Memorial Session for Lister Matheson – Kalamazoo 2013 Call for Papers

Books Have Their Histories: Medieval Chronicles and Their Scribes, Manuscripts,

and Early Editions – In Memory of Lister M. Matheson

International Medieval Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan: May 9-12, 2013

Deadline: September 15, 2012

For information, contact dominique.hoche@westliberty.edu or dominique.hoche@gmail.com

Lister Matheson (1948-2012; Professor of English and Medieval Studies, Michigan State University) was a major scholar in many fields, but two of his most important scholarly legacies lie in the arenas of medieval chronicle studies (including the Middle English Prose Brut and the relation of chronicles to medieval literary traditions) and early book and manuscript studies (in a wide variety of content areas, from historical writing and popular legends to scientific texts and ownership/biographical  studies).  He was a frequent and fondly-remembered participant in many Medieval Congresses over the years, both as a speaker and as an organizer and chair of sessions. 

Papers for these memorial sessions should  be united by the broad theme of the medieval presentation of history and the codicological settings through which that history was transmitted.  Papers may focus on various aspects of later medieval chronicles; manuscripts and printed texts linked to medieval historical writings; the scribes, printers, owners, or commissioners of such texts; and similar topics. As Professor Matheson’s own work has shown, a full understanding of medieval historical texts demands attention to both the content of the works in question — which could vary quite significantly depending on the needs or interests of the users of those texts — and the material circumstances of producing those works.  Papers illuminating these connections should be of interest to historians, literary specialists, and/or early book scholars, inter alia.

Proposals should be no longer than 400 words and must clearly indicate the significance, line of argument, principal texts and relation to existing scholarship (if possible). Email the proposal in the body of the message, a 50-word bio note, and a completed Participant Information form (http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html#PIF) to Dominique Hoche at dominique.hoche@westliberty.edu or dominique.hoche@gmail.com . Due September 15, 2012.

For general information about the 2013 Medieval Congress, visit: http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/index.html.

cfp categories: 

bibliography and history of the book

cultural studies and historical approaches

interdisciplinary

international conferences

journals and collections of essays

medieval

 ===================================================================

 For members of the Medieval Chronicle Society who can’t make an international trip to Kalamazoo next year, a similar session or sessions are envisioned for the 2013 Leeds International Medieval Congress, and the CFP for that/those session(s) will also be announced on the MCS website and/or the next Newsletter.