Charming: Magic, Performance and Performativity in Late Medieval and Early Modern Theater

English Department is hosting the Second Annual Doug Burger Lecture in Medieval and Early Modern Literature in honor of Professor Emeritus Doug Burger. This year’s guest speaker is Dr. James Simpson, a Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Professor of English at Harvard University. His talk is, “Charming: Magic, Performance and Performativity in Late Medieval and Early Modern Theater.“

People often assume that the Middle Ages was a time of magic. In his talk, Dr. James Simpson argues in contrast that what we think of as medieval black magic was, in fact, invented in the early modern period. We see this invention most clearly in plays, which dramatize bewitching charms.

A reception begins at 4:30pm in the British and Irish Studies Room (Norlin Library), followed by Dr. Simpson’s talk at 5pm. (Free and open to the public.)

Info about the event: http://english.colorado.edu/doug-burger-lecture-series-2016/

Info about Doug Burger and the lecture series: http://english.colorado.edu/english-department-launches-the-first-annual-doug-burger-lecture-in-medieval-and-early-modern-literature-this-march/ 

Info about guest speaker James Simpson: http://scholar.harvard.edu/jamessimpson/home