Crusades Studies conference

This in a couple days ago:

Conference Announcement and Call for Papers

Crusades: Medieval Worlds in Conflict

The Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies

February 17-20, 2010

Saint Louis University

The Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies will be held at Saint Louis University (St Louis, Missouri) on February 17 to 20, 2010. The title of the Symposium, Crusades: Medieval Worlds in Conflict, will this year place the focus on the “worlds” of the Mediterranean and the impact of the crusades on them. Plenary speakers include Michael Angold (University of Edinburgh), Ronnie Ellenblum (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Eva Haverkamp (Rice University), Ahmet T. Karamustafa (Washington University), Christopher MacEvitt (Dartmouth College), Suleiman Mourad (Smith College), Jonathan Phillips (Royal Holloway, University of London), and John H. Pryor (University of Sydney).

Phase I of the conference will take place on the evenings of February 17, 18, and 19 when two distinguished speakers will deliver plenary lectures of general interest followed by questions and discussion. Phase II will begin on Friday, February 19. It will consist of scholarly papers of twenty minutes in length delivered in concurrent and plenary sessions.

Call for Papers. Twenty minute scholarly papers will be delivered on February 19 and 20 in concurrent and plenary sessions. All topics relating to the crusading movement are welcome. Sessions will be followed by discussion, fellowship, and a banquet.

Abstracts should be submitted by mail, fax, or email by December 1, 2009 to:

Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies
Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Saint Louis University
3800 Lindell Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63108
Fax: 314-977-1603
Email: cmrs@slu.edu

For more information go to http://crusades.slu.edu/symposium/ or call 314-977-7180.

The Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies is sponsored by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University.

Texas Medieval Association

I've heard these are very good gatherings, which shouldn't be surprising given the reputations of the organizers.

Call for Papers: Texas Medieval Association—The Texas Medieval Association is holding its 19th annual state meet at the University of Texas at Austin, October 23-24, 2009. Subjects on all medieval topics are welcome and abstracts (100-200 words) should be submitted by September 21, 2009, to either L.J. Andrew Villalon (avillalon@austin.rr.com) or Don Kagay, 2812-A Westgate, Albany, GA 31721. E-mail: dkagay1@netzero.com.

In medieval news...

I posted this a while back on the old blog, but some of these articles are too good not get a second airing...

IN other news...

Jonathan Sumption's third volume in the Hundred Years' War came out, at last, though I heard vague rumblings about publisher sqabbles, something about UPenn, I think it was, not entirely pleased that it was unilaterally released in the UK by Faber. I could be wrong. The review from The Times:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article5979921.ece

I was not aware that "egads" comes from "Godfrey of Bouillon", or that "to not give a damn" should actually be "to not give a dam", but apparently it is so...Any counter etymological opinions on these subjects?
http://www.journal-advocate.com/news/2009/apr/03/changes-language/

Here's an article from mid-March on Robin Hood. I will not attempt to comment, but leave the gnashing of teeth to the experts, heh heh.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7946000/7946724.stm
Slightly more information on this new source:
http://www.startribune.com/nation/41264582.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBcy7hUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

And an actual synopsis of the new Robin Hood movie, at least as it was momentarily...
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/03/cast-and-plot-details-unveiled-for-ridley-scotts-r.html

I was never as averse as many of my friends were to the idea of Crowe playing both roles; the problem, as I saw it, was that, in that case, how do you keep the film from becoming a "medieval Batman"? Moot point, now. Also, apparently some purists are unhappy that the film will be shot in Wales. Sherwood Forest is too protected, and doesn't really have enough trees...

This just in! Lisa Hilton's rather justified umbrage at David Starkey, for apparently claiming "that women historians, and female readers and audiences, have reduced history to 'soap opera'." Uh, okaaaaayyyy...?:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/behind-every-great-man--how-women-made-history-1662814.html
Of course, I understand that she is being polemic, but I hardly think it's all about subversion from here on out...And after all, whether we're talking about dead white guys, or dead white women, they're still dead. And no amount of reactionary or revisionist scholarship will change the fact that Henry VIII made Ann Boleyn that way...

I have yet to read Cornwell's new novel on Agincourt, but I doubt he claims the longbow was a "new" weapon in 1415!!!! But, apparently, this sort of bodkin-meets-breastplate paradigm shift is influencing our secretary of defense. Amazing how things work sometimes, eh?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/17/gates_readies_big_cuts_in_weapons/

WW2, Korea, Vietnam era conference: call for papers

CFP: World War II/Korea/Vietnam War Eras Area 2010 Southwest/Texas Popular Culture/American Culture Association 31st Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico February 10-13, 2010

Proposals are now being accepted for the World War II/Korea/Vietnam War Eras Area at the 2010 SW/TX PCA/ACA Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our conference hotel once again is the fabulous Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, 330 Tijeras, Albuquerque, NM 87102. They can be reached by phone at 505.842.1234

We are currently in the midst of the 70th anniversary of the World War II era, so presentations dealing with any and all aspects of World War II are particularly encouraged. The area is not limited solely to battles or politics, but encompasses popular culture and the various home fronts as well. This area strives for well-researched, professional presentations that both enlighten and entertain. Listed below are some suggestions for possible presentations, but topics not included here are also welcome.

