Habent sua fata libelli: How the Middle English Dictionary Came to Be
Discover the forgotten story behind the Middle English Dictionary and the scholar who started it all—Ewald Flügel, a German philologist whose ambitious vision helped shape Middle English studies.
Third Reich Medievalists: National Psychology and the Study of Chaucer
Exploring how Chaucer studies were shaped by Nazi ideology, this article uncovers the influence of national psychology and propaganda on medieval scholarship in the Third Reich.
The Federal Assault on American Research Universities, with Clifford Ando
A conversation with Cliff Ando about the revenue models of American research universities and the dangers to advanced research posed by the freezes recently placed on federal funding.
Peer-review: The Good, The Bad, and The Amusing, with Tina Sessa and Marion Kruse
A conversation with Tina Sessa and Marion Kruse on the process of peer-review in the humanities: what it’s for, how it can be done well, and where it can go awry. The conversation is based on many decades of collective experience of peer-review, on all sides of the process.
Academic Freedom, Medieval Style (and What It Tells Us Today)
Medieval universities were hotbeds of privilege, power, and the occasional riot—where students could get away with murder and still be protected by the Church. Today’s academic freedom debates may seem new, but they echo centuries-old struggles over who controls knowledge.
Medieval Academy of America Marks 100 Years with a Special Issue of Speculum
The Medieval Academy of America (MAA), founded in 1925 as a scholarly organisation dedicated to the study of the Middle Ages, celebrates its centenary this year. To mark the occasion, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies, the Academy’s flagship journal, has published a themed issue reflecting on the history and evolution of medieval studies as a field.
Careers for Medievalists?
Sponsored by the British Archaeological Association, this event aims to demonstrate the range of career options available to medievalists, especially those studying in Art History and adjacent disciplines such as History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies.
Medievalist David Nirenberg receives Leopold Lucas Prize
The University of Tübingen has awarded the 2024 Leopold Lucas Prize to David Nirenberg, a leading medieval historian. The award committee recognized Nirenberg’s research on the relationship between Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Middle Ages and today.
Australian Catholic University proposes closing its Medieval and Early Modern Studies program
The Australian Catholic University has released a plan calling for the closure of its Medieval and Early Modern Studies program. Efforts are underway to save the program and the jobs of the seven people it employs.
What academic tenure does for you (yes, you!), with Jacques Berlinerblau
This episode of Byzantium & Friends features a wide-ranging conversation with Jacques Berlinerblau about the changing nature of the academic profession, especially regarding the erosion of academic freedom through the expansion of contingent academic labor and direct attacks on it by the states. Is research becoming increasingly vulnerable to outside political pressures?
An insider’s guide to academic publishing, with Byzantine studies in mind, featuring Anna Henderson
A conversation with Anna Henderson of ARC Humanities Press about the world of academic publishing today, including its challenges, opportunities, and aspirations. ARC is a fairly recent venture, but has already published a number of excellent books in medieval studies (including on Byzantium).
Avoiding Cheating by AI: Lessons from Medieval History
A look at OpenAI’s ChatGPT and how teachers in medieval studies can prevent their students from using it.
Kalamazoo 2022: What the Congress Program Tells Us
Giving a preview of the upcoming International Congress on Medieval Studies – the largest annual gathering of the medieval academic community.
Wherein Tina and I take bad scholarly habits to task, with Tina Sessa
In a fun romp through some of the foibles, evasions, pretensions, and generally bad habits of scholarship, Tina Sessa and I take our fields to task for practices that make our eyes roll. Sure, we’ve probably been guilty of most of these too! But what better place to vent a bit than a podcast?
New Medieval Studies Certificate Program launched at Yale
Students at Yale University looking to learn about the Middle Ages can now join a new undergraduate program. The Medieval Studies Certificate Program will begin in the fall of 2022.
Job advertisement: Postdoc research position for medievalists
The University of Konstanz is looking for a postdoctoral researcher:
The Medieval Institute at Notre Dame celebrates 75th anniversary
It is not only the oldest institute at Notre Dame, but also the oldest and largest of its kind in the United States and a leader in the study and teaching of all aspects of medieval culture.
ASIMS announces new undergraduate Diversity Prizes
The American Society For Irish Medieval Studies (ASIMS) has announced its inaugural Undergraduate Prizes for Diversity in Irish Medieval Studies.
Neoliberalism in academia and its impact on the humanities, with Tamar Hodos
A conversation with Tamar Hodos on how the application of market logic to humanities research and teaching is driving up tuition costs for…
Medieval Academy of America launches webinar series in support of independent scholars
The Medieval Academy of America announces a new webinar series that provides advice for independent scholars and those considering or in the process of pivoting to career paths beyond traditional academe.
How medieval studies is thriving in New Mexico
Medieval scholars from around the world come to University of New Mexico for learning opportunities.
Gender and medieval archaeology: storming the castle
Are there reasons for the silence in relation to gender in the archaeology of the later Middle Ages, and what lessons are there for bringing about a more inclusive archaeology?
Suzanne Conklin Akbari joins the Institute for Advanced Study
Suzanne Conklin Akbari, widely recognized for her intellectual range and interdisciplinary accomplishments in the field of Medieval Studies, will join the Faculty of the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study,
Of Monks and Medievalists
As several thousand medievalists made their way by car, plain, and train to this year’s 54th International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, Michigan, many took notice, at restaurants, hotels, and other public places, of the cover of Southwest Michigan’s magazine Encore, which features Augustine Marie Reisenauer, a member of the Dominican Order.
