The Premodern Colloquium (PMC) is a reading group that met for over thirty years in the home of Tom Green (Law School, History) by whom it was founded as a forum for discussion of new work in the history of law. It eventually evolved into a wide-ranging multidisciplinary group. In the 1990s Tom Willette (History of Art) joined Tom Green and in the fall of 2001 organized the first event jointly sponsored by the PMC and the Medieval and Early Modern Studies program, beginning a long period of close collaboration. Tom Willette served as sole director and host of the PMC from 2016 to 2021. Since then, the directorship has rotated among MEMS faculty.
Typically PMC discussions focus on works-in-progress by local and visiting scholars or dissertation chapters presented by our own students. Discussions tend to be intense and lively, but people who present work find the experience to be friendly and helpful. We especially welcome graduate students to our regular meetings, both as discussants and as presenters of dissertation work.
Fall 2023
NO MEETING IN SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER 22 Sangseraima Ujeed, U-M Asian Languages and Cultures
"The White Crane of Alagśa: Lost Lives of the Sixth Dalai Lama in Mongolia"
NOVEMBER 19 Kevin Carr, U-MHistory of Art
"Bokuseki as Bodily Relic: Embodying Lineage and Enlightenment through Ink Traces in Medieval Japanese Zen"
DECEMBER 3 Juhn Ahn, U-M Asian Languages and Cultures
"Koryŏ's Economy: Draft Chapter for the Cambridge History of Korea—Koryŏ"
