Best John Fresco Podcasts (2025)

1
Uncovering the Forgotten Frescoes of Medieval Bohemia 52:49

Play Pause

1M ago52:49

52:49

The colorful and monumental 14th-century frescoes of Bohemian church interiors have received very little scholarly attention, and many remain completely unknown today. Yet the wall paintings have played major roles in the creation of national(ist) art historical narratives, and they offer a rare chance to examine how medieval frescoes operated with…

1
Speculum Spotlight: East–West Encounters in the 14th Century: John of Marignolli and the "Tribute" Horse 45:31

2M ago45:31

45:31

In this episode, MMA podcast producer Loren Cantrell chats with Nancy Wu about her article, "East–West Encounters in the Fourteenth Century: John of Marignolli and the 'Tribute' Horse" (Speculum 100:4). For more information, visit www.multiculturalmiddleages.com.

1
Meeting the Ministeriales 41:42

3M ago41:42

41:42

In this episode, Logan Quigley (MMA team member) chats with scholar Aaron C. Pattee about the roles and realities of the medieval ministeriales—non-nobles who served in a variety of capacities within the royal palaces, the imperial estates, and the entourages of emperors, kings, and bishops during the High Middle Ages in the Holy Roman Empire. For …

1
The Refugee Who Ran the English Church: The Life and Career of Theodore of Tarsus 39:30

4M ago39:30

39:30

In this episode, Fordham University master’s student Kristian Powell is joined by his classmate Thomas Warren to discuss the life of Theodore of Tarsus. Theodore was a 7th-century intellectual refugee from Asia Minor who, through a long career as a monk in Rome, was appointed as the Archbishop of Canterbury, influencing the early Anglo-Saxon church…

1
Speculum Spotlight: Rethinking Grand Narratives: Mobility, Diet, & Health in a Small Corner of Early Medieval Hampshire 29:01

5M ago29:01

29:01

In this episode, Robin Fleming and Sam Leggett discuss their work on an early fifth-century cemetery in the English village of Alton. Using bioarchaeological evidence from bones and teeth, they have made precise discoveries about the diets of individuals buried at Alton, their states of health, and even the ages at which they migrated from wetland …

1
Queer Medievalism & the Cult of Gay Relics: The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Australia & the USA 37:37

5M ago37:37

37:37

In this episode, Michael D. Barbezat (Australian Catholic University) and Miles Pattenden (Oxford University) explore the "queer medievalism" of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in the early 1980s. They discuss the Sisters' creation of "gay relics" in San Francisco, USA and Sydney, Australia, highlighting how the Sisters drew on the intellectual…

1
So What? Arthuriana and the Public Humanities 21:13

6M ago21:13

21:13

In this episode, Margaret Sheble (webmaster/contributing editor for Arthuriana), Arielle McKee (Outreach Coordinator for The So What), and Brittany Claytor (Assistant Outreach Coordinator) discuss the origins and importance of the new public humanities journal The So What. For more information, visit www.multiculturalmiddleages.com.…

1
Modern Uses of the 'Medieval': A Conversation with The Medievalist Toolkit 47:04

6M ago47:04

47:04

In this episode, Jonathan Correa Reyes speaks with Robin Reich, Alice Grissom, and Benjamin Bertrand to discuss the work of The Medievalist Toolkit, medievalisms, some of the many ways in which the "medieval" seeps into contemporary political and public discourse, and the importance of outreach. For more information, visit www.multiculturalmiddleag…

1
French Fantasies in the Medieval North: Translating Old French Romances at the Court of King Hákon Hákonarson of Norway 31:15

7M ago31:15

31:15

Old Norse translations of Old French romances played a critical role in introducing ideas of courtliness and chivalry and cultivating a shared European literary culture in thirteenth-century Norway. In this episode, scholar of Old Norse studies Mary Catherine O’Connor examines the reasons for translation, how these translations were produced, and a…

1
Speculum Spotlight: Burial Archaeology and the First Plague Pandemic 42:12

8M ago42:12

42:12

In this episode, Reed O'Mara chats with co-authors Janet E. Kay, Jordan Wilson, and Rachel Singer about academic approaches to archaeological and genomic evidence from grave sites and their article "Burial Archaeology and the First Plague Pandemic" (Speculum 100.2), co-written with István Koncz, Merle Eisenberg, Lee Mordechai, and Timothy P. Newfi…

1
Making the Marvels: Bringing The Book of Marvels of the World to the Masses 40:33

8M ago40:33

40:33

In 2022, the Getty Museum acquired a mid-15th c. manuscript copy of The Book of the Marvels of the World featuring an illumination program of global locales, launching a publication and exhibition project in partnership with the Morgan Library & Museum. Larisa and Kelin, two members of Team Marvels (along with Elizabeth Morrison, Senior Curator of …

1
We're Back! Season 4 Producer Introduction 37:58

9M ago37:58

37:58

Catch up with the producers of the Multicultural Middle Ages Podcast in this forerunner episode to Season 4! Featuring Will Beattie, Jonathan Correa-Reyes, Loren Lee, Reed O'Mara, and Logan Quigley For more information, visit www.multiculturalmiddleages.com.

