In this talk, visiting lecturer Blake Gutt will present the groundwork of his current book project, entitled The Trans Middle Ages, which analyzes medieval European representations of gender transition and transformation through the lens of modern queer and trans theory and traces the lineage between the two.

Gutt will discuss two case studies that illustrate what medieval trans studies can do with both "canonically trans" medieval texts, and texts that are not typically seen as susceptible to a trans reading. His literary and theoretical approach enacts trans poetics to produce a resonant, atemporal moment of affective connection and trans creativity. The trans Middle Ages is inherently political because acknowledgment of the existence of trans people in the past-and of the value of trans thought in the present- challenges dominant modern narratives of transgender existence. 

The program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies attempts to recreate the interlocking of many disciplines that characterized Medieval and Renaissance culture.

A certificate program that coordinates a student's training in the Medieval and Renaissance areas in such a way as to enrich the work in the major department while forming a coherent and integrated interdisciplinary experience.