Contact: Lance Feyh(573) 341-4328, [email protected]
ROLLA, Mo. -- There's something magical about an old-fashioned romance, especially those written about in the medieval period, a University of Missouri-Rolla professor explains in her new book "Magic in Medieval Romance."
"Some of the greatest works of literature have more than a little steamy romance in them," says Sweeney, an assistant professor of English at UMR. "And that's part of the reason they've endured the test of time. Everyone still wants to know how the ending works out."
"Magic in Medieval Romance," Sweeney's first book, was released in September 2000 by Four Courts Press of Ireland. In the book, she investigates and discusses works ranging from 12th century French romances to "The Canterbury Tales," which dates back to the 14th century.
"I wanted to examine the roles magic plays in facilitating an author's quest to incorporate political and moral themes into the heart of complex romances," Sweeney says. "Look at any famous love tale from this period and you'll find it full of witchcraft, magic potions and the lot."
Sweeney says 10th through 15th century romantic plots can be as accessible and certainly as engaging as any modern soap opera. She adds that students in her British Literature course at UMR are finding a lot to talk about after reading classic works like "Beowulf" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."
"The students here are some of the best I've ever worked with. They are very interested in questing ideas of honor, love, loyalty and morality," Sweeney says.
Before joining the UMR faculty in the summer of 2000, Sweeney spent 10 years studying and lecturing at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. She is in the process of editing a new book, "Borderlines: New Criticism in Medieval Studies." The second book is a scholarly look at medieval literature from the perspectives of critics in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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