David Townsend, Historical Fiction and Its Discontents
When and Where
Speakers
Description
The Convivium welcomes Professor Emeritus David Townsend, who will present Historical Fiction and Its Discontents, an introduction to and reading from his book, The Ram in the Thicket, A Novel of Medieval Norwich. A book signing will follow.
Abstract
Guilty pleasure or serious cultural work? Academics have vexed relationships with historical fiction. If we cross over to writing it ourselves (as some of us do), how do we understand the enterprise?" What is the relationship of evidence to imagination, and of research to pedagogy and to the work of popularization?
Professor Emeritus David Townsend will talk about these issues as they play out in several medieval historical novels, by way of introducing and reading from his own recently published book: The Ram in the Thicket imagines the world of Julian of Norwich, late in her life in 1413.