Advertisement
Books Features

New Medieval Books: Why Study the Middle Ages?

Why Study the Middle Ages?

By Kisha G. Tracy

Arc Humanities Press
ISBN: 9781641891974

Part of the Past Imperfect series, this book examines new trends in medieval studies and how it involves interdisciplinary work with other aspects of the humanities, social sciences and STEM. Case studies within the book look at how medievalists are now researching topics such as domestic abuse and disabilities.

Excerpt:

Quite often, when talking to a medievalist, you will hear them say that the study of the Middle Ages is fundamentally interdisciplinary. Far from a boast (although at times it might be), it is a truth of the field. Medieval literature scholars differ from their counterparts in other time periods in that we consider almost all written text, despite genre, as our purview, which means we must bring to bear various disciplines in the course of our study. Art historians must be able to draw on religion, literature, science, among other fields. Disability studies research encompasses science, medicine, literature, sociology, linguistics, and archaeology. To complete our work, medievalists must be at the least multidisciplinary, working with various fields, and more likely interdisciplinary, connecting those fields together.

Advertisement

Who is this book for?

We at Medievalists.net consider this one of the most important books in the field for 2022, and a must-read for students who are considering having a career in medieval studies. The wider medievalist community will also be interested in this work as it offers some insights into how the field has been changing in recent years.

The author

Kisha G. Tracy is Associate Professor of English Studies and Co-Coordinator of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Fitchburg State University. She is well-known among the medieval studies community and has a strong online presence. Click here to view her personal website or follow her Kisha on Twitter @kosho22

Advertisement

You can also hear her on this episode of The Medieval Podcast talking about disabilities in the Middle Ages.

See also her blog post Why Study the Middle Ages? Because #MedievalSo…MuchMore

You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website

You can also buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Advertisement