We hope you will join us March 21–23, 2024, at our 70th Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Plans are underway for more than 500 sessions at RSA Chicago 2024, with the participation of 78 Associate Organizations. The Josephine Waters Bennett Lecture will be presented by Joan-Pau Rubiés Mirabet, ICREA Research Professor in the Humanities at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. We are delighted to announce that a pre-conference reception for graduate students will be held, hosted by the Newberry Center for Renaissance Studies. In addition to the meeting sessions, attendees can enjoy a lecture and performance by the Newberry Consort and a demonstration of Renaissance swordplay by Gregory D. Mele of Forteza.

RSA members who have applied to present a paper at the Chicago conference are invited to apply for travel, diversity, and onsite care grants. Each grant has a separate application with different requirements. Applications are now open and close October 15, 2023. All applicants will be notified of their status in December.

The conference will be held at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago (“the Loop”). The Palmer House is located just a 5–10 minute walk from the Art Institute of Chicago and Symphony Center, and not far from the theater district. The Newberry Library is easily accessible by public transportation or a short cab ride. The city has two major airports, Midway and O’Hare, with public transportation to downtown. Amtrak and Metra regional trains arrive at Union Station.

Abstracts of 150 words are due by Sunday, September 24 for the new Lightning Talk Series, “The Sexual Renaissance(s).” Participants from various disciplinary backgrounds are invited to think about the nature, meaning, place, and development of Renaissance sexuality. Submit your proposal for this online event being held Thursday, November 2. More information about the series is available here.

Nominations are open for the 2024 Paul Oskar Kristeller Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors a lifetime of uncompromising devotion to the highest standard of scholarship accompanied by exceptional achievement in Renaissance studies. Submissions are due by September 30, 2023.

Five positions on the RSA Board of Directors will become available in 2024:

• Vice President
• Annual Fund Chair
• Emerging Scholar Representative
• Graduate Student Counselor
• Membership Chair

To learn more about the positions and to make nominations, please visit the RSA webpage and complete the survey. RSA members are invited to submit nominations and self-nominations. You may nominate yourself and as many other scholars as you wish by completing the survey once for each nomination. The deadline for nominations is October 1, 2023.

Finding the Time to Write

Thursday, October 5, 2023

1:00 p.m. EDT (easily the convert the time zone)

Panelists will discuss the perpetual challenge of finding the time to write while also juggling heavy teaching, administrative, public-facing, or other commitments.

Register and get more details here

The Sexual Renaissance(s)

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Our Graduate Student Lightning Talk Series continues and will be open to the public. Additional information is forthcoming.

Workshop: Defining, Promoting, and Publishing Your Professional Agenda

Friday, November 10, 2023

1:00 p.m. EST (easily the convert the time zone)

This 90-minute interactive workshop for graduate students and early career scholars will address strategies – both in print and virtual forms – for developing and communicating a coherent intellectual agenda.

Register and get more details here

Book Publishing

Thursday, November 16, 2023

1:00 p.m. EST (easily the convert the time zone)

Representatives from Amsterdam University Press and Boydell & Brewer will discuss the book publication process.

Register and get more details here

Please take a look at the RSA calendar highlighting important upcoming dates and deadlines, and view the details of the RSA’s conferences through 2027.

Submit Your News

Please let the RSA know about your announcements, events, and calls for papers related to the study of the Renaissance and the early modern era (1300–1700). We will highlight your news on our website and/or digital channels.

Submit a Calendar Event

Submit News & Announcements

“The Renaissance is Having a Renaissance”

NY Times Magazine

“There’s a Lot Going on Behind the Curtain in This Renaissance Portrait”

Washington Post

“Experts Identify the First Witness to the Great Fire of London”

CNN

Follow the RSA on social media. Tag us at @RSAorg on X (formerly known as Twitter) and @rsaorg on Instagram. Use the hashtag #RenTwitter for Renaissance studies content and #RenSA24 for the Chicago conference.

The RSA brings together thousands of scholars from around the globe, welcoming the broadest range of activity in Renaissance studies today. Focused on the advancement of learning through our publications, events, and programs, the RSA provides its members with a deeper understanding of the period 1300–1700. Join the RSA today.

The Renaissance Society of America makes Renaissance News available to current, past, and non-members of the RSA. Each edition highlights Renaissance studies and what’s happening at the RSA. If you were forwarded this email and would like to receive Renaissance News each month, you can click below to subscribe.

Have a question or comment about Renaissance News? Contact us.