{"id":12952,"date":"2020-04-04T18:42:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-04T18:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/?p=12952"},"modified":"2020-11-15T03:20:54","modified_gmt":"2020-11-15T03:20:54","slug":"keeping-up-updates-for-spring-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/keeping-up-updates-for-spring-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Up:  Updates for Spring 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Keeping Up:<\/h1>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Updates for Spring 2020<\/h1>\n<div id=\"attachment_11925\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11925\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11925 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum, MS W.782, folio 15r. Van Alphen Hours. Dutch Book of Hours made for a female patron in the mid 15th century. Opening page of the Hours of the Virgin: &quot;Here du salste opdoen mine lippen&quot;. Image via Creative Commons. At the bottom of the bordered page, an elegantly dressed woman sits before a shiny bowl- or mirror-like object, in order, perhaps, to perform skrying or to lure a unicorn.\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more.jpg 496w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-11925\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum, MS W.782, folio 15r. Van Alphen Hours. Scrying, Perchance? Image via Creative Commons.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This Spring, the cancellation of 2 of our major events planned for this year, and intended to take place in mid-March and mid-May, produces perforce a redirection of energies and activities.\u00a0 Call it &#8220;Regrouping&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>We report updates.<\/p>\n<h2>1.\u00a0 Our 2020 Spring Symposium:\u00a0 &#8220;From Cover to Cover&#8221;<\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Planned for 13\u201314 March at Princeton University<br \/>\nBut Cancelled or Postponed<\/h3>\n<p>As preparations were proceeding apace, the event was cancelled by Princeton University \u2014 along with other events \u2014 on 9 March, in response to growing concerns for the spread of COVID-19 on a global scale.\u00a0 Although at short notice, it was possible swiftly to cancel reservations for the venue, catering, and other services before participants had begun their journeys.<\/p>\n<h3>What We Planned<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-spring-symposium-save-the-date\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Spring Symposium: Save the Date<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_12958\" style=\"width: 242px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12958\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-12958 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Poster-2-with-border-232x300.png\" alt=\"2020 Symposium &quot;From Cover to Cover&quot; Poster 2\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Poster-2-with-border-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Poster-2-with-border-116x150.png 116w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Poster-2-with-border.png 617w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12958\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2020 Symposium Poster 2<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We aimed to consider, &#8220;From Cover to Cover&#8221;, activities dedicated to manuscripts, early printed materials, and beyond, from collecting and cataloguing to deciphering and beholding.\u00a0 We prepared to gather specialists, teachers, students, and others engaged or interested in activities such as &#8220;Collecting, Curating, Conserving, Cataloguing, Deciphering, Reading, Reconsidering, Editing, Teaching, Displaying, Accessing, Beholding, and More&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The focus was designed to center primarily upon medieval and early modern materials, both Western and non-Western.\u00a0 The presentations would include reports of discoveries, work-in-progress, cumulative research, and collaborative projects by specialists from multiple centers, including independent scholars and younger scholars.<\/p>\n<p>Included were workshops over original materials in manuscript and early print, a demonstration of materials and processes for medieval scripts, discussions about databases devoted to manuscripts and rare books, and sessions addressing multiple activities approaching medieval, early modern, and other textual resources.\u00a0 Subjects would span a wide range geographically and chronologically, and take care to attend to the material and bibiographical evidence.<\/p>\n<h3>What We Can Do<\/h3>\n<p>There are requests for rescheduling the Symposium, or parts thereof, when conditions might permit.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, we can publish the Symposium Booklet.\u00a0 At the time of cancellation, it had come close to completion for printing and distributing at the event and then afterward, as is our custom.\u00a0 For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2019-anniversary-symposium-report-the-roads-taken\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2019 Anniversary Symposium on &#8220;The Roads Taken&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2016-symposium-on-words-deeds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 Symposium on &#8216;Words &amp; Deeds&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2014-symposium-recollections-of-the-past\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2014 Symposium on &#8220;Recollections of the Past&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2013-symposium-on-identity-and-authenticity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2013 Symposium on &#8220;Identity &amp; Authenticity&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For all these and our other Booklets (see our <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/profile\/publications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Publications<\/a>), the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence is the nonprofit publisher and distributor.