This week in my Medieval Women Writers class, we are reading the letters of Heloise and Abelard. Is it a coincidence this excellent post on the Medieval Histories site appeared on Valentine’s Day listing major publications about them? Check it out!
Two courses I teach, Medieval Women Writers and The Sounds of Silence: A Biodiversity of Mute and Quiet Women in a World of Brutal Noise,* seem even more timely than ever now that the revelations — fearlessly spoken by heroic female athletes — of sexual abuse they endured have rocked the world. One of my … More Our Duty
“The feeling you get after leaving as a female–like a badass.” A favorite student evaluation. It’s the effect of reading about amazing women, historical and fictional…
#metoo The historic loss of Roy Moore in Alabama teaches us about many things, including the importance of listening to women, who are too often silenced. Each time I teach my class called The Sounds of Silence: A Biodiversity of Mute and Quiet Women in a World of Brutal Noise,* I learn so much from … More Responding to Silence Boisterously
That Julian of Norwich! All shall be well, according to her, and indeed it was the other day. I saw an email from a friend I hadn’t had contact with in years. Work, motherhood, moving thousands of miles away–all these had separated us–though not our hearts. Hélène and I worked together when we were young … More How Julian of Norwich still works miracles
I’m delighted to announce that A Medieval Woman’s Companion: Women’s Lives in the European Middle Ages has been awarded a number of honors. Winner: Gold Medal in College Nonfiction from Literary Classics as well as being awarded a Seal of Approval. Their review, which you can read in full here, calls the book “Compelling…fascinating.” It … More Awards: Gold Medal in College Nonfiction and Bronze Medal in Women’s Studies
Amazed and delighted that A Medieval Woman’s Companion has been selected as a Finalist for the 2016 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in 3 categories: Adult Nonfiction; Women’s Studies; and Young Adult Nonfiction.
The students in my class, The Sounds of Silence: A Biodiversity of Mute and Quiet Women in a World of Brutal Noise,* made silence erotic. The best example of this is Ria Stubbs-Trevino’s funny and profound scrapbook, “My Hot Date With a Book: A Modern Tale of Young Love.” Ria wrote a paper to accompany … More Making Silence Erotic
The students in my class, The Sounds of Silence: A Biodiversity of Mute and Quiet Women in a World of Brutal Noise,* made silence move into films. Grad student Angela Allen made three short films about Griselda, a tragically silenced figure who fascinated Boccaccio, Petrarch, Chaucer, and Christine de Pizan. Here are Angela’s films. To … More Making Silence Move-ie
The students in my class, The Sounds of Silence: A Biodiversity of Mute and Quiet Women in a World of Brutal Noise,* made silence poetic, showing that #ShePersisted has long been true for women’s lives. From a reimagining of Jane Eyre meeting Antoinette, Rochester’s first wife, to a slave narrative, as well as a version … More Making Silence Poetic