1
Speculum Spotlight: The Medieval Academy of America Centennial Issue 47:36

11M ago47:36

47:36

In this episode, Will Beattie speaks with the co-editors of a special issue of Speculum: A journal of Medieval Studies (100.1) that coincides with the centennial of the Medieval Academy of America. Together, Roland Betancourt, Karla Mallette, and Will reflect on one hundred years of medieval studies and what the future may hold for the field.…

1
Medievalists Go Online 39:14

11M ago39:14

39:14

Have you ever Googled something about the Middle Ages? Clicked a link to find out the best medieval books of 2024? If so, then you have probably found yourself on Medievalists.net at some point. In this episode, Reed and Loren interview the site’s co-founder, Peter Konieczny, to find out the history of the media outlet and what goes into building c…

1
A Queer Look at Manuscript Illumination: Metamorphosis, Imagination, and the Ovide Moralisé 58:22

1y ago58:22

58:22

In this episode, art historian Christopher T. Richards chats with Jon and Reed about what we can learn from medieval theories of art-making and sexuality from illuminations found in manuscripts of the Ovide moralisé, an anonymous French poem composed in the fourteenth century. For more information about this conversation, visit www.multiculturalmid…

1
The Medieval Peasantry: A Homogeneous Whole or a Space of Social Diversity? 36:55

1y ago36:55

36:55

What knowledge exists about medieval peasants and their lives? How do we know what we know? In this episode, Elías Carballido González explores various historical approaches to thinking about the peasantry, considers the state of the field in the present day, and discusses a handful of examples with a focus on northwest Iberia. For more information…

1
The Textual Cult of Richard Rolle: Writing Contemplation in Later Medieval England 50:32

1y ago50:32

50:32

In this episode, Andrew Albin and Andrew Kraebel, the editors of Speculum's essay cluster on the textual cult of fourteenth-century mystic Richard Rolle, chat with MMA series producer and host Jonathan Correa-Reyes about Rolle's life, his works, and the contemplative life that he practiced. This episode is a collaboration with Speculum: A Journal o…

1
Cosmic Ecologies and Animalities in the Jewish Middle Ages 1:02:24

1y ago1:02:24

1:02:24

In this episode, MMA series producer and host Reed O'Mara chats with organizers of and participants in Cosmic Ecologies: Animalities in Premodern Jewish Culture, a recent symposium held at Northwestern University and the Newberry Library. The conversation explores medieval Jewish art and culture, particularly cosmic ecologies and their continuities…

1
The Paintings of the Hall of Kings at Alhambra, Spain 35:29

1y ago35:29

35:29

Art and politics have long been intertwined in Spain. From the early medieval Visigoths to the Umayyad Caliphate to the fall of Granada under Muhammad XII in 1492, political, cultural, and artistic landscapes were continually reshaped as successive groups took power. Ghadi Amer explores the relationship between politics and art movements in medieva…

1
Making Afghanistan Medieval 31:28

1+ y ago31:28

31:28

Afghanistan today is often called medieval: “a broken 13th-century country” (Liam Fox), “delayed by a few centuries” (Thomas Barfield), ruled by “a medieval band of degenerate savages” (Senator Cotton). How did this label come to take hold, and where do we go from here? Join scholars Tanvir Ahmed and Sabauon Nasseri as they discuss how Afghanistan …

1
Prince Vladimir as a Recruit in the War Between Russia and Ukraine 37:19

1+ y ago37:19

37:19

Medievalism has been a common—and hardly innocent—practice in eastern European political discourses ever since the dissolution of the USSR in the 1990s. To use but one example, both Russia and Ukraine have laid claims on such prominent historical figures as Prince Vladimir/Volodymyr the Great, Princess Olga, Boris and Gleb/Hlib, as well as on such …

1
Emergency Art History: Protecting At-Risk Cultural Heritage Sites in Nagorno-Karabakh 26:58

1+ y ago26:58

26:58

Recent years have seen the re-ignition of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The historical monuments of this mountainous territory in the South Caucasus attest to the presence of Armenian people in the region for millennia. With the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict having culminated in the expulsion of Armenians…

