Denis Bethell Prize Competition 2013

The Bethell Prize honors the memory of Denis Bethell, late of University College, Dublin, whose tragically early death deprived us of a good friend and a fine scholar. The purpose of the prize is to encourage the presentation of high quality papers at conferences sponsored by the Haskins Society and in Haskins sponsored sessions at other conferences, and the submission of such papers to the Haskins Society Journal.

The prize is US $400 (or the sterling equivalent) and publication of a revised version of the winning paper in the Haskins Society Journal for the year when the paper was presented. (Following standard academic practice, the journal editor may request that the author make further revisions prior to publication.)

Eligibility: All conference papers presented by junior 

scholars (graduate students or non-tenured faculty) 

who are Haskins Society members at any session 

sponsored by the Society during the 12 months of the membership calendar year are eligible.  Besides the 

Haskins Society Conference itself, Haskins-sponsored sessions at the American Historical Association 

conference, the annual conference of the Medieval 

Academy of America, the annual International Medieval Congress at Kalamazoo, and the annual International Medieval Conference at Leeds are also eligible venues.  

The author of the paper must present the paper in 

person at the relevant conference and must be a 

member of the Haskins Society.  (Prospective 

presenters may contact the Society's treasurer, Mary Frances Giandrea about membership at giandrea@comcast.net  

-->:  note that the Society has a special 

student rate.)

You can download a membership form here.  

The judge for all papers submitted during a 12-month 

cycle will be a scholar appointed by the Haskins Society Council.  

Submission:  Entrants for the prize have until the end of the calendar year in which their paper was presented at a conference to revise it into article format, and then send it to the Bethell Prize Coordinator. The author of the article must send one electronic copy of the article to the Coordinator as email attachment or on diskette, along with postal and e-mail addresses valid for the following year. At the end of the calendar year the Prize Coordinator will send the submitted papers to the Judge.

Judging criteria. The Bethell Prize Judge will evaluate the submitted papers according to their contribution to medieval scholarship and worthiness for publication. The Judge may offer suggestions for revision to authors and may pass such suggestions to the editor of the Haskins Society Journal.

Award. The winner of the Bethell Prize will be announced in the Haskins Society newsletter and on the Society’s website.  If the winner is able to attend the next Fall's annual Haskins Society Conference, he/she will be congratulated then. The financial award and further details will be mailed to the winner.

Other papers entered for the prize besides the winner may be submitted to the editor of the Haskins Society Journal for consideration in the usual way.

Bethell Prize Coordinator:
Professor Emily Albu
Classics Program, University of California
One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA  95616  USA
emalbu@ucdavis.edu

About the Haskins Society at Boston College Website

This site has information about the International Conference of the Charles Homer Haskins Society and things to help you plan your trip to Boston. On this site you will find the conference schedule and registration material, and you will be able to sign up for conference activities and pay for registration and meals. The site also contains information about the conference hotel and has web-links to help you make your reservation. There is a place on the site, if you are interested in sharing a hotel room, to find a roommate. You will also find descriptions of local restaurants, drugstores, etc.

To read more, click on one of the "quick links" listed in the right-hand column of the site. After you click a link on a particular topic, information on that topic will appear in the left-hand column. In the right-hand column you will also find web-links to maps, driving directions and hotel sites, as well as suggestions, if you have a little extra time, for things to do in Boston.

How to Register for the 2013 Conference

You can now register and pay for the Haskins Society Conference on-line.

We hope that many of you will take advantage of this payment system.  The only people who cannot use the on-line system are graduate students or B.C. faculty who are not planning to buy any meals.  Since neither of these groups will owe any money, the on-line system will not be able to handle their applications.  Nonetheless, graduate students and B.C. faculty need to pre-register.  So, instead of signing up on line, we would like you to fill out a hard copy of the registration form (which you can download), and mail it to us. 

After using the automatic payment system, please be sure to print off a copy of the receipt for your records, since it will serve as your official proof of payment.

The web payment and check-out system can be found at the bottom of this page.  Simply scroll down, and you will find the checkout system below this text box.  Please chose the appropriate registration fee and meals, and add them to your shopping cart.  Be sure to select any of the evening activities you plan to attend (there is no charge for these activities, but we would like to know for planning purposes).

If you prefer to use snail-mail and send a check, please go to the bottom of this entry and download the registration form.  Fill out the form, make your check out to "The Haskins Society at Boston College" for the appropriate amount, and mail the form and check to:

The Charles Homer Haskins Society

c/o Professor Robin Fleming
Stokes Hall

Department of History
Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

02467

Download a registration form here.

Getting to and around Boston

Getting to and around Boston:

Boston Logan International Airport

Logan is not only the closest airport, but it is conveniently linked, by public transportation, to the conference hotels (see below).