\u00a0 The design and layout conform with our <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/style-manifesto\" target=\"\">Style Manifesto<\/a> and employ our own digital font <a href=\"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/bembino\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bembino<\/a> .<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12707\" style=\"width: 291px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12707\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-12707 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Ellertson-still-life-lightened-281x300.jpg\" alt=\"Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi, Anonymous, Still Life of an Illuminated Book, German School, 15th century. Oil on Wood. Opened book with fanned pages. Image via Wikimedia, Public Domain.\" width=\"281\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Ellertson-still-life-lightened-281x300.jpg 281w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Ellertson-still-life-lightened-141x150.jpg 141w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Ellertson-still-life-lightened.jpg 622w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12707\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi, Anonymous, Still Life of an Illuminated Book, German School, 15th century. Image via Wikimedia, Public Domain.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The new 44-page Symposium Booklet contains the 2020 Symposium Program, Abstracts of the Papers and Masterclasses, and a set of accompanying Illustrations (some published for the first time).\u00a0 The Booklet includes corrections and revisions offered by several of the authors as we completed the layout and editing, after the cancellation of the event.<\/p>\n<p>It is the longest so far of all our Symposium Booklets. The 2019 Booklet for &#8220;The Roads Taken&#8221; has 28 pages, and the 2016 Booklet for &#8220;Words &amp; Deeds&#8221; has 24 pages.\u00a0 Only the Booklet for our multi-lingual digital font <a href=\"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/bembino\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bembino<\/a> is longer, at 56 pages, including all the font tables for the different styles and languages. That Booklet and the font itself (now in Version 1.6) are freely available for download and use (commercial use included).\u00a0 Here:\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/bembino\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bembino<\/a> .<\/p>\n<p>Our illustrated 2020 Spring Symposium Booklet is likewise freely available for download. As with other cases, for your convenience, we make it available in 2 versions, which may suit different printing arrangements, as wished.\u00a0 The versions are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>printable in consecutive quarto-sized pages (8 1\/2&#8243; \u00d7 11&#8243;)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/12703\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Spring Symposium Booklet as Consecutive Pages<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>printable as double sheets (11&#8243; \u00d7 17&#8243;) which can be folded into the booklet, nesting the bifolia within each other<br \/>\n\u2014 a design which does not require staples for closure and perusal<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/12708\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Spring Symposium as a Foldable Booklet<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We thank our hosts, sponsors, contributors, owners and donors of images, editor, copy-editor, and layout designer. The publication is our gift to all who aimed to participate in the event and to follow its &#8216;ripples&#8217; after the accomplishment of the Symposium. We offer it as a &#8216;souvenir&#8217; of what our contributors, and the spirit of generous participation, intended for the event.<\/p>\n<p>While we may explore plans to reschedule the event, or its parts, in some way or ways, the Booklet stands as a place-holder, and as a vivid glimpse of what could be and, indeed, can be. The gathering energy and enthusiasm for the event, as the weeks and days advanced toward it, remain a testimony to the constructive collective spirit which inspired it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12957\" style=\"width: 626px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12957\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-12957 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-Symposium-Poster1-with-border.png\" alt=\"2020 Symposium &quot;From Cover to Cover&quot; Poster 1\" width=\"616\" height=\"796\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-Symposium-Poster1-with-border.png 616w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-Symposium-Poster1-with-border-116x150.png 116w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2020-Symposium-Poster1-with-border-232x300.png 232w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12957\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2020 Symposium Poster 1<\/p><\/div>\n<p>_____<\/p>\n<p>With these observations, I am reminded of the Motto which I chose, years ago, for the 2-volume <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/news\/insular-anglo-saxon-and-early-anglo-norman-manuscript-art-at-corpus-christi-college-cambridge-1997\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Illustrated Catalogue<\/a>, co-published by the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For Books are not absolutely dead things,<br \/>\nbut doe contain a potencie of life in them<br \/>\nto be active as that soule was whose progeny they are;<br \/>\nnay, they do preserve as in a violl the purest efficacie and extraction<br \/>\nof the living intellect that bred them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 510px;\">John Milton, <em>Aeropagitica<\/em> (1644)<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps same as it ever was.