Cosmopolitanism and the Middle Ages

Karla Mallette, University of Michigan, USASharon Kinoshita, University of California, Santa Cruz, USAChristine Chism, UCLA, USAMarla Segol, University at Buffalo of the State University of New York, USAShirin Khanmohamadi, San Francisco State University, USAAdnan Husain, Queen's University, Kingston, CanadaMargaret Aziza Pappano, Queen's University, Kingston, CanadaKarma Lochrie, Indiana University, USARobert R. Edwards, Pennsylvania State University, USAJessica L. Wolfe, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA

• Introduction; Shayne Legassie & John M. Ganim 1. The Metropolis and its Languages: Baghdad and Venice; Karla Mallette 2. Re-Orientations: The Worlding of Marco Polo; Sharon Kinoshita 3. Between Islam and Christendom: Ibn Battuta's Travels in Asia Minor and the North; Christine Chism 4. Medieval Religious Cosmopolitanisms: Truth and Inclusivity in the Literature of Muslim Spain; Marla Segol 5. Worldly Unease in Late Medieval European Travel Reports; Shirin Khanmohamadi 6. The One Kingdom Solution?: Diplomacy, Marriage and Sovereignty in the Third Crusade; Adnan Husain & Margaret Aziza Pappano 7. Inventing Social Conscience: Cosmopolitanism in Piers Plowman; Karma Lochrie 8. Cosmopolitan Imaginaries; Robert R. Edwards 9. Among Other Possible Things: The Cosmopolitanisms of Chaucer's 'Man of Law's Tale'; Shayne Aaron Legassie 10. The Cosmopolitanism of The Adages : The Classical and Christian Legacies of Erasmus' Hermeneutics of Accommodation; Jessica L. Wolfe

"The authors and the two editors are to be commended . . . [The essays] straddle various disciplines, they move us around in space and they carry us through many centuries. They are thoughtful, well documented, and up-to-date. The editors do their duty regarding the when and why of the collection." - The Medieval Review"The volume altogether proves to be very stimulating." - Mediaecistik"The balance of topics is extremely strong, and I think the book as a whole does a great deal to expand our notions of what cosmopolitanism means. The essays enrich historical understandings of interactions between different groups and between individuals of different faiths, backgrounds, and locales in the medieval era." - Lisa Lampert-Weissig, Professor of English Literature and Comparative Medieval Studies and Katzin Professor in Jewish Civilization, University of California San Diego, USA"The essays in Cosmopolitanism and the Middle Ages constitute a powerful argument for a premodern cosmopolitanism, one that is marked by rich and complex cultural, social, linguistic, and economic exchanges. The cosmopolitan imaginary at work here is marked by plurality, division, and tension, as well as curiosity and creativity. This compelling book is a warm invitation to accompany medieval writers and travelers as they explore the world around them and push eagerly at the boundaries of what is familiar." - Stephanie Trigg, Professor of English, The University of Melbourne, Australia