Renaissances

Active Focal Group

Mission:

 

Renaissances at Stanford is a Renaissance Society of America (RSA) associate organization and working group that serves Stanford University’s early modern scholars. Sponsored by the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages (DLCL), Renaissances brings together fellows from the Stanford Humanities Center; faculty and graduate students from the English, Comparative Literature, History, Art History, Music, Religion, and Classics departments, among others; and early modernists from the broader scholarly community. Each year, we offer programming designed to build relationships among peers, mentors, and external institutions and scholars. Our mission is to integrate diverse fields, methodologies, languages, and geographies to explore the Renaissance both in its European paradigm and its broader, global contexts.

 

Graduate Research Series:

 

Established in 2015, Renaissances’ Graduate Research Series pairs graduate-student members with external experts in their research areas. These collaborations culminate in roundtable discussions open to the Renaissances community. There, student and expert present pre-circulated texts (dissertation chapters, article drafts, book excerpts, etc.) to an audience of graduate students and faculty members. Renaissances’ graduate coordinators invite questions and moderate subsequent discussion. To present your work in the 2024–2025 series, apply here.

 

Professionalization Series:

 

Renaissances offers a variety of events geared toward professional development. These explore topics ranging from research, publication, and pedagogy to sources of intellectual inspiration, genealogies of scholarly influence, and questions for future research. Formats vary from year to year. Past events include book talks, lectures, and roundtables featuring speakers from across Stanford and across the country. For upcoming events, consult the DLCL newsletter or visit the Renaissances event calendar.

 

Community-Building:

 

With COVID-19 protocols loosening, Renaissances has expanded its traditional programming to better serve its members and to recover the sense of community lost during the pandemic. Past offerings have included a gothic textura calligraphy workshop with the San Francisco Center for the Book; a screening of Fanny Lye Deliver'd moderated by Professor Nigel Smith (English, Princeton); a performance of Marian hymns by Neuma, an early modern vocal ensemble directed by Music Ph.D. student, Daniel Koplitz; and a colloquia co-sponsored by the History Department and the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, featuring a keynote address by Anthony Grafton (History, Princeton). The 2022–2023 school year promises more conversation, music, and hands-on experience as Renaissances partners with resources on- and off-campus to bring the early modern to the present day.

 

RSA and Republics of Letters:

 

Renaissances’ programming supports its two external branches: its Renaissance Society of America (RSA) affiliation and its partnership with the Humanities Center journal, Republics of Letters. Both venues offer public visibility for our members and their work. Renaissances hosts up to three panels at RSA’s annual conference. With the help of Renaissances’ faculty advisor, graduate students develop, coordinate, and participate in conference programming. Another setting for student research, Republics of Letters provides a venue for graduate students to publish their work, fulfilling a crucial professional milestone. To learn more about Renaissances and its relationships with RSA and Republics of Letters, email Renaissances’ coordinators (below).

 

Mailing List:

 

To stay up to date with Renaissances upcoming events, join our mailing list by emailing the graduate student coordinators listed below.

 

 

Faculty PIs

Past Events

April
19
Date
Thursday, April 19, 2012, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
March
5
Date
Monday, March 5, 2012, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
January
23
Date
Monday, January 23, 2012, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
October
10
Date
Monday, October 10, 2011, 12:00pm - 2:00pm