<\/p>\n<p>_____<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14493\" style=\"width: 242px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14493\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-14493 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Sorenson-Paper-for-the-2020-Spring-Symposium-as-a-Draft-for-Comment-3-April-2020-1-with-border-232x300.png\" alt=\"Cover Page for Sorenson (2020 Spring Symposium Paper as Draft for Comment), with an array of illustrations and the title &quot;Introduction to Indian Manuscripts&quot;\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Sorenson-Paper-for-the-2020-Spring-Symposium-as-a-Draft-for-Comment-3-April-2020-1-with-border-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Sorenson-Paper-for-the-2020-Spring-Symposium-as-a-Draft-for-Comment-3-April-2020-1-with-border-116x150.png 116w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Sorenson-Paper-for-the-2020-Spring-Symposium-as-a-Draft-for-Comment-3-April-2020-1-with-border.png 616w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14493\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cover Page for Sorenson (2020 Spring Symposium Paper as Draft for Comment)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>P. S.\u00a0 Already one of our speakers, David W. Sorenson, has provided a draft version of his intended Symposium Paper for feedback. It expands the Abstract which appears in the <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/12703\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Spring Symposium Booklet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The paper provides &#8220;A Quick Introduction to Indian Manuscripts for the Non-Specialist&#8221;, with examples and illustrations.<\/p>\n<p>With permission, we offer here his <a href=\"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/download\/12965\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Please contact us with your questions or suggestions.\u00a0 (Contact details below.)<\/p>\n<h3>*****<\/h3>\n<h2>2.\u00a0 Our Activities at the 55th International Congress on Medieval Studies<\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Planned for 7\u201310 May at Kalamazoo<br \/>\nBut Cancelled or Postponed<\/h3>\n<p>On 17 March, this year&#8217;s International Congress on Medieval Studies in May was cancelled, and with it all the activities which we were to sponsor and co-sponsor there, including Sessions and other meetings.\u00a0 The Congress organizers declared that &#8220;We invite the organizers of sponsored . . . sessions approved for the 2020 Congress to re-propose them for the 2021 congress.\u00a0 If proposed, they will be approved automatically&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike some organizations, who have declared this intention to re-present for the 2121 Congress, we do not know automatically if such a course would be appropriate for us, or for each and every one of our sessions.\u00a0 Time will tell.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12698\" style=\"width: 242px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12698\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-12698 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/2019-RGME-Societas-Magica-Anniversary-Reception-Invitation-Full-Page-with-border-232x300.png\" alt=\"2019 Anniversary Reception Invitation. set in RGME digital font Bembino.\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/2019-RGME-Societas-Magica-Anniversary-Reception-Invitation-Full-Page-with-border-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/2019-RGME-Societas-Magica-Anniversary-Reception-Invitation-Full-Page-with-border-116x150.png 116w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/2019-RGME-Societas-Magica-Anniversary-Reception-Invitation-Full-Page-with-border.png 616w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12698\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2019 Anniversary Reception Invitation.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_11000\" style=\"width: 242px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11000\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11000\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-RGME-All-Celtic-Magic-Session-with-border-232x300.png\" alt=\"Poster for our Session co-sponsored with the Societas Magica on &quot;Celtic Magic Texts&quot;, organized by Phillip A. Bernhardt-House and sponsored by both the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence amd the Societas Magica at the 2018 International Congress on Medieval Studies. Poster set in RGME Bembino.\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-RGME-All-Celtic-Magic-Session-with-border-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-RGME-All-Celtic-Magic-Session-with-border-116x150.png 116w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-RGME-All-Celtic-Magic-Session-with-border.png 616w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-11000\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2018 Poster<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The cancellation came in time before all reservations for the journey had been set into place.\u00a0 Because our customary year-long preparations for the Congress had not reached the last weeks of its approach, we had not yet prepared the customary Posters for our Sessions or the Invitations to the Reception and Business Meeting, nor had the Agenda for that Meeting yet been drawn up.\u00a0 Posters for previous Congresses show the standards.