The following is the contribution of Maggie Gilchrist. Maggie is a PhD Candidate in IU’s English Department; she is also the current President of the Medieval Studies Institute’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee. Her research focuses on death and the dead in Late Middle English Romance. In the Spring of 2019, I found out that the… Read more »

In lieu of our usual contributions, this month we simply want to draw attention to and celebrate all of the Medieval Studies Institute faculty, staff, and students who have been a part of the process of preparing to host the 96th Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America, which will be held April 15-18,… Read more »

The following is the contribution of Sarah Pedzinski, a PhD candidate in English Literature at Indiana University. Her dissertation focuses on Old English dragons as marvelous creatures existing in between the natural and the supernatural. Her other research interests include legendary heroes and monsters in Old English, Old Norse, and Early Middle English literatures. You… Read more »

The following is the contribution of Dr. Shannon Gayk, Associate Professor in the Department of English. Dr. Gayk specializes in late medieval religious writing and art and is completing a book about what medieval religious texts might say to our modern environmental crisis. What did medieval people think the end of the world would look… Read more »

Today’s blog post shares a recording of the Institute’s most recent Alumni Lecture, given via Zoom on November 13th, 2020 by Dr. Diane Shane Fruchtman (Assistant Professor of Religion at Rutgers University). The lecture is titled “Augustine and the Life of Martyrdom.” In his sermons, Augustine of Hippo forcefully argued that martyrdom did not require… Read more »

The following is the contribution of Dr. Akash Kumar, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of French and Italian. Dr. Kumar specializes in medieval Italian literature, particularly lyric poetry and Dante’s Divine Comedy. His interests also include the History of science and philosophy, cultural mingling in the medieval Mediterranean, and games in medieval culture. Teaching… Read more »

The following post is the contribution of current MEST graduate student, Meagan Allen. Meagan is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine at Indiana University and a Cain Dissertation Fellow at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, PA. Her dissertation, “Roger Bacon’s Medical Alchemy: Occult Remedies and the… Read more »

The following has been contributed by MEST alumna Gina Brandolino (PhD English, 2007). Dr. Brandolino is a lecturer in the Department of English and Sweetland Center for Writing at the University of Michigan. She teaches several different horror courses in addition to courses focused on medieval literature, working class literature, and comics. Visit the student-powered… Read more »

The following post is the contribution of one of MEST’s alumni, Dr. Julie Chamberlin (PhD, English). I graduated from IU with my PhD in medieval English literature in Spring 2019. Since graduating, I have joined the faculty at Loyola University Chicago as a full-time lecturer specializing in medieval and early modern literature. I am currently… Read more »

As we prepare for the new semester and the new academic year, MEST has also welcomed several new staff members. We’re excited to introduce you to our current staff: JEREMY SCHOTT, Director Jeremy has been on the MEST faculty since arriving at Indiana in 2013. During the past few years, he has served on our… Read more »