The Illuminating Manuscript
An Occasional Newsletter about the Medievalist Graduate Students of Loyola’s History Department
Updated Fall 2009
Kathryn Coldiron (M.A. Student) writes: “I have successfully completed half of the coursework for my M.A. in medieval history and I am looking forward to my second year in the program. I am beginning to think seriously about a topic for my master’s essay, and I am particularly looking forward to taking Professor Rosenwein’s seminar on the history of emotions at the Newberry Library this fall. I am also working towards completing a minor in Public History.”
Andrew Donnelly (Ph.D. Candidate) reports: “Last year was a good year. In the fall I passed my major field examination (with distinction). Shortly thereafter, to our tremendous joy, my wife gave birth to our first child, Madeleine. I also co-organized the conference ‘Education: Forming and Deforming the Premodern Mind,’ at the Newberry Library and co-edited the subsequent conference proceedings. Loyola awarded me with an Arthur J. Schmitt Dissertation Fellowship for the current academic year. I'll spend this year researching and writing chapters of my dissertation (entitled ‘Food and Society in Late Antique and Early Medieval Italy’) and applying for external fellowships for the following year. I have also tentatively scheduled two research trips: one to Rome, to work on pottery from an excavation at Ostia, and the other to Egypt, to participate in the classification of finds from the Schedia project.”
Thomas Greene (Ph.D. Candidate) writes: “Since the last newsletter, I presented ‘Emotional Norms and Ninth Century Monasticism: Lupus of Ferrières' Hagiography’ at the International Medieval Congress held at the University of Leeds in July 2009. My application to the German Historical Institute's Medieval Seminar was accepted. At its meeting in London this October, I will present part of the dissertation chapter that I wrote over the summer, ‘De filii irae facit filios Dei: Emotional Transformation in the Carolingian Baptismal Ritual.’ I have received a Schmitt Fellowship for the 2009-2010 academic year, and I will spend the fall working on Chapter Three of my dissertation, tentatively titled ‘Ardenti affectu: Experiencing the Mass in Late-Ninth-Century Auxerre.’ Finally, my first article, ‘Exegesis, Emotional Standards and the Eucharist in Ninth-Century Auxerre,’ will appear in Medieval Perspectives, vol. 24.”
Stephen McCoy (M.A. Student) reports: “I have just begun my second year as a Masters student. If I remain on track I hope to graduate in the Spring. My major research interest is that of perception. In particular in how the Roman Empire was perceived by those in the Middle Ages and how this perception affected thought and action. I am in the midst of preparing a conference paper on the medieval perception of the Colosseum. I am also currently solidifying a topic for my Masters Essay, which will also largely deal with the idea of perception.”
Amy Oberlin (Ph.D. Student) notes: “In Fall 2008, I completed my Master's Essay, ‘Credendum et sentiendum: Queenly Emotions in Hrabanus Maurus’ Commentaries on Esther and Judith.’ Over the summer I took the comprehensive exam, thus completing the requirements for the Master's Degree. I am now happily transitioned into the Ph.D. program here at Loyola and look forward to a productive year of coursework. Additionally, I will present ‘Love and Politics in the Exegesis of Hrabanus Maurus’ at the Midwest Medieval History Association conference at Notre Dame University in late September.”
Daniel O'Gorman (Ph.D. Student) reports: “This past year has seen my status change from that of Ph.D. student to candidate. To this end, I took my major field exams last fall, which I passed with distinction. Additionally, in the spring, I successfully defended my dissertation proposal, ‘Standardization in Later Anglo-Saxon England.’ As the recipient of an Advanced Doctoral Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year, I am not doing any regular teaching. I am, however, running the interactive seminar for the Medieval Studies program. In October I will be presenting elements of the first chapter of my dissertation in a paper entitled ‘“Þæt An Mynet Gange Ofer Ealle Þas Þeode”: The Move towards a Standardized Coinage in Late Anglo-Saxon England’ at the annual conference of the Southeastern Medieval Association in Nashville, Tennessee. Finally, I have had the opportunity to do some manuscript work over the last year, in November at the British Museum in London and also in August at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library in Collegeville, Minnesota. The latter endeavor was made possible by the receipt of a Heckman Stipend. I plan to continue this research by means of another trip to England this winter.”
Jilana Ordman (Ph.D. Candidate) reports: “This past year I have avoided other projects, including the possibility of publication, in order to focus on researching and writing my dissertation, ‘Feeling Like a Crusader: Crusader Affect and Crusade Theology.’ In the spring semester I plan to present conference papers based on chapters I already have or will have completed by then, but more importantly I hope to defend my project in late summer 2010.”
Christopher Panagakis (M.A. Student) says: “I am currently in the M.A. program in history. The fall of 2009 marks my return to academia after an absence of four years. I am very excited to finally embark on my journey of becoming a medievalist. Though it was rather daunting at first, I believe my first few weeks in graduate school have been successful. I have fully immersed myself in both Latin and Hist 415 (The Late Middle Ages/Renaissance). I plan to minor in either the ancient Mediterranean or pubic history and I look forward to my future studies."
Stephanie Ridella (M.A. Student) reports: “I have embarked on my second year of coursework eagerly looking towards the future. I am very interested in the material that will be covered in my classes, especially the history of emotions and the later middle ages. In the history of emotions seminar, I'm exploring the emotional responses to epidemic and pandemic disease, particularly the Black Death, which I find fascinating. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward, exploring where my education will take me next, be that a doctoral program, law school or outside of academia.”
Panos Siampos (M.A. Student) writes: “Over the summer I submitted a proposal to present a paper at the Midwest Medieval Conference at Notre Dame University. It was accepted, and I will present in late September. The paper, ‘The Cartulary of SS. Elias and Anastasios of Carbone: In the Periphery of Rome and Constantinople,’ is the product of work from a Newberry seminar I attended a year ago (Fall ’08) and reflects a new focus for my academic work: Basilian monasticism in medieval southern Italy. This fall semester (’09) I am finishing coursework with Father McManamon’s Late Medieval Seminar and also attending a Greek Historiography course with Professor Dobrov in Classics.”
Maria Wagner (M.A. Student) writes: “In the last year, my coursework has allowed me to delve into primary research and begin translating. I explored Bernard of Clairvaux’s role in the divorce of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine and am pleased to be able to present my work at an upcoming graduate student conference at NIU. I hope to present at Loyola in the spring, as well. In addition to my two graduate courses, I am studying Latin and doing bookkeeping and consulting for several clients in Chicago and Pennsylvania.”