Amtrak South Station

If you are coming from Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, Amtrak to South Station may be the best way to come to Boston. Again, South Station is linked, by public transportation, to the conference hotels (see below).

Driving in Boston

Tighten your seat-belts, put on your crash-helmets and pray. If you like slow-motion mayhem, an illogical road system, no street signs, lots of honking and shouting, and think of a red light as a suggestion, you will love driving in Boston. If you learned to drive in California, you will have a weekend-long nervous breakdown.

A T "Charlie Card"

Charlie Cards are T-passes. Fares on the T are $1.70 for a single journey, including all the way from the airport or the Amtrak station to you hotel. There are Charlie-Card machines in all the underground T-stations. Since these cards can only be purchased at underground T-stations (and cannot be purchased at above-ground stops), we suggest that you buy one when you arrive at your first underground station (since the conference hotel, Brookline and Boston College are all served by above-ground trains), and put at least enough money on your card to get you from the airport and back again. But if you plan to use the T at all during your stay, to go to restaurants or (if you are staying at the Best Western) to get to BC each day, you should purchase a Charlie Card with $5- or $10-worth of rides. You can also pay the T conductor for a single ticket, but you must have exact change.

Finding a Person with whom to Share a Hotel Room

If you would like to find someone willing to share a hotel room with you, please use the comment box at the end of the posting (if it is unopened, click the word "comment"). Tell us 1) your name, 2) your e-mail address. Since the comment box will only accommodate five comments at a time, we will incorporate your details into the body of this posting within 24 hours (the information will appear in gold letters), and erase them from the comment box.

When looking for a roommate, feel free to email people who have left their details.

When you have found someone with whom to share a room, please email us at haskinsatbostoncollege@gmail.com, and we will remove your details from the posting.

Postings of People who would like to share rooms:

How to Get to your Hotel from the Airport or the Amtrak Station

How to get to the Holiday Inn

From Logan International Airport:

You can take a taxi. The price will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $40, and if you come during rush hour, your trip will not be any faster than it would have been had you taken the T, Boston’s underground and streetcar system, which costs $1.70.

T instructions for the Holiday Inn Brookline/Boston:

1. Take the Silver Line to South Station.

2. At South Station take the Red Line (towards Alewife) two stops to Park Street.

3. At Park Street, take the C train of the Green Line (towards Cleveland Circle). [Sit back and relax, until your train goes above ground.] At this point, you should ask the conductor to tell you when you have arrived at the Saint Paul stop, which you will now be near.

5. When you get off the train, orient yourself. With your back to downtown Boston (the way you have just come) cross to the right-hand side of the street. Walk 70 feet, and you will be at the entrance of the Holiday Inn.

Parking at Boston College

If you are driving to campus, go to the lower-campus gate on Beacon Street, located across the street from the T's Green Line terminus. At the main gate, tell the attendant you are with the Haskins Society Conference. You will be directed to the Lower Campus Commonwealth Ave. garage. Both this garage and a route to the Gasson Hall, where the conference is being held, are found on the Boston College map, in one of the links on the right-hand column of this site. Allow between 10 and 15 minutes to walk between the two.

Warning: Street Parking around Boston College is limited to cars with resident stickers.

Thursday Night Gathering

On Thursday, October 24 many of us will be gathering for conversation, drinks and food at HOPSnSCOTCH, 1306 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446, 6:45 pm to 8:30 pm, a six-minute walk from the conference hotel.

Where to Eat

Brookline is divided into a number of neighborhoods. If you exit the Holiday Inn onto Beacon Street and stand with your back to Boston, it will be easy to orient yourself to these neighborhoods. The area .3 miles (500 meters) from the hotel (away from Boston) along Beacon Street and to the right, along Harvard Street, is known as Coolidge Corner. The main shopping and eating in Coolidge Corner can be found here. When you reach the intersection of Beacon and Harvard, turn right on Harvard St. If, instead, you take a left on Harvard Street, and then walk for 10 or 15 minutes, you will enter Brookline Village. If, on the other hand, you walk along Beacon Street, past the Harvard Street intersection and walk for 15 or 20 minutes, you will hit Washington Square. You can also take the T to Washington Square, catching it at any stop along Beacon Street (be sure to take the outbound train, and ask the conductor to tell you when to get off). You can download a copy of this list, if you scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Coffee/Breakfast

Coolidge Corner

• Zaftigs Delicatessen (for the mother of all breakfasts!), 335 Harvard St., Brookline

• Peet’s Coffee and Tea, 285 Harvard St, Brookline

• Starbucks, 1655 Beacon St., Brookline

Washington Square

• Athans Cafe, 1621 Beacon St., Brookline

• Cafe Fixe, 1642 Beacon St., Brookline

Cheap & Cheerful [some entrees under $10; not all with table service]

