We've all heard about nationalism and patriotism, but what exactly is the difference? Where did these ideas come from? This week, we talk with Dr. Takashi Shogimen, Professor of History at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. We explore his research on the history of patriotism, its ancient origins, and its transformation by medieval thinkers. He shares his thoughts on William of Ockham, the importance of being "somewhere" instead of "nowhere," nationalism in the 21st century, and how we might try to answer the question: What does one own one's nation?

Dr. Shogimen's university page:

https://www.otago.ac.nz/history/our-people-in-history/professor-takashi-shogimen

Dr. Shogimen's twitter:@TakashiShogimen

Dr. Shogimen's lecture at the Medieval Institute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8mE5CauGkA&ab_channel=MedievalInstitute

This week, we're sitting down with Dr. Julia Schneider, Subject Specialist Librarian for Medieval Studies in the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Schneider wears a lot of hats and is also the Scholarly Resources and Assessment Librarian for Arts, Humanities, and Architecture as well as the subject liaison for German Language and Literature.

We speak about her experience working as a university librarian, the value of working across disciplines as a medieval researcher, her pivot away from medieval exorcism, the life force that is caffeine, and what it takes to purchase a copy of a medieval manuscript.

This week, we're talking with Dr. Anne Le, current Public Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow at Notre Dame's Medieval Institute. During her time at the Medieval Institute, she's been working on several projects to connect with the public and students of all ages about the medieval world. We chat about public humanities, medieval French literature, the Disney classic The Sword in the Stone, and the value of good mentorship. Plus, for any (American) football fans, we discuss the Medieval Institute's legendary game-day tailgates.

https://nanovic.nd.edu/people/faculty-fellows/anne-le/

This week, we're sitting down with the editors of the Medieval Studies Research Blog. For ten years, this blog, sponsored by the Medieval Institute of the University of Notre Dame, has been a platform for sharing medieval research and resources with the world. A lot has changed over the past decade, and we're speaking with Dr. Kathryn Kerby-Fulton, Dr. Nicole Eddy, Dr. Karrie Fuller, Dr. Andrew Klein, Dr. Megan Hall, and current editor Dr. Rich Fahey about the blog's beginnings, how it has evolved, and why academic blogs matter today.

https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/

This month we speak with Dr. Richard Fahey, manager of the Medieval Studies Research Blog and managing book review editor for Religion and Literature, about his recent scholarship on the Old English epic Beowulf. We talk about translating ancient texts for new audiences, the place of puns in poetic performance, and the value of introducing the public to the medieval world through Renaissance Fairs.

To find more of Dr. Fahey's work:

https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/

This episode we're sitting down with Dr. Leonora Neville, John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Chair of Byzantine History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We explore the life and legacy of the medieval Greek historian and princess Anna Komnene, how modern scholars use history to express contemporary political dissent, and why the Roman Empire endured longer than many people realize.

For more information about Dr. Neville:

https://history.wisc.edu/people/neville-leonora/

For Dr. Neville's Ted-Ed video, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okph9wt8I0A&ab_channel=TED-Ed

Listen here to Dr. Neville's lecture at the University of Notre Dame, "Women, Virtue, and Education of Women in Eastern Rome":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yGoYl1AeCg&ab_channel=MedievalInstitute

This month we're chatting with Dr. Nicholas Morton, Associate Professor of History at Nottingham Trent University about his recent book, The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East. We hear about writing history from multiple perspectives, get into the intricacies of writing a book, and learn why you should always stay away from mice if you've been bitten by a leopard.

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/nicholas-morton/the-mongol-storm/9781541616301/?lens=basic-books

https://www.youtube.com/@MedievalNearEast

https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/arts-humanities/nicholas-morton

This month we’re chatting with Dr. Katherine Storm Hindley, Assistant Professor of English at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, about her recent book, Textual Magic Charms and Written Amulets in Medieval England (University of Chicago Press). Discover the magical power of charms in the medieval world, how to find and catalog them, and why modern tattoos might connect us to medieval charms. 

Dr. Hindley's faculty profile: https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp00289

Textual Magic Charms and Written Amulets in Medieval England : https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo193302771.html

To kick off the new academic year, we are releasing this conversation with Dr. Dov Honick, recent alumnus of the Medieval Institute. We muse about the broader field of Medieval Studies, discuss Dov's path from Arthuriana to a dissertation, and hear about his exciting work on Peter Alfonsi and Peter the Venerable.

Find out more about Dr. Honick:

https://www.aarome.org/people/rome-prize-fellows/dov-honick

https://medieval.nd.edu/news-events/news/mi-student-wins-2-prestiougous-prizes/

This month we sit down with Dr. Anne Elise Crafton, recent alum of the University of Notre Dame's Medieval Institute and current postdoctoral fellow. We chat about their recent dissertation, "You Sound Like a Wif: The Representation of Women's Speech in Old English," Tolkien's legacy of creating medievalists, and the difficulties of finding and categorizing every single example of women's speech in all Old English texts.

Find out more about Dr. Crafton on their personal website:

https://www.annecrafton.com/