thanks" point would be for Rochester.  I think my professor would work to discourage me from going there if I had to pick between the two, but as I said, he can be a bit cynical.  So if you get in, definitely go--then I can pick your brain about the awesome faculty you're working with. I have my fingers seriously crossed for you.

 

And bah--I'm convinced, at most, I got lucky with STL.  I'm still slightly unsure, because some places I applied, like Rochester and, weirdly, U of Georgia, had better faculty fits.  But St. Louis has lots of awesome resources...  That being said though, their DGS is like one of the nicest people ever.  And unless I get snowed in, I'm going to the visit weekend tomorrow.  So I should have some good ideas by then.

 

And I saw the Oregon stuff too...but from what that person said on the other thread, I'm a little nervous for there.  Their stipend is... not looking so good.  I think what you're getting where you've been accepted is way better.  Oregon is a fantastic school though.

 

You're coming to Kzoo. That's final

 

My thoughts on Rochester is that gossip is gossip and almost all programs have some person who will find an "issue". For me, it's about the level of education I would receive and who I would work that. That said, unless for personal reasons, I think everyone who applied to Rochester should appreciate how phenomenal the program is. 

 

You did NOT get lucky with STL. It's an amazing program with wonderful people there. I did hear from a professor that they're restructuring things there--do you know anything about that? And yes, their DGS is wonderful from my experience :] You'll have to tell us about your visit! I would kill to go there. 

 

Yeah, I was shocked at Oregon's stipend and the fact that they aren't flying the person in for a campus visit. Crazy, if you ask me. 

[Katia_chan]

You're coming to Kzoo. That's final

 

My thoughts on Rochester is that gossip is gossip and almost all programs have some person who will find an "issue". For me, it's about the level of education I would receive and who I would work that. That said, unless for personal reasons, I think everyone who applied to Rochester should appreciate how phenomenal the program is. 

 

You did NOT get lucky with STL. It's an amazing program with wonderful people there. I did hear from a professor that they're restructuring things there--do you know anything about that? And yes, their DGS is wonderful from my experience :] You'll have to tell us about your visit! I would kill to go there. 

 

Yeah, I was shocked at Oregon's stipend and the fact that they aren't flying the person in for a campus visit. Crazy, if you ask me. 

 

Well, if you say I must come, then I must come. *salutes*.  We should all go and have GC T-shirts. (I'm tired and silly, sorry. )

 

I agree with you about Rochester though.  hear-say is only that, and I'm fairly sure I would pass out with excitement if I got admitted.  It would be a tough choice for me though, so I think you should just take the Rochester luck, and then we can cross-university collaborate on stuff, and have a team of ass-kicking GC medievalists with our other folks here.

 

I don't know anything about the restructure, but if I get a chance to work it in to my questions this weekend, I will.  They're housing us with current students, so maybe I can even get the skinny from them.  I will certainly report all I hear.

 

And after St. Louis' generosity, which is fairly standard for a program but still kind of shocking to me, I'm really shocked about Oregon's financial situation.  I hadn't heard about them also not flying the candidate out for the visit.  If things are that bad financially around there, I admit I'd be a little nervous.  But the quality of the scholarship would make up for a lot of that, as long as the students can afford to live.  It's a school that seems to really put value on its medievalists in particular, which was what drew me to it for apps.  It's nice when somebody shows us the love...

[MedievalMadness]

I agree with AC. The Kzoo is the absolute best!! There's so much variety of topics and sessions ... and lots of happy hours and even a bizarro 'dance' on Saturday night. (You haven't lived until you've seen Asa Simon Mittman getting down on the dance floor with medievalists in their sixties.)

 

I very much wish I could go this year! sigh. Unless circumstances change at work, there is absolutely zero chance for me. 

 

Also, someone mentioned a Babel Working Group listserv. I went looking online last night and couldn't find a way to get access to it. Any tips?

 

Lastly -- to all those asking about Judith Butler -- yes! I used that section from Gender Trouble!  (And it's hilarious that your school refers to her as 'Judy B'!) Gah, I need medievalist friends. My husband just stares at me like I'm a nut.

[cloudofunknowing]

The Babel Working Group also has a Facebook page that throws interesting things out into the ether on a regular basis. The medievalist I studied with as a part of my MFA is a part of Babel; I'll check with her to see how one might join the listserv. The people who run the In the Middle medievalist blog are also affiliated with Babel & punctum books, which published a book by Aranye Fradenburg last year -- Staying Alive -- that I cannot wait to read.