<\/p>\n<p>However, we did in place have a series of posts on our website (You Are Here) announcing the plans for our 2020 Congress Activities, in stages with updates:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-call-for-papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Call for Papers<\/a> for our approved Sessions, with descriptions of their aims and with selected Images (poster-worthy when the time would come) to exemplify their subjects and scope<\/li>\n<li>the <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Congress Program<\/a>, with the authors and titles of the selected Papers for each Session \u2014 including a permitted extra Session, given the strength of the responses to the Call, for our proposed Session &#8220;Seal the Real&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>the <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-program-announced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Congress Program Announced<\/a>, with the times and rooms assigned by the Congress Committee for our Program Activities, and with some of the Abstracts for the Papers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In keeping with custom, we had begun, one by one (starting with the New Year), to post the Abstracts, as a foretaste for the presentations and discussions to come.<\/p>\n<p>The cancellation of the Congress brought these stages to a halt, for a while, during which time we turned to other tasks \u2014 including the on-going follow-up from the cancellation or postponement of our Spring Symposium, and the completion of its Booklet.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11925\" style=\"width: 506px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11925\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11925 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more.jpg\" alt=\"Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum, MS W.782, folio 15r. Van Alphen Hours. Dutch Book of Hours made for a female patron in the mid 15th century. Opening page of the Hours of the Virgin: &quot;Here du salste opdoen mine lippen&quot;. Image via Creative Commons. At the bottom of the bordered page, an elegantly dressed woman sits before a shiny bowl- or mirror-like object, in order, perhaps, to perform skrying or to lure a unicorn.\" width=\"496\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more.jpg 496w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/W782_000033_sap-fol-15r-cropped-more-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-11925\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum, MS W.782, folio 15r. Van Alphen Hours. mage via Creative Commons.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>What We Planned<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-program-announced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 International Congress on Medieval Studies Program Announced<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We prepared for 5 Sessions with Papers, an Open Business Meeting, and a Reception.<\/p>\n<p>These resemble the numbers and sorts of our activities in recent years at the Annual Congress.\u00a0 For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"2019-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2019 Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"2018-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2018 Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"2017-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2017 Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"2016-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"2015-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-events-accomplished\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2015 Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This year&#8217;s plans also involved our 2 co-sponsors in recent years for Sessions and\/or Receptions.<\/p>\n<h3>A.\u00a0 Sessions<\/h3>\n<p>We prepared for 5 Sessions this year.<\/p>\n<h4>3 Sessions Sponsored by the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence<\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">1\u20132. Seal the Real: Documentary Records, Seals &amp; Authentications<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px;\">organized by Mildred Budny<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Part I.\u00a0 <strong>Signed &amp; Sealed<\/strong><br \/>\nPart II.\u00a0 <strong> \u00d7 Marks the Spot<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">3. <strong>Prologues in Medieval Texts of Magic, Astrology, and Prophecy <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px;\">organized by Vajra Regan<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4850\" style=\"width: 280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/SocMaghead23.png\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4850\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-4850\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/SocMaghead23.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/SocMaghead23.png 175w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/SocMaghead23-150x86.png 150w\" alt=\"Logo of the Societas Magica, reproduced by permission\" width=\"270\" height=\"154\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4850\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Logo of the Societas Magica<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>2 Sessions Co-Sponsored with the <a href=\"http:\/\/societasmagica.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Societas Magica<\/a><br \/>\nin the 16th year of this collaboration<\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">4\u20135. Revealing the Unknown<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px;\">organized by Sanne de Laat and <strong>L\u00e1szl\u00f3 S\u00e1ndor Chardonnens<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Part I.\u00a0 Scryers and Scrying in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period<br \/>\nPart II.\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>Sortil\u00e8ge, Bibliomancy, and Divination<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h3>B.\u00a0 2020 Open Business Meeting of the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence<\/h3>\n<p>1-Page Agendas customarily provided at the time.