Journalist – Historian – Speaker
“Medieval” Madagascar: Plague and Inequality The Current Outbreak of Plague isn’t a Throwback, But a Sign of Modern World A guest post by Monica H. Green. Dr. Green is Professor of History at Arizona State University. Follow her on Twitter @monicaMedHist I see dead people. That’s my job. I’m a historian. But in the past …
Columnists keep wanting to distance us moderns from Trump, but he’s as modern as it gets. GUEST POST by Eric Weiskott In an interview for The Guardian last week, philosopher Daniel Dennett was asked whether “deep thinking” is what’s needed in the current political climate. He responded: Yes. From everybody. The real danger that’s facing us …
The New York Times ran a story about an amazing c-section survival in 1337. But historians of medieval medicine don’t think it happened. By Monica H. Green On Wednesday, 23 November 2016—the day before the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.—the New York Times ran what it likely assumed to be a “fun fact” story, a …
Medieval history professor Matthew Gabriele, of Virginia Tech, has published a powerful new article about the word “crusade” in both its modern and medieval contexts. He’s arguing not just that modern people mis-use Crusade, which they do (he digs into the famous W. Bush quote about a ‘Crusade against Evil’), but that medievalists need to …
Trump likes to compare ISIS to medieval times. Here’s a transcript of the latest debate, and some video. COOPER: You bragged that you have sexually assaulted women. Do you understand that? TRUMP: No, I didn’t say that at all. I don’t think you understood what was — this was locker room talk. I’m not proud …
Last week The Guardian had a piece on the “first science fiction book,” an alchemy fantasy from 1617. I haven’t read The Chemical Wedding (though there’s a Kickstarter, now funded with 60k, that’s producing a new edition), but I was instantly skeptical of the “first” claim, so took to Twitter to ask for ideas of precursors. Juliet O’Brien, …
Every year, Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo, hosts about 3000 medievalists for a giant, sprawling, conference that I call MedievalCon. It has its significant academic context, but it’s also embraced seriously fannish elements (or had them thrust upon it). On Saturday nights, there’s a panel hosted by the “Pseudosociety,” in which academics deliver humorous satirical …
I was going to post this yesterday, but was too sick. Below is a tweet from former graduate student in medieval literature, responding to a petulant tweet by a racist UKIP (right-wing English political party) about an actress of color playing Queen Margaret of Anjou. Hi @CllrChrisWood that’s a lovely medieval image you have there. …
So Leicester City won the British Premier League title, which is very exciting for people it excites! I noted in the preview last weekend in the New York Times that there’s an interesting touch of history and nostalgia in their narrative: April 4, 2015 Sitting in last place with nine games to go, it seems certain …
In the book History Matters, as well as the focused studies on which the book is based, Judith Bennett discusses the curious history of the medieval village alewife. She tracked the way that the internal ale-based economy worked, then, as ale shifted to beer, suddenly men took over the field. It turns out that beer, …