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Impressions of the Summer Seminar 2006.

Course content

Providing a comprehensive orientation to the field of medieval manuscript studies, this seminar is targeted at graduate students and will also be of interest to junior faculty who wish to improve their background in the field. Over the four weeks of the seminar, participants will learn to recognize and read a broad range of medieval scripts and will receive a detailed introduction to the entire process of manuscript production, from the preparation of parchment and paper through the stages of writing, decorating, correcting and glossing the text to the binding and storage of the completed codex. Medieval conventions of punctuation and abbreviation will receive special attention, as will specific genres of manuscripts, including books of hours, maps, calendars, and rolls and scrolls. Participants will also learn how to recognize and interpret the types of evidence that can help to establish a manuscript’s origin and provenance; they will receive a grounding in the conventions of manuscript cataloguing and an introduction to the science of textual editing. The seminar will focus on manuscripts written in Latin; a basic knowledge of Latin is therefore a prerequisite.

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Format

The seminar will meet for formal sessions on four mornings of each week, Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. During the afternoons, the instructor will make himself available for consultation; he will also hold occasional workshops on specific topics and anticipates that participants may wish to meet regularly for guided group transcription sessions. Participants will therefore have the opportunity to immerse themselves in manuscript studies for the entire duration of the seminar, which will offer a highly intensive level of training.

The instructor Timothy C. Graham is Director of the Institute for Medieval Studies at the University of New Mexico, having previously held positions at the University of Manchester, Cambridge University, and Western Michigan University. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and holds the M.Phil. degree from the Warburg Institute, University of London. A specialist in manuscript studies, his research has centered on manuscripts of the Anglo-Saxon period and on early modern use of those manuscripts. He has lectured and taught on manuscripts of all periods. He has four times directed seminars on paleography and codicology at The Newberry Library, Chicago, and has co-directed two NEH Summer Seminars for College Teachers at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and The British Library, London. His book Introduction to Manuscript Studies, written jointly with Raymond Clemens, will be published this year by Cornell University Press.

How to apply

The deadline for receipt of applications is April 15, 2006. A complete application packet will consist of: (1) a letter of intent in which the applicant outlines his or her academic background, research interests, and need for training in manuscript studies; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a letter of recommendation from one faculty member familiar with the applicant’s work. Application materials should be sent to:

Institute for Medieval Studies
2045 Mesa Vista Hall
MSC06 3620
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(Fax: 505-277-1183)

Application materials may also be sent via e-mail to tgraham@unm.edu.

The Medieval Academy of America’s Committee on Centers and Regional Associations (CARA) is offering two scholarships to cover seminar tuition costs, available to graduate students who are members of the Academy. Those wishing to apply for the CARA scholarships should mention this in their application, within the letter of intent.

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Tuition and accommodation

The seminar will take place on the campus of the University of New Mexico; participants will register for three hours of UNM graduate credit. The UNM tuition rate for Summer 2006, not yet fixed, is expected to be approximately $595 for three credit hours (resident and non-resident alike). Campus accom-modations will be available for approximately $590 (plus $100 deposit) for the four-week session. A block of rooms has been set aside for seminar participants; the accommodations include communal areas where participants will have the opportunity to interact. The instructor will provide detailed information about procedures for registration and reserving accommodations once the seminar participants have been selected.

The University of New Mexico is located in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city, amid breathtaking Southwestern landscapes. Founded in 1706, Albuquerque celebrates its Tercentennial during 2006; Old Town, with its adobe architecture, retains the feel of an early Hispanic settlement. There are many restaurants and cultural venues close to campus. Sixty miles to the north is Santa Fe, the oldest state capital in the U.S.A. ; sixty miles to the west is the ancient pueblo of Acoma, the oldest continually inhabited site in North America; sixty miles to the north-west are the Jemez mountains (with hot springs) and the town of Los Alamos, home to the Manhattan Project during the 1940s. Because of Albuquerque’s elevation (5,000 feet) and dry climate, summer temperatures are comfortable. Seminar participants are encouraged to use the opportunity of the seminar to immerse themselves in the region’s richly historic culture.

Information in PDF format.

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