• Battles and battle strategies
• Oral history and the experience of military personnel
• Film adaptations (docudrama, documentary, fiction, etc.)
• Literature of and about war time
• Video games, television programs during time of war and about particular wars
• Biography, autobiography, and nonfiction adaptations
• The home front experience
• And much more...

Inquiries regarding this area and/or abstracts of 250 words may be sent to Brad L. Duren via email or postal mail by December 15, 2009. Priority submission and registration are encouraged and will be granted to proposals accepted and registrations made by November 1, 2009.

Brad L. Duren, Area Chair Oklahoma Panhandle State University PO Box 430 Goodwell, Oklahoma 73939 Phone: 580-349-1498 Email: uriahok@yahoo.com Visit the website at http://www.swtxpca.org

The Militarization of Childhood: call for papers

Again from H-Net, on a serious and troubling subject:

CALL FOR PAPERS:
THE MILITARIZATION OF CHILDHOOD


In its various manifestations, the campaign to end child soldiering has brought graphic images of militarized children to popular consciousness. In the main, this has been a campaign that has seemed to speak to African contexts without as much reflection on the myriad ways in which the lives of children are militarized in advanced (post)industrial societies. This call for papers is for an edited volume addressing the multifarious ways in which childhood is militarized. Papers adopting novel approaches to the issue of child soldiering and other such explicit enactments of militarism are welcome, as are contributions examining the underinterrogated and everyday ways in which children’s lives are militarized in less scrutinized contexts and settings.

Possible topics may include but are not limited to:

Everyday militarism and childhood Feminist and postcolonial readings of the militarization of childhood Comparative historical analysis of the militarization of childhood Military public relations campaigns targeted at children ROTC and other military and paramilitary youth programs War pedagogy Militarized video gaming Combat role-playing Critical (re)readings of child soldiering Militarization of children as a techne or enabling condition of war Normalization of violence Impact of ‘war footing’ patterns of social life Weaponization of children Critical (re)readings of ‘victimization’ Timetable:
Submission of abstracts for consideration: 1 November 2009 Notification of acceptance: 15 December 2010 Deadline for final draft of papers (7000 to 8000 words, inclusive of notes): 30 June 2010

Reviews and revisions: July to October 2010

Final revised versions to publisher: 1 November 2010.


Abstracts should be submitted via email to Marshall Beier at mbeier@mcmaster.ca. Potential contributors are encouraged to be in contact in advance of the deadline for submission of abstracts. Please circulate this call for papers to colleagues who may be interested in contributing to the volume. Apologies for cross-posting.

J. Marshall Beier, Ph.D. Department of Political Science McMaster University Kenneth Taylor Hall 508 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON Canada L8S 4M4 Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext.23888 Fax: (905) 527-3071 Email: mbeier@mcmaster.ca

Trebuchet to Cannon: call for papers

This from H-Net:

Trebuchet to Cannon: Military Technology 1000-1600

A conference and workshop to be held at the Danish Medieval Centre, Nykøbing, Falster, Denmark

For the last two decades the Middelaldercentret in Denmark has carried out research into the construction and performance of medieval military technologies. Since 2001, the Ho Group (dedicated to the study of early gunpowder and gunpowder weapons) has met to experiment with gunpowder recipes and reconstructed artillery. The tenth meeting of the Ho Group will be an international conference to discuss all aspects of medieval military technology, including artillery, siege engines, gunpowder and cannon, and other weapons. The Organizing Committee extends an invitation to all those interested in this area—textual scholars, experimental archaeologists, curators and historians—to attend and present their work and discuss solutions to, and further problems in, the understanding of military technologies in the Middle Ages. The conference will include a series of workshops and hands-on demonstrations by the Ho Group of medieval technologies, including trebuchets, gunpowder and incendiary weapons, and reconstructions of cannon.

The conference will be four days in length, with three days of papers and workshops, one day-long excursion, and a closing banquet with Renaissance fireworks. The venue will be the Middelaldercentret (Danish Medieval Centre) and the adjacent Femern Link Hotel & Conference Centre. The primary language will be English. Presented papers will be considered for publication.

The organizers request a brief abstract for a paper proposal (200 words, along with a brief CV) or an expression of interest to attend without presenting a paper by 15 November 2009. Full details of the conference and accommodation fees will be finalized by the end of 2009, with a registration deadline of 15 May 2010.

Robert Smith Leeds, UK Phone: +44 0113 263 7547 Email: hox@basiliscoe.fsnet.co.uk Visit the website at http://www.middelaldercentret.dk/HoX