Otto I and the Imperial Revival
Four years before his victory at the Lech, Otto decided to involve himself in Italian affairs. It would be a mistake to regard Otto’s invasion of Italy as a completely cynical move.
The Fleming Foundation Cultural Commentary
Wednesday’s Child: Parallel Lines
One night when I was young, foolish, and poor – some qualities that are yet mine own – I was on a Metro-North train from Grand Central Station in New York to New Haven, Connecticut, where I lived after university.
Political Passion, Part I
This is the first part of a revised and expanded essay on the politicization of Christian Holy Days.
Bibliography for Early Medieval Italy
This is a first draft of a haphazard list of books used over the years. It will be corrected and amplified as time goes on, and new sections will be added.
Help Wanted
Still in the early stages of planning a Fall Program in Italy, we are seeking advice, opinions, and preferences from readers who are interested in attending.
James Patrick, R.I.P.
We have received news from Jerry Brock of the death of our friend and colleague James Patrick.
Two Years of the Ukraine War: Why Biden Is the Worst President
You are 30 minutes from a Russian nuclear bomb detonating over your head and atomizing you and your family. And the risk of that rising sharply the past two years is why Biden is by far the worst president in U.S. history.
The Dark Age of the Church
Between the death of Louis II (in 875) and the coronation of Otto the Great as Emperor (in 962), Italy was in a state of constant disruption as various pretenders attempted to make good their claims to the throne of Italy or, more tenuously, to the Empire. Louis II, son of Emperor Lothair I had been the legitimate heir of Charlemagne.
Wednesday’s Child: Slaves to Fashion
It occurs to me that while “The Politics of Fashion” is common pabulum for talk shows and women’s magazines, nobody writes on “The Fashion of Politics.” Yet it’s a serious subject worth exploring.
Apology
I need to apologize for the tardiness of posts and sometimes sloppy editing. I failed to bring my laptop to Italy and had to rely on an old creaky iPad, and, when I returned, I am still in the same leaky boat, since thieves broke into our house and stole, among more precious valuables, my laptop. Alas, my desktop appears to be on its last legs, and the new laptop will not arrive for a week or so.
