Comparative Literature 391CB - S-Comparative Book Cultures

This course explores cultural practices surrounding the medieval European book from three different perspectives: the medieval literary, the scholarly, and the artistic. The main body of readings for the class is taken from medieval writings on books, authors, and reading, and a large part of the course will aim at understanding medieval attitudes toward text production and reception. At the same time, the class will be looking at medieval books themselves, both in digital form in online repositories and in local Rare Book Rooms. This aspect of the course is supported by readings on manuscript studies and paleography to give students the tools for advanced research with original materials. The third aspect of the course involves hands-on work to give students the chance to experiment with medieval book production, including calligraphy (in conjunction with paleography) and book binding (in conjunction with codicology and manuscript studies). As part of the course, students will have to investigate and review a digital humanities project related to medieval book culture, linking the production and transmission of the medieval book to contemporary modes of transmission and use.