Coolidge Corner

• Anna's Taqueria (Mexican), 1412 Beacon St, Brookline

• Dok Bua (Thai), 411 Harvard St, Brookline

• Rod Dee Thai Cuisine (Thai), 1430 Beacon St, Brookline

• Zenna Noodle Bar (Vietnamese), 1374 Beacon St, Brookline

• Super Fusion Cuisine (Japanese/Korean), 690A Washington St., Brookline

• Boca Grande (Mexican), 1294 Beacon St., Brookline

• Rami (Middle Eastern/Kosher), 324 Harvard St., Brookline

• Upper Crust Pizza (Pizza), 286 Harvard St., Brookline

Brookline Village

• T-Rex Taqueria (Mexican), 6 Cypress St., Brookline Village

• Family Restaurant (Turkish), 305 Washington St., nr. Brookline Village

Moderately Priced

Coolidge Corner

• Rani (Indian), 1353 Beacon St, nr Coolidge Corner, Brookline

• Zaftigs Delicatessen (great deli food), 335 Harvard St., Brookline

Brookline Village

• Matt Murphy's (pub with excellent food), 14 Harvard St., Brookline Village, (617) 232-0188

• Tashi Delek (Tibetan), 236 Washington St., Brookline Village

• Orinoco (Venezuelan), 22 Harvard St., nr. Brookline Village

• Pho Lemon Grass (Vietnamese), 239 Harvard St., towards Brookline Village

Washington Square:

• Roadhouse BBQ (pub with ribs and other good food), 1700 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-487-4290

Moderately Expensive

Coolidge Corner
• The Publick House (unbelievable selection of beer as well as food),1648 Beacon St., Brookline, (617) 277-2880

Brookline Village

• Pomodoro (Italian), 24 Harvard St, 617-566-4455 (reservations strongly recommended)

Washington Square

• The Fireplace (Italian), 1634 Beacon St, Brookline, (617) 975-1900 (reservations strongly recommended)

• American Craft (New American), 714 Washington St, Brookline, (617) 232-8989 (no reservations taken)

• Tamarind Bay (Indian, vegetarian friendly), 1665 Beacon St.

A short walk or T-ride from the Holiday Inn towards Boston

• Taberna de Haro (Tapas), 999 Beacon St, Brookline, (617) 277-8272 (no reservations taken, but you can call ahead and put your name on the list for a shorter wait)

• Elephant Walk (Cambodian), 900 Beacon Street, (617) 247-1500 (reservations strongly recommended)

• Jae's (Asian fusion), 1223 Beacon St., Brookline

Invitation to the Annual Saturday Night Haskins Society Food, Drink & Shop-Talk Party

All attendees of the 2013 Haskins Society Conference are cordially invited to our annual Saturday-night, come-early-and-stay-late, food-and-drinks fest. This is one of the conference's most cherished traditions (first hosted by Sally Vaughn in Houston, then by Bruce O’Brien in Georgetown, and once by Valerie Ramseyer). Everyone, especially first-time conference goers and graduate students, are not only welcomed but urged/cajoled/begged to come.

This year, it will be held at Robin Fleming's house in Cambridge and is hosted by Boston College.  A bus will take people from the Holiday Inn to the party, and we will organize group taxis to take you back to the hotel when you are ready to leave or the food/drinks run out. We will provide maps and instructions at the conference for those who plan to drive.

Come hungry & thirsty, but leave your neckties and uncomfortable conference shoes at the hotel.

Invitation to the Haskins Society Friday Evening Drinks Reception

All attendees of the 2013 Haskins Society Conference are cordially invited to a drinks reception at 6:45 pm, held after the last session on Friday afternoon and generously provided by the Boston College Office of the Vice Provost. It will take place at the The McMullen Museum of Art, a short walk from Gasson Hall.

Boston College's Institute for the Liberal Arts

Boston College's new Institute for the Liberal Arts is a generous supporter of the Haskins Society, and has made our society's five-year stay at Boston College possible.  For more information on the Institute's plans, programs, and goals, please visit http://www.bc.edu/centers/ila/.

Supporters of Our Conference

We gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship and generous financial and administrative support of the Boston College Office of the Vice-Provost and the Boston College Institute for the Liberal Arts. 

We would also like to acknowledge the hospitality and aid provided by the McMullen Museum of Art and the Boston College Department of History.

Finally, we continue to be able to offset the cost of this conference for our graduate-student members with help from the Society's Keefe Fund, set up in honor of the much-missed Tom Keefe and supported with donations from our membership.

Having a problem? Need something?

