Kommentar |
This class focuses primarily on the writings of Julian of Norwich as well as Margery Kempe's Book of Margery Kempe, which is often discussed as one of the first English autobiographies. On the one hand, we will discuss these works in the context of female mysticism: we will explore the medieval tradition of mysticism and the works of female, continental mystics (e.g. Bridget of Sweden, Catherine of Siena). On the other hand, we will discuss Julian of Norwich's and Margery Kempe's works as autobiographical texts, engaging with the constraints and possibilities of self-expression in late medieval England. Recommended editions: Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins, eds., The Writings of Julian of Norwich (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006); Margery Kempe, The Book of Margery Kempe, trans. B.A. Windeatt (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1994). Please register for this class by email (wolfram.keller@staff.hu-berlin.de) by 1 April 2012.
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