\u00a0 This year we send it out already.\u00a0 (See below.)<\/p>\n<h3>C.\u00a0 Reception co-sponsored with the <a href=\"https:\/\/ima.princeton.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Index of Medieval Art at Princeton University<\/a><br \/>\nin the 3rd year of this collaboration<\/h3>\n<p>_____<\/p>\n<p>P. S.\u00a0 Part of Mildred Budny&#8217;s on-going research on the subject of seals and signatures, which would have figured in her Response to Session II of our &#8220;Seals&#8221; Sessions, now appears on our blog, <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/manuscript-studies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Manuscript Studies<\/a>, presenting <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/preston-take-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Preston Take 2<\/a>.\u00a0 (See the <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/manuscript-studies-contents-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contents List<\/a> for the blog, as more discoveries await publication.)<\/p>\n<p>_____<\/p>\n<p>P. P. S.\u00a0 It is not lost on us that some of our planned Sessions for 2020 were to consider aspects of the history of divinatory skills across time and place.\u00a0 But when we collectively chose these, as well as other subjects, last year for our sponsored and co-sponsored Sessions this year, it was not easy to guess then that this year&#8217;s Sessions would not take place, after all, at their appointed time and place.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11922\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11922\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11922 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kindt_Fortune_teller.jpg\" alt=\"Ad\u00e8le Kindt (1804\u20131884), The Fortune Teller (circa 1835). Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten. Image via Wikimedia Commons. A young lady, brightly lit and beautifully dressed, looks outward as an older woman, beneath a dark hood, holds a set of cards and stares at them with intent.\" width=\"900\" height=\"709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kindt_Fortune_teller.jpg 900w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kindt_Fortune_teller-150x118.jpg 150w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kindt_Fortune_teller-300x236.jpg 300w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Kindt_Fortune_teller-768x605.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-11922\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ad\u00e8le Kindt (1804\u20131884), The Fortune Teller (circa 1835). Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten. Image via Wikimedia Commons.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>What We Can Do<\/h3>\n<h3>A.\u00a0 Abstracts for the 2020 Congress Papers<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-3987\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Gregory-Leaf-open-book-Branded-reduced-300x284.png\" alt=\"Detail of opened book with schematic text. Photography \u00a9 Mildred Budny\" width=\"300\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Gregory-Leaf-open-book-Branded-reduced-300x284.png 300w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Gregory-Leaf-open-book-Branded-reduced-150x142.png 150w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Gregory-Leaf-open-book-Branded-reduced.png 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Our custom is to post on our website the Abstracts for the Papers of our Sessions at the Congress.\u00a0 (See our <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/abstracts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abstracts for Congress Papers<\/a>.)\u00a0 This year is no different.<\/p>\n<p>In the winter of 2019\u20132020, we had begun to post the 2020 Abstracts, one by one, as is our custom.\u00a0 They are linked to our announced Program:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-program-announced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Congress Program Announced<\/a>. The Abstracts function as a foretaste of the &#8216;Menu&#8217; of the Sessions, and can provide a record of their subjects, aims, and scope of the presentations.<\/p>\n<p>Already in earlier years (as with the <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2016-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 Congress<\/a><a> and the <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2014-congress-on-medieval-studies-accomplished\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2014 Congress<\/a><a>)<\/a>, as a sign of appreciation, we chose to adopt the tradition of posting Abstracts even when a contributor was unable to travel to the Congress and to present the paper in person.\u00a0 The publication of such Abstracts states that, although proposed, accepted, and scheduled within the Session and Congress Program, the paper was not, in the event, presented.<\/p>\n<p>Before March 2020, only once before, in more than 30 years of activities in many centers in the United States and elsewhere (see our <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/events-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Events<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/congress-activities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Congress Activities)<\/a>, has the Research Group had to cancel an event itself.\u00a0 That case was only 1 Session among 7 sponsored and co-sponsored Sessions at the 48th International Congress on Medieval Studies in May <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2013-international-congress-on-medieval-studies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2013<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This year, after the cancellation of both our 2020 Spring Symposium (see above) and the 2020 Congress, we first turned to completing the Symposium Booklet, and then to completing the posting of the 2020 Abstracts.