LAKELAND, Fla. (Nov. 1, 2005) — Florida Southern College will host the sixth annual Medieval Symposium Nov. 11. The event, co-sponsored by the Academic Life Office, the Roux Library, the humanities division, the history and political science department, and the English department, will be held in the William M. Hollis Seminar Room of the Thad Buckner Building on campus, with registration at 9:30 a.m. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m.

This year’s symposium, “Monsters and Monstrous in the Middle Ages,” will explore the medieval understanding of the monstrous and its portrayal in literature, art, and architecture, with attention to the fact that monsters were real to the medievals in no small degree. “Our goal,” says Alexander Bruce, FSC associate professor of English, “is to introduce the audience to life in the medieval ages and to the greater scholarly interest in medieval studies. This year’s Symposium should prompt the audience to consider both how imaginative and how insightful into human nature the medievals were.” Speakers will present in the sessions below.

10:10 a.m. “Medieval Monsters as Liminal Beings,” Dr. Jonathan Evans, associate professor of English, the University of Georgia

11:15 a.m. “Deformed Beauty, Beautiful Deformity: Monsters in the Romanesque Church,” Dr. James D’Emilio, associate professor of humanities and American studies, the University of South Florida

12:50 p.m. “Beowulf: The Musical!” performed by FSC’s Vagabonds

1:15 p.m. “Monsters in Medieval French Literature: Marie de France and Chrétien de Troyes,” Dr. Anne Latowsky, visiting assistant professor of French, the University of South Florida

2 p.m.  “Travelers’ Choices: Epic Betrayal and Medieval Monstrosity,” Dr. Mary Pharr, professor of English, Florida Southern College

Registration, which includes lunch, is $4.50 in advance, $6.50 at the door. For further information and reservations, contact Alexander Bruce in the English department at 680-4440 or email: abruce@flsouthern.edu.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.