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>The Medieval Romance Society is sponsoring 3 sessions at the 38th Medieval
>Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo, MI (May 8-11, 2003):
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>1.  Pleasure in Medieval Romance
>Session 1 on "pleasure" will allow for a broad interpretation of what
>constitutes pleasure in medieval romance: from the purely sexual and
>physical to the more abstract and virtuous to the theoretical concept of
><i>jouissance</i> and the "pleasure of the text" achieved through the
>reception/reading of the romance.
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>2.  Lust in Medieval Romance
>Session 2 on "lust" will focus more specifically on sexual enjoyment, both
>as a simply lecherous act and as an intense longing for physical possession
>of the body, as it is presented in medieval romance.
>
>3.  Abstinence in Medieval Romance
>Session 3 on "abstinence" will address the issue of self-restraint and the
>satisfaction (or lack thereof) of the appetite in medieval romance.  As
>with Session 1, the meaning of "abstinence" will be broadly defined to
>include not just the sexual, but also the non-sexual as appropriate.
>
>These thematically-related sessions aim to encourage an examination of
>enjoyment--both sexual and non-sexual--in medieval romance from a
>cross-cultural perspective.  In such a way, we hope to bring together
>disparate examples of enjoyment from a variety of texts to examine how the
>passion was understood and even satisfied in the Middle Ages.
>
>Please note:  the Medieval Romance Society is particularly interested in
>cross-cultural issues and romance; therefore, we welcome papers that
>examine medieval romance literature from any culture/language (English,
>Celtic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, etc.). We also welcome papers
>from scholars of all levels--from the graduate student to senior
>academic.  Papers are to be no more than 20 minutes in length.
>
>The deadline for receipt of abstracts is September 10, 2002. Please submit
>one-page abstracts (and indicate whether or not you need computer and/or
>a/v equipment) via email, fax, or regular mail to
>
>Dr. Tamara F. O'Callaghan
>Department of Literature & Language
>Northern Kentucky University
>Landrum 500
>Highland Heights, KY 41099-1500
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>Email: [log in to unmask]
>Fax: (859) 572-6093
>
>The 38th International Congress will be held May 8-11, 2003. Please consult
>the Congress website for the Congress for further information:
>http://www.wmich.edu/~medinst/congress/
>
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