The Community of Letters in Renaissance Italy: A Conversation with Timothy Kircher

Timothy Kircher, the H. Curt and Patricia S. Hege Professor of History at Guilford College, is the author of several books on Renaissance thought and culture, most recently Before Enlightenment: Play and Illusion in Renaissance Humanism (2021). He is also editor of Humanities Watch and is a well-recognized advocate of the humanities in public life. Since 2015, Humanities Watch has charted the place of the humanities in contemporary culture (humanitieswatch.org). Dr. Kircher's presentation concerns his current research on how the humanist practice of letter writing nourished a