24-Hour Pharmacy:

CVS Pharmacy
1322 Beacon St

Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 731-4410

Copying, Office Supplies & Shipping:
Fedex Kinko's Brookline Coolidge Corner
1370 Beacon Street, Unit R2
Brookline, MA 02446
617-731-3100

Bookstore:

Brookline Booksmith

79 Harvard St

Brookline, MA 02446

(617) 566-6660

Post Office:

1295 Beacon St

Brookline, MA

(617) 738-1649

Internet Connection

If you are having difficulties using local phones:

All local phone calls in Boston must include the area code. So, if using a local phone, please add a 1-(617) in front of every local, seven-digit phone number.

If you have questions about the conference:
Please email Robin Fleming & Sally Shockro (haskinsatbostoncollege@gmail.com).

Parking at Boston College

If you are driving to campus, go to the lower-campus gate on Beacon Street, located across the street from the T's Green Line terminus. At the main gate, tell the attendant you are with the Haskins Society Conference. You will be directed to the Lower Campus Commonwealth Ave. garage. Both this garage and a route to Gasson Hall, where the conference is being held, are found on the Boston College map, in one of the links on the right-hand column of this site. Allow between 10 and 15 minutes to walk between the two.

Warning: Street Parking around Boston College is limited to cars with resident stickers.

Past Featured Speakers

Over the last thirty years the Haskins Society Conference has been a venue for more than 800 twenty-minute-long scholarly presentations and almost 100 hour-long featured talks.  Here is a list of featured speakers.

Richard Abels, U.S. Naval Academy

David Abulafia, University of Cambridge

Martin Aurell, University of Poitiers-CESCM

Bernard Bachrach, University of Minnesota

John Baldwin, Johns Hopkins University

Frank Barlow, University of Exeter

Dominique Barthélemy, University of Paris IV Sorbonne

David Bates, Glasgow University

Brigitte Miriam Bedos-Rezak, NYU

Constance Berman, University of Iowa

Denis Bethell, University College Dublin
Thomas N. Bisson, Harvard University

Uta-Renate Blumenthal, The Catholic University of America

Angela Boyle,  Consultant Archaeologist for Oxford Archaeology  

Paul Brand, University of Oxford

Nicholas Brooks, University of Birmingham

R. Allen Brown, University of London
Marcus Bull, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jesse Byock, University of California, Los Angeles

James Campbell, University of Oxford

Martin Carver, University of York

Howard Clarke, University College Dublin

Fredric Cheyette, Amherst College

Marjorie Chibnall, Cambridge University

Marcia Colish, Oberlin College

Giles Constable, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton

Philippe Contamine, U. de Paris-Sorbonne

H.E.J. Cowdrey, University of Oxford

David Crouch, University of Hull
Rees Davies, University of Oxford

Wendy Davies, University College, London

David Dumville, University of Cambridge
Christopher Dyer, University of Birmingham

Paul Freedman, Yale University
Robin Fleming, Boston College

Paul Fouracre, University of Manchester

John France, University of Wales, Swansea

Mark Gardiner, Queen’s University, Blefast

Veronique Gazeau, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie

Walter Goffart, University of Toronto

John Gillingham, London School of Economics

Judith Green, Queen’s University, Belfast

Olivier Guyotjeannin, Ecole Nationale des Chartes, Paris
Bernard Hamilton, University of Nottingham

Richard Helmholtz, University of Chicago

Christopher Holdsworth, University of Exeter

C. Warren Hollister, University of California, Santa Barbara
Sir James Holt, Cambridge University

Paul Hyams, University of Oxford

C. Stephen Jaeger, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Herbert Kessler, Johns Hopkins University

Simon Keynes, Cambridge University

Edmund King, University of Sheffield
C.P. Lewis, University of London

Graham Loud, University of Leeds

Christopher Loveluck, University of Nottingham

Henry Loyn, University of London

Maureen Miller, University of California, Berkeley

S.F.C. Milsom, University of Cambridge

Karl F. Morrison, Rutgers University

Janet Nelson, University of London

Monika Otter, Dartmouth College

Robert Palmer, University of Houston

Kenneth Pennington, Catholic University

J.R.S. Phillips, University College, Dublin

Dave Postles, University of Leicester

Susan Reynolds, University of London
Barbara Rosenwein, Loyola University Chicago

Peter Sawyer, University of Leeds

Eleanor Searle, California Institute of Technology
Richard Sharpe, University of Oxford

Robin Chapman Stacey, University of Washington

Robert Stacey, University of Washington
Pauline Stafford, University of Liverpool

Emily Tabuteau, Michigan State University

Ralph V. Turner, Florida State University

Elisabeth van Houts, Cambridge University

W.L. Warren, Queen’s University Belfast

Stephen White, Emory University

Patrick Wormald, University of Oxford