Dead Language Karaoke (A Performance and Roundtable)

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Special Session

Organizer Name

Douglas Ryan VanBenthuysen

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of New Mexico

Presider Name

Geoffrey Russom

Presider Affiliation

Brown Univ.

Paper Title 1

Middle High German

Presenter 1 Name

Adam Oberlin

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Univ. Gent/Univ. i Bergen

Paper Title 2

Old English

Presenter 2 Name

Kevin Caliendo

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Rose State College

Paper Title 3

Gothic

Presenter 3 Name

David Carlton

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Univ. of Western Ontario

Paper Title 4

Anglo-Norman

Presenter 4 Name

Alexandria Krause

Presenter 4 Affiliation

Univ. of British Columbia

Paper Title 5

Classical Arabic

Presenter 5 Name

Doaa Omran

Presenter 5 Affiliation

Univ. of New Mexico

Start Date

14-5-2015 3:30 PM

Session Location

Sangren 1730

Description

The performance/roundtable session “Dead Language Karaoke” will allow scholars to recite poetry and other literary works in their original medieval languages. Renowned metricist Geoffrey Russom will chair the session and present a poem of this own composition in Old English. Other presenters will recite from various languages including Old Norse, Anglo Norman, Classical Arabic, Middle High German, and Gothic, and will provide attendees with brief introductory remarks about the texts being recited.

The session will include “Open Mic” time so attendees can make short impromptu presentations of medieval literary works. Some special guests may be making unannounced cameo appearances!

We hope to make “Dead Language Karaoke” a Kalamazoo tradition. Conference attendees from a wide variety of medieval sub-disciplines will enjoy hearing medieval literary works in their native languages.

Douglas R. VanBenthuysen