07 September 2010

Washington DC: Medieval French Jewish communities, Sept. 20

Author Kirsten A. Fudeman will speak on her new book, "Vernacular Voices: Language and Identity in Medieval French Jewish Communities," on Monday, September 20, at the Library of Congress.

The talk will begin at noon in the African and Middle Eastern Division Reading Room, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street SE, Washington DC. The event is free and open to the public; seating is limited.

Fudeman will discuss the intersection between Hebrew and French and the role of both in shaping cultural identity of the medieval French Jews. Texts explored in the book and in the lecture include commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, prayers and wedding songs, medical texts and cooking recipes.

The book was recently published by the University of Pennsylvania Press; see the table of contents and an interesting excerpt at that link.

Fudeman holds a PhD (Cornell University, 1999) and is currently assistant professor of French language and literature at the University of Pittsburgh. She has authored scholarly articles and received several important grants and awards.

For more information on the program, click here.

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