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Office of External Communications |
Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Contact:
Mike Emery |
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The influence of Medieval culture continues to capture contemporary imaginations through popular book and film franchises such as the “Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings” series. This weekend, enthusiasts and scholars will discuss the legacy of the Middle Ages during the annual Texas Medieval Conference Friday, Oct. 14 – Saturday, Oct. 15 at the University of Houston. Sponsored by the Texas Medieval Association, the event is open to the public and will feature presentations from scholars on topics such as Medieval technology, J.R.R. Tolkien, humor, Chaucer and architecture. Keynote speakers are Charles M. Radding, professor of history at Michigan State University, and John Friedman, professor of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A reception on Friday will feature performers from Houston’s Masquerade Theatre singing selections from “Camelot.” “The Medieval period continues to resonate both in academia and in popular culture because it’s a lot of fun,” said Sally Vaughn, UH professor of history. “It was a beautiful time with strong concepts of honor, chivalry and courtesy. People still long for values such as these, as we can see from the popularity of ‘Camelot,’ ‘Lord of the Rings,’ and even ‘Harry Potter.’ ” The conference will be held at UH’s M.D. Anderson Library. Attendees will have the opportunity to view a new exhibition of Medieval illuminated manuscripts, “Lustre: Spiritual Treasures & Sensory Pleasures, Medieval Texts and Images from Houston Collections,” that will be displayed on the library’s first floor. For registration details, call 713-743-3122 or visit The Texas Medieval Association’s Web site at http://www.towson.edu/~duncan/tmahome.html.
For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom. |
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