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The Case for Medieval Realism: Sodom, Babylon and Cleanness

Mar 3, 2025

01:30 PM - 03:00 PM

English-Philosophy Building, 304

251 West Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52242

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poster with medieval illustrations in background, photo of Professor Larry Scanlon in foreground with informational text

Criticism Today presents Professor Larry Scanlon (Rutgers University) as he explores the power and relevance of medieval realism in literature. Drawing on ideas from theorists like Roland Barthes and Marxist thinkers Fredric Jameson and Anna Kornbluh, Scanlon will discuss how late medieval texts — especially the poem Cleanness and its retelling of the Sodom story — offer fresh insights into realism and culture.

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