<\/p>\n<p>Those tasks are now accomplished.\u00a0 For these Congress Abstracts, see<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-program-announced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Congress Program Announced<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/abstracts\/abstracts-of-conference-papers-listed-by-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abstracts of Congress Papers Listed by Year<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For the Symposium Booklet, see<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2020-spring-symposium-save-the-date\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Spring Symposium: Save the Date<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thus we honor the intentions of our participants and their readiness to contribute to our events.<\/p>\n<p>Next, we might turn to contemplating further activities, and perhaps rescheduling some of these ones.<\/p>\n<p>[<em>Update<\/em>:\u00a0 In the summer and autumn of 2020, we advance with planning to hold the same Sessions, albeit with a few changes, at the 2021 Congress.\u00a0 See the <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/2021-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-program-planning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 Congress Program in Progress<\/a>.]<\/p>\n<h3>B.\u00a0 Agenda for the 2020 Business Meeting<\/h3>\n<p>Meeting to be rescheduled:\u00a0 Time and Place to be Determined<\/p>\n<p>The Annual <strong>Agendas<\/strong> for our <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/business-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open Business Meetings<\/a>, customarily held at the International Congress on Medieval Studies, remain available for consultation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/11889\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2019 Agenda<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/10890\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2018 Agenda<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/9737\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2017 Agenda<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/7112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016 Agenda<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/5641\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2015 Agenda<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These 1-page statements serve as concise Reports for our Activities, Plans, and Desiderata.\u00a0 After the Meetings, the Abstracts are available for download on our website.\u00a0 Some of them remain among the most popular downloads here.<\/p>\n<p>Normally, the Agenda is presented at the Meeting.\u00a0 This year, we send it out ahead of time.\u00a0 It incorporates the updates of Spring 2020 and their constructive measures.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/12962\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Agenda<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is not yet clear when this year&#8217;s Meeting, which had to be postponed, will take place.\u00a0 Under present circumstances, we may contemplate a virtual meeting, say via online conferencing in some form.<\/p>\n<p>Please let us know if you wish to participate in the Meeting.\u00a0 We invite your comments, questions, and suggestions.\u00a0 (See below.)<\/p>\n<h3>C. More<\/h3>\n<p>We thank all our contributors to the 2020 events.\u00a0 The continuing momentum for such activities is a tribute to you all.<\/p>\n<p>Please <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contact Us<\/a> with your questions and suggestions, for example to items on our\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/download\/12962\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 Agenda<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For updates, please visit this site, our <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/news\/news-views\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News &amp; Views<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Research-Group-on-Manuscript-Evidence-259443617456668\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">our Facebook Page<\/a> .<\/p>\n<p>For our nonprofit educational mission, with tax-exempt status, your donations in funds and\/or in kind (expertise, materials, time) are <a href=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/contributions-and-donations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">welcome<\/a>. Join us!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6730 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Bk-of-Hours-verso-bottom-foliage.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"518\" height=\"163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Bk-of-Hours-verso-bottom-foliage.png 518w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Bk-of-Hours-verso-bottom-foliage-150x47.png 150w, https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Bk-of-Hours-verso-bottom-foliage-300x94.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keeping Up: Updates for Spring 2020 This Spring, the cancellation of 2 of our major events planned for this year, and intended to take place in mid-March and mid-May, produces perforce a redirection of energies and activities.\u00a0 Call it &#8220;Regrouping&#8221;. We report updates. 1.\u00a0 Our 2020 Spring Symposium:\u00a0 &#8220;From Cover to Cover&#8221; Planned for 13\u201314 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[51,1383,117,412,423,50,4,1540,130,3,678,118,5],"tags":[1330,1719,1718,771,49,784,781,1630,7,53,1692,682],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12952"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12952"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14494,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12952\/revisions\/14494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}