1
Speculum Spotlight: “Ai flores, ai flores do verde pino”: The Ecopoetics of the Galician-Portuguese Pine Forest 30:55

1+ y ago30:55

30:55

Scholar Adam Mahler reflects on their experience with researching and writing their article, "'“Ai flores, ai flores do verde pino': The Ecopoetics of the Galician-Portuguese Pine Forest," which appears in Speculum 99.3 (July 2024). Denis of Portugal’s “Ai flores, ai flores do verde pino” [Oh flowers, oh flowers of the green pine] is the medieval m…

1
"Disneylanding" Conques and Modern Medievalisms 1:01:19

1+ y ago1:01:19

1:01:19

In this episode, four scholars from the "Conques in the Global World" project (Kris Racaniello, Adrien Palladino, Martin Lešzák, and Janet Marquardt) discuss their research on the diverse ways in which this French village has been (and is still) historicized, museumified, and "Disneylanded," producing a "living" medieval space in the present. This …

1
The Persuasive Power of Maryam: Proselytism, Religious Conversion, and the Politics of Marian Devotion in Medieval and Early Modern Castile 50:57

1+ y ago50:57

50:57

In this episode, Amanda Valdés Sánchez addresses the crucial role of Marian devotion in the Castilian domination of the former territory of Al-Andalus and its native Islamic population. She analyzes the Castilian exploitation of the local Islamic cult of Maryam as an essential tool for consolidating the Castilian control over the recently conquered…

1
NEW PODCAST NAME!! 0:07

1+ y ago0:07

0:07

We have changed our name. We will now be covering more sports and do more interviews!

1
Multilingualism in Post-Conquest Britain 1:02:24

1+ y ago1:02:24

1:02:24

In the centuries after the Norman Conquest, as many as eight languages were spoken in the British Isles: English, Anglo-Norman, Latin, Norse, Welsh, Cornish, Irish, and Hebrew. Who spoke these languages, and how did they interact and influence each other? In this episode, Austin Benson discusses the linguistic and literary landscape of multilingual…

1
Speculum Spotlight: Race, Race-Thinking, and Identity in the Global Middle Ages 1:01:23

1+ y ago1:01:23

1:01:23

What goes into editing a special issue of a journal? How does the framework of race and race-thinking inform medieval studies today? What is the role of objectivity in the study of the Middle Ages? Join us for this conversation with the editors of the special issue Race, Race-Thinking, and Identity in the Global Middle Ages, published by Speculum (…

1
Built and Natural Environments in Medieval Contexts 1:01:28

1+ y ago1:01:28

1:01:28

What is the relationship between so-called built and natural environments as they are represented in medieval literature, and what is the value of thinking about this relationship? Amy Juarez, Chelsea Keane, and Rebecca Davis discuss the nuanced connections between medieval literary representations of “built” and “natural” environments. Their wide-…

1
Reflections on The Multicultural Middle Ages 31:56

1+ y ago31:56

31:56

The producers of The Multicultural Middle Ages podcast sit down to talk about where we've been, what it's been like, and what's to come. www.multiculturalmiddleages.com

1
Speculum Spotlight: The Cerne Giant in its Early Medieval Context 48:19

2y ago48:19

48:19

Scholars Thomas Morcom and Helen Gittos reflect on their experiences with researching and writing their article, "The Cerne Giant in its Early Medieval Context," which appears in Speculum 99:1. The Cerne Abbas giant is a well-known figure cut into the chalk of a hillside in Dorset. Recent archaeological investigation has concluded that it had been …

1
Speculum Spotlight: Jewelry and People in the Byzantine Cemetery of Parapotamos, Epiros 41:19

2y ago41:19

41:19

Scholar Georgios Makris reflects on his experiences with researching and writing his article, “Jewelry and People in the Byzantine Cemetery of Parapotamos, Epiros,” which appears in Speculum 98:4. Jewelry reflecting the tastes, needs, and practices of past users across all social strata constitutes one of the most representative portable arts in th…

1
Medieval Japanese Buddhisms 1:02:33

2y ago1:02:33

1:02:33

What does it mean to experience a sacred text? How did Buddhism make its way from south Asia to the Japanese archipelago? How did the adoption of Buddhism impact the Japanese Middle Ages? Join Jon Correa Reyes and Reed O'Mara for a conversation with Charlotte Eubanks, where they discuss some of the many ways in which Buddhist beliefs and practices …

1
Racialized Medievalisms & Rings of Power: The Rise of the 'Diverse' Fantasy Prequel 1:08:00

2+ y ago1:08:00

1:08:00

Join your episode co-hosts Kersti Francis (BU) and Misho Ishikawa (NYU) for a lively conversation with Chris Chism (UCLA) about prequels that attempt to "diversify" preexisting fantasy IP. Together Kersti, Misho, and Chris discuss the racial politics of The Lord of the Rings and the new Rings of Power series based on Tolkien's Silmarillion. Through…

