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E 891 JQ: EARLY TEXTUAL CULTURE |
SYLLABUS
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This
syllabus is subject to change. The latest version on this website
is the binding syllabus.
Spring 2012 |
Office:
Bartlett 259
Office Hours: Wed and by appointment.
545-6598 | sharris at english.umass.edu |
COURSE
This course introduces palaeography, codicology, libraries, and the book
trade from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern period. We meet Wednesdays,
4:40pm - 7:10pm in Bartlett 203 (unless otherwise noted).
BOOKS
We will be
using:
- CLEMENS,
R. and T. GRAHAM. Introduction to Manuscript Studies. Cornell
UP, 2008. $40
- BISCHOFF, B. Manuscripts and Libraries in the Age of Charlemagne.
- DE HAMEL, Christopher. A History of Illuminated Manuscripts.
Phaidon, 1997. $23 - $35
All are available
at Amherst Book in Amherst (8 Main St).
Recommended
readings will be on reserve at Du Bois, handed out, or available
electronically. Manuals
and guides will be on reservation at Amherst's Frost Library
in the Archives
& Special Collections.
To Download:
Studies on Reserve:
- SHARPE, Richard. Titulus: Identifying Medieval Manuscripts.
- LAPIDGE, Michael. The Anglo-Saxon Library.
Oxford UP, 1994.
- HINDMAN, S. Printing the Written Word.
- IRVINE, M. Grammatica.
- RICHÉ, P. Education and Culture.
- for more, see Course Resources.
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Course Links:
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STRUCTURE AND OBJECTIVES
The general objectives of this course are to have you engage knowledgeably
with manuscripts and library collections; to encourage a working
knowledge of Latin and Insular palaeography and codicology; and
to discuss the relationship between the material culture of the
book and literature.
ASSIGNMENTS
You will
each be working on a particular manuscript
or incunabula at Amherst (especially recommended), Smith,
Mount Holyoke, or the Renaissance Center (you may also work at Dartmouth,
Yale,
Harvard,
Brown,
UConn,
or with any nearby collection, if you require it). The work entails
producing a 1) detailed catalogue description with a partial diplomatic
text and a stemma of text versions, 2) an annotated bibliography,
3) a short presentation on your codex, and 4) a final report which
contextualizes your codex in the larger cultural world in which
it was produced.
You
will also be asked to give periodic updates of your progress.
Amherst College
Archives & Special Collections has made a generous and concerted
effort to allow us to access their collection.
GRADING
The
breakdown of your class grade is as follows:
- catalogue description
35%
- bibliography 20%
- presentation
10%
- Nachleben or
Cultural Context 35%
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CONFERENCES
I encourage you to meet
with me at least once during the semester. Please let me know beforehand
if you want to meet during my office hours. Otherwise, please make
an appointment to meet with me at a time convenient to you and I
will try to oblige. I would also like to meet with you in the presence
of your project codex. That will be arranged during class.
Notes
NOTE
1: Please make and keep a copy of all your
assignments. That copy may be a disc copy. You do not want to risk your
work to the caprices of an indifferent fate. Also, in case any difficulties
arise with respect to misplaced assignments or with respect to discrepancies
between your records and my own, I will accept the evidence of your
computer system's dating function. For your own peace of mind, I suggest
that you lock any document on the day it is due. That will prevent your
computer's operating system from associating your document with a later
date.
NOTE 2:
The course schedule is subject to change. It is not to be construed
as a substitute for your attendance or as a catalogue of all the information
for which you are responsible. All changes will be announced with a
reasonable lead time. This syllabus constitutes a binding contract.
If you do not agree with any of the provisions set herein or if you
foresee disagreeing with any of the provisions which may reasonably
be added during the course of the term, then you are free to drop this
class within the time allotted by the university.
NOTE 3:All
material pertaining to this course is copyrighted material and is
subject to international and US laws of copyright.
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