John Romano
“Tolerance of Liturgical Diversity in Medieval Europe”

John Romano will speak about a particularly rich example that illustrates his thesis and approach. It involves the travels of the ambassador of the Mongols Rabban Sauma to Western Europe and the city of Rome in particular. His travelogue demonstrates the emphasis placed on correct belief and, simultaneously, on the tolerance shown to diverse forms of worship.

Romano is the Millicent Mercer Johnsen Post-Doctoral Rome Prize Fellow in Medieval Studies and associate professor in the Department of History at Benedictine College.

Bennett Sims
“Pecking Order”

Bennett Sims will read a short story titled “Pecking Order,” about a man slaughtering a chicken. It originally appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of Ploughshares.

Sims is the recipient of the Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize in Literature, a gift of the Drue Heinz Trust, and visiting assistant professor at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.

The shoptalks will be held in English. Watch this event live at https://livestream.com/aarome.