1
Experiencing Medieval Music 58:19

2+ y ago58:19

58:19

What did medieval music sound like? How can we read and perform the musical notation from medieval manuscripts? What does singing and playing music written before 1500 actually feel like? How did the early music tradition carry forward into the seventeenth century? In this episode, Reed O'Mara interviews musicologists Elena Mullins Bailey and Allis…

1
Speculum Spotlight: Trans Climates of the European Middle Ages, 500-1300 33:39

2+ y ago33:39

33:39

Scholar François•e Charmaille reflects on their experiences with researching and writing their article, “Trans Climates of the European Middle Ages, 500 to 1300,” which appears in Speculum 98:3. This article gathers evidence of a distinct strand of writing in Western Europe from the sixth century onwards, which concerns itself with the relation bet…

1
The Filmmaker, the Anchorite, and Their Collaboration Across Time 1:12:38

2+ y ago1:12:38

1:12:38

What can we learn from those who came before us? How does the art we make reflect and define who we are? And why is the medieval past just so interesting? In this conversation with the MMA’s Logan Quigley, filmmaker Caroline Golum reflects on these questions and more as she discusses creating her most recent film, “Revelations of Divine Love,” whic…

1
Þe Rade Longe 1990s: Nostalgia and Pop Medievalisms of the 90s and Y2K 59:09

2+ y ago59:09

59:09

Ogres, VHS tapes, bad puns, oh my! Join three late millennial/early Gen Z-ers and premodern scholars, Alice, Erin, & Olivia, on a journey across the medievalisms and their media of the 1990s and Y2K eras. Follow this link for more information about Alice, Erin, Olivia, and this topic: www.multiculturalmiddleages.com.…

1
New Materialism and the Multicultural Middle Ages 46:24

2+ y ago46:24

46:24

T. Liam Waters and Ana C. Núñez discuss the application of New Materialism for the study of the Middle Ages. Exploring different source bases, questions, and insights, Liam and Ana take listeners from Viking Age Scandinavia to Crusade-era Jerusalem. Follow this link for more information about Liam, Ana, and this topic: www.multiculturalmiddleages.c…

1
The Use of Medievalism in Colonial and Postcolonial Contexts: Contrasting Examples in Francophone Literature 30:53

2+ y ago30:53

30:53

Within a cultural climate where representations of the medieval are often employed to serve racist and white supremacist ends, the topic of medievalism becomes increasingly relevant. In this episode, Bryant White (Vanderbilt University) discusses his work on the use and abuse of medievalism in Francophone literary contexts. Bryant looks at how a tr…

1
Women, Books, & Pregnancy in Medieval France 39:44

3y ago39:44

39:44

Although much scholarship on the Middle Ages uses the model of “great men” to describe this time period, “Women, Books, and Pregnancy in Medieval France” focuses on the Christian patron saint of childbirth St. Margaret to promote a more equitable interpretation of first-hand evidence found in material objects that points to a more holistic understa…

1
Medieval Jewish Women & Intersectionality 39:06

3y ago39:06

39:06

Why does studying medieval Jewish women matter? The framework of intersectionality, a term coined by the scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, allows us to address how Jewish women’s lived experiences in the Middle Ages differed from those of either Jewish men or of Christian or Muslim women. Dr. Sarah Ifft Decker offers an overview of what we might learn—and…

1
Dear Baltimore Orioles, 4:08

3y ago4:08

4:08

My plea to the Baltimore orioles to be buyers this year at the deadline.

1
Jackie Bradley and Didi Gregorius released, plus we discuss the standings 5:51

3+ y ago5:51

5:51

Top performers and final scores from Aug. 3rd 2022. Much more.

1
Teaching the "Global Middle Ages" 19:02

3+ y ago19:02

19:02

In this episode, join Reed O'Mara (GSC) as she interviews Elina Gertsman (Case Western Reserve University) and Sonya Rhie Mace (Cleveland Museum of Art) about their experiences co-teaching undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on the "global Middle Ages." Follow this link for more information about Reed, Dr. Gertsman, Dr. Rhie Mace, and this to…

1
Reading Chaucer in Mandarin: How Do We Teach the Global Middle Ages Outside the West? 39:34

3+ y ago39:34

39:34

As medieval scholarship attempts to decenter the West and move towards a global and multicultural approach, we frequently ask: how do we mimic this move in the classroom? Most often, however, this question and its suggested solutions still presuppose a primarily Western and English-native speaking population of students, as well as courses situated…