But when we needed some more panelists for the Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages panel I was happy to step up, and frankly honoured to be asked. Also, the research I did for my paper this year took me into academic realms that I had not yet fully explored, but that I was definitely interested in. What medievalist doesn't fondly remember the things that brought them to the Middle Ages, and this years panel Growing Up with the Middle Ages was the perfect opportunity to write about that.
But also, after five long years of subsequent applications I have finally acquired enough experience and contacts and clout to get into a PhD program. It also so happens that I will be doing this PhD program at Western Michigan University, home of The Medieval Institute and The International Congress of Medieval Studies. While I have seen the campus before I took the opportunity this year to do some more exploring of the town and the campus, to try and figure out what it's going to be like for a Canadian doing a PhD in the United States. I don't know that I got the full picture, but I think I may be mentally prepared for the non-multi coloured money.
I fully enjoyed the sessions that I attended this year. As per usual, I focused on my two interests : medievalisms and Vikings Age/Medieval Scandinavia.
I arrived Thursday night, just enough time to settle in and put a few finishing touches on my powerpoint presentation.
Friday May 11, 2012
10:00 am :
Growing Up with the Middle Ages: The Influences on Children's Ideas about the Medieval World
(Our panel)
Sponsored by: Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages
Jousting Knights and Tournament Ladies: Children's Understanding of Reconfigured Gender Relations in the Modern Sport of Jousting
Whitney A.M. Leeson, Roanoke College
Kids and Castles: The Moat between Medieval Art and Contemporary Consumption
Dawn Cunningham, University of St. Michael's College, University of Toronto
Saturday Morning Medieval: Medievalisms and Children's Television Programming
Megan Arnott, Western Michigan University
11:45 am :
This was followed by the Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages business meeting.
3:30 pm:
Between Theory and Practice: Late Medieval Scandinavian Political Thought
Organizer: Leidulf Melve, Senter for Middelalderstudier, Univ. i Bergen
Scholastic Political Thought and Political Discourse in Late Medieval Scandinavia
Bjorn Gunnar Tjallen, Senter for Middelalderstudier, Univ. i Bergen
Political Thought in Late Medieval and Early Modern Scandinavian
Leidulg Melve, Senter for Middelalderstudier, Univ. i Bergen
(Unfortunately Geir Atle Ersland could not be there to present his paper entitled Republic versus Monarchy: Urban Government in Late Medieval Scandinavia)
Saturday May 12, 2012
10:00 am:
The Comics get Medieval at Kalamazoo: New Perspectives for Incorporating Comics into Medieval Studies Teaching and Research (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Grotesque in Comics
Fabio Mourilhe, Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Caliber (2008), or Arthur's Mystical Six-Shooter and the Gunslingers of the O.K. Corral
Karen Casebier, St. Mary's College of Maryland
Arthurian Themes in DC Comic's Demon Knights (2011 - )
Jason Tondro, Univ. of California-Riverside
1:30 pm:
Scandinavian Studies I
Sponsor: Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies
Manifestations of Colonialism in High Medieval Denmark: Friendship Networks and Patterns of Exchange
Maria Corsi, Univ. of Houston
A Neolithic Origin for the Collective Female Deities, The Disir
Frank Battaglia, College of Staten Island, CUNY
Norway's Man: Sigmund in Foereyinga saga and Sigmundar kvoedi
Megan Gilge, St. Louis Univ.
Theft in the Eyes of the Beholder: The Morphology of Hallgerdr's Thjofsaugu
Ilya V. Sverdlov, Independent Scholar
3:30 pm:
Scandinavian Studies II
Sponsor: Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies
The Hills Have Eyes: Post-morten Mountain-Dwelling and the Lurking Linimal Terrors of the (Super) Natual Landscape in the Islendingasogur
Miriam Mayburd, Haskoli Islands
The Problem of Rupture and Disruption in Eyrbyggja saga
Sarah M. Anderson, Princeton Univ.
The Speech Act as Double-Edged Sword in the Poetic Edda
Derek Shank, Univ. of Western Ontario
Hattatal Stanza 12 and the Divine Legitimation of Kings: The Exception Proves the Rule?
Kevin J. Wanner, Western Michigan Univ.
I have also determined that it takes approximately 6.5 hours to drive from Toronto to Kalamazoo, but more like 8 hours with stops for gas, food, washrooms and the border.
Looking forward to future conferences at my new home.
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