The fifth annual Conference for Medieval Studies, a graduate student conference sponsored by Comitatus, the Purdue Medieval Studies student organization, was held at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana from February 23-24, 2007. The theme for this year’s conference was "On the Edge: Representations of Liminality in Medieval Culture."

Patricia Clare Ingham, Associate Professor of English at Indiana University, Bloomington, and author of Sovereign Fantasies: Arthurian Romance and the Making of Britain, was the plenary speaker for this year’s conference. Her paper was entitled "Old Worlds and New: the Edges of Novelty and the Limits of Enchantment."

Friday, February 23

5:00-5:50 pm (Moderator: Rebecca Goldenberg)
"The Boundaries of Betrayal in The Sowdone of Babylone," Elizabeth Williamsen, Indiana University – Bloomington
"Chrétien's Perceval and the Borders of Britain," Julianne Bruneau, University of Notre Dame

6:00-6:50 pm (Moderator: Karen Robinson)
"Faith and Illusion: Boethian Cosmology and Magic in the Franklin's Tale," Stephen Sweat, University of Arizona
"La Historia de La Scientia Toletana en el Siglo XIII, or the Valuation of Magic in Spanish Medieval Literature," Frank Tobienne, Purdue University

6:50-8:00 pm
Dinner (on your own)

8:00 pm
Reception (Case and Eden's house)

Saturday, February 24

8:00-8:45 am
Coffee (with light breakfast) and Greeting

8:45-9:45 am (Moderator: Jack Baker)
"The Passion of Piers: Piers Plowman as Embodied Liminality," A. Arwen Taylor, Indiana University – Bloomington
"Heart and Body: The Relationship Between Moral and Physical Qualities in Three Miracles by Gautier de Coincy," Florin Beschea, Indiana University

10:00-11:15 am (Moderator: Ryan Naughton)
"Insanity and Bureaucracy: Documentary Practice in Hoccleve's Series and Formulary," Matthew Brown, University of Notre Dame
"'By word formyd in my understonding': Language and Its Reworking in The Shewings of Julian of Norwich," Becky Winn, Indiana University
"Dancing Through a Different Minefield: The Public Discourse of Margery Kempe as Subversive Liminality," Susanna Childress, Florida State University

11:30-12:30
Plenary Address
Patricia Clare Ingham
"Old Worlds and New: the Edges of Novelty and the Limits of Enchantment"

12:30-2:00 pm
Lunch break (a group will be going to Khana Khazana Indian Grill; you're welcome to join us or have lunch on your own)

2:00-3:15 pm (Moderator: Stefan Barkow)
"The Royal Couple in Chaucer's Legend of Good Women," Allison Scott, Purdue University
"The Parallels of Inferno and The Legend of Good Women," Alex Vance, Purdue University
"Reflections of Richard in The Legend of Good Women," Jesie Martinez, Purdue University

3:30-4:45 pm (Moderator: Kristin Leaman)
"Piers Plowman and the Agency of Salvation," Deborah Searcy, University of Miami
"Fleeing the Borders of Romance: Reclaiming Masculinity in Malory's 'Tale of Sir Gareth,'" Molly Martin, Purdue University
"On the Edge of Incest: Power and Violence in the Second and Fourth Branches of the Mabinogi," Lesley Jacobs, Indiana University

Information about our prior conferences can be found below:
5th Annual Conference (February 2007)
4th Annual Conference (February 2006)
3rd Annual Conference (February 2005)
2nd Annual Conference
1st Annual Conference