UVa-Wise to host 23rd annual Medieval Renaissance Conference Sept. 24-26

The 23rd annual Medieval Renaissance Conference takes place at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise beginning on Thursday, Sept. 24 and lasting through Sept. 26.

The conference began in 1986 as a way to promote scholarly activity on campus and provide visibility for the College in the larger academic community. Most sessions are held at the Chapel of All Faiths. Concurrent sessions are held in Cantrell Hall 206. Undergraduate sessions will be held in the Dogwood Room on the fifth floor of the C. Bascom Slemp Student Center.

Milton scholar Jessica Wolfe, professor of English at the University of North Carolina, delivers the keynote address this year with her presentation of “The Razor’s Edge: Homer, Milton and Epic Deliberation.” Wolfe’s presentation begins at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Registration begins at noon on Sept. 24. After opening remarks by Academic Dean Amelia Harris, a session on Milton takes place from 3 p.m. until 4:20 p.m.

The Friday sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. with a discussion of Art and Culture. The Shakespeare session begins at 10:20 a.m. The Theories of Clemency, Charities and Conformity in Early Modern England session takes place at 1:10 p.m. with a concurrent session at on Arthurian Romance in Context in Cantrell Hall 206, featuring such topics as “Fairy or Vampire and Does it Matter: Edward in Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight.”

The Renaissance Literature and Culture session begins on Friday at 3 p.m. and features topics such as “Teaching Shakespeare in the Eco-Tone” and ”Generational Violence in Early Modern English Drama.”

The popular Medieval Renaissance Conference wraps up on Saturday with several sessions, including Old and Early Middle English Literature at 9 a.m. and Medieval Philosophy and Literature at 10:50 a.m. The conference ends at 12:30 p.m. with closing remarks by Kenneth Tiller, chair of the Department of Language and Literature at UVa-Wise.

For more information on the conference, contact Kenneth Tiller at 276-328-4587.

Schedule of events (PDF)

Posted September 22, 2009