Sisters of the Road

From Quad Cities Online:

The image of the American and British woman of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries often centers on home and hearth. Writer Beatriz Badikian-Gartler celebrates an altogether different woman in her Oct. 15 Evenings at Butterworth presentation, "Sisters of the Road: Travel Writing by Women Throughout History."

Badikian-Gartler takes her audience on an imaginative journey via readings interspersed with brief commentary on the nature of the travel-writing genre. She puts particular focus on the distinctive qualities of women travel writers of the past, and the ways in which they differed from their male counterparts.

Born in Buenos Aires, long-time Chicago resident Badikian-Gartler holds a PhD in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and lectures throughout the Midwest on poetry and literature.

Beatriz Badikian-Gartler in "Sisters of the Road: Travel Writing by Women Throughout History," 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15, Butterworth Center, 1105 8th St., Moline, Ill. No charge for admission; refreshments following. Event funded by the William Butterworth Memorial Trust.

For more information, call (309) 743-2701; or visit her online at www.bbgartler.com

Medieval Items of Interest

Hope you enjoy these little items of medieval interest:

Lost Renaissance Man @ BBC News:

A celebration is taking place to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of a Welshman who helped develop the idea of a British empire.

John Dee, a scholar who excelled in science and maths, delved into early Welsh history to identify a common identity for the Welsh and the English.

But, despite being dubbed the "Renaissance Man" of the Tudor era, his achievements have gone unremembered.

John Dee and his contemporary and fellow-magi, John Kelly (Kelley), spent some time under the patronage of the Habsburg Emperors at Prague.

Fr. Serra by Dan Krieger @ the Tribune

St. Francis of Assisi is probably the best known and most beloved of the medieval saints. Francis was born in 1181 during the age of the troubadours. His life quickly became the stuff that poets sang about. These stories about Francis and his band of “little brothers” was eventually written down. In medieval Italian, the most popular account is known as the “Fioretti” or “The Little Flowers of St. Francis.”

Medieval Travel Book @ BBC News

A 13th Century copy of a medieval travel writer's book has returned to Wales for the first time in 20 years to form part of an exhibition. Gerald of Wales trekked more than 500 miles (804.5km) in 1188, primarily to recruit soldiers for the third crusade in the Middle East. A copy of his "Journey through Wales" has been lent to The National Museum in Cardiff by The British Library.

Nuremburg Mahzor by Jen Thomas @ Associated Press

A rare Hebrew manuscript written in 14th century Germany is going on display for the first time, just before the Jewish New Year, Israel Museum officials said Wednesday. The text, called the Nuremberg Mahzor, is one of the largest surviving medieval texts in the world. Written in 1331 in Germany, the prayer book remains mostly intact — only seven of its original 528 leaves are missing. Officials said the 1,042-page manuscript will be on display at the Israel Museum starting next Tuesday, days before Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year holiday, which begins Sept. 18.