This annual undergraduate conference offers students an opportunity to present their work to an audience of friends, peers and faculty
On January 24 and 25, the Early Modern Studies Society welcomed students to the Annual Conference of the Early Modern—a yearly conference created for—and presented by—undergraduates to engage with all things early modern. In keeping with the Early Modern Studies Program’s (EMSP) interdisciplinary curriculum, the annual two-day event features papers on art, philosophy, religion, music, politics and literature. While the prospect of presenting at a conference may seem intimidating at first, one could not ask for a more supportive, engaged and receptive audience. “The conference provided an environment where academia could come to life, providing students with an opportunity to push their coursework beyond the limits of a specific assignment,” said Darius Amanat-Markazi, a first-year student currently enrolled in the Foundation Year Program. “…it was especially inspiring to see the passion and elegance with which older students presented their work. It provided a window into the future, showcasing the possibilities that come with further study and more advanced courses.”
This year marked the 25th anniversary of the EMSP, so the conference doubled as a celebration of this milestone, featuring reminiscences from students and alumni on their time in the program and the impact it has had, and continues to have, on their personal, professional and academic interests.
Dr. Simon Kow, Director of EMSP, commissioned me to create an anniversary booklet which was distributed at the conference. The booklet features silly, profound and heartwarming submissions from past and present students and faculty regarding the creation of the program, the very first conference, the first publication of the Early Modern Studies Society’s journal Babel, and much more!
The conference commenced on Friday evening with opening remarks from Caroline Jones and me, as this year’s co-presidents of the Early Modern Studies Society. A chorus of oohs and ahhs ensued as we debuted our new Early Modern Studies merchandise designed by the society’s executives.
We then had the pleasure of introducing our keynote speaker, Dr. Rebecca Kingston, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto. Dr. Kingston has published extensively on early modern political theorists and visited King’s to share research from her new book, Plutarch’s Prism: Classical Reception and Public Humanism in France and England, 1500–1800. Her lecture, titled “Can Exemplarity stand the Test of Time? Thinking Through Examples in Plutarch, Christine de Pizan and Madeleine de Scudéry,” offered a stimulating consideration of historical examples of bravery, resilience and greatness. These three thinkers, despite existing in different time periods and places, all used stories of powerful women as illustrations of exemplarity. Citing modern debates about whether to preserve or remove statues of controversial historical figures, Dr. Kingston made a strong case for the value of recognizing and coming to terms with the past, rather than covering it up altogether. After the lecture, attendees had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Kingston at a reception hosted by the society.
The conference resumed on Saturday morning with two student panels, “Writing the Self” and “Exploring Ethics and Culture.” Lauren Konok, a third-year History and Contemporary Studies student, shared her research on the infamous Erzébet Báthory and her experience translating Báthory’s Hungarian correspondence. While Lauren elucidated the all-too relatable struggles of early modern translation, she also reiterated the value of such efforts, as these letters reveal a very different side of the Hungarian serial killer than one finds in other accounts in the period. Lauren, who also presented at last year’s conference, found the experience of presenting “enormously beneficial,” not only because it helped prepare her for future professional conferences, but also as an opportunity to learn about the work of her fellow students. “We rarely get the opportunity to experience the work of our peers in a formal setting, and I have learned an incredible amount about a wide variety of interests from Montaigne’s perception of God to the anatomical drawings of Vesalius,” she said. “The support of attending students and staff enhances the sense of community at King’s, both academic and otherwise.”
This year’s alumni lecturer was Dr. Jacqueline Wylde, BA(Hons)’02, an affiliate researcher at the Digital Humanities Centre at St. Francis Xavier University and a fellow at the Centre for Renaissance and Reformation at the University of Toronto. During her time at King’s, Dr. Wylde was part of the first full Early Modern Studies graduating class, was a choral scholar in the Chapel Choir, and contributed to the very first Babel publication.
For her presentation, Dr. Wylde led us all through an impromptu choir performance of two psalms. Those of us who were less comfortable singing and reading choral sheet music were carried through by Dr. Wylde’s conducting, as well as Dr. Neil Robertson’s booming voice from the back of the room. In her lecture, Dr. Wylde spoke about the importance of such psalms for the early moderns; music brought people together, acted as a form of entertainment and generated heat in the church, which would have offered parishioners a brief reprieve from the frigid temperatures outside. Dr. Wylde’s presentation led to a thoughtful discussion about the value of historical recreation and a consideration of the differences between early modern and modern bodies, particularly our lung capacity as opposed to that of someone who had been infected with smallpox (as most at the time were). Dr. Wylde’s lecture and reminiscences about her time in the Early Modern Studies Program were certainly a highlight of this year’s conference. She was thrilled to return to King’s to share her passion for music history with students pursuing the same degree that led her to discover said passion.
The final panels of the day featured a theological defence of Ann Conway’s metaphysics, a queer analysis of Coleridge’s Christabel and Polodori’s The Vampyre, a comparison of John Locke and Bernard Mandeville’s political theories, and a consideration of the limited options available to early modern women, as evidenced by Moderate Fonte and Arcangela Tarabotti’s respective writings.
As the conference came to a close, I felt a great deal of pride at the success of the panelists and the hard work of my fellow society executives to make it all happen. Attending and participating in this and other conferences at King’s offers students incredibly valuable opportunities to expand their knowledge, gain confidence as presenters and engage with guest lecturers and alumni.
Banner photo by author: Dr. Jacqueline Wylde, BA(Hons)’02, presenting at the Conference of the Early Modern
