Sonoma State University Arts and Humanities Department will be hosting a Creative and Research forum titled "The New Middle Ages in the Classroom" for Sonoma State students.
The forum will take place Thurs., Sept. 25, in Schulz 1121 at 12:05 p.m. and the discussion will be based on the latest directional advancements in medieval literature.
Brantley Bryant, English professor at SSU, will lead the discussion.
Bryant will be taking students on a journey into the mind, in which they will learn new ways of approaching the difficulties and pleasures of medieval literature.
His aim is to engage students in an active learning environment, discussing challenging material, thinking about the past and shaping a global curriculum for those teaching in the field of humanities.
Bryant, who has a B.A. in Medieval Studies from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University, has his expertise firmly rooted in medieval literature.
The recent work that has been done regarding medieval literature places an emphasis on the instability found in European culture.
These studies delve deeper into the affective power of literature, and open the window for new ways in which such literature can be effective in today's classrooms.
Stephen G. Nichols, Chair and professor of Medieval French Literature at Johns Hopkins University, has defined a "New Middle Ages" from these studies.
He expresses that the Middle Ages are key in teaching us about ourselves and our time.
The influence of the Middle Ages can be seen in today's pop culture.
In our movies, novels and music history is placed in front of us in every aspect of our daily lives, and enraptured in it is this idea of the "New Middle Ages."
A large portion of Bryant's discussion will focus on Nichols' studies, as well as other recent developments in the field.
He will discuss how these developments have surfaced in classrooms, and whether or not medieval literature can have a place in more general classes.
The forum is designed to use knowledge about the Middle Ages to investigate contemporary problems, looking to the past to understand the present.
For more information on the Arts and Humanities Creative and Research forum, contact Suzanne Toczyski at suzanne.tocyski@sonoma.edu or visit the Arts and Humanities webpage at http://www.sonoma.edu/a_h/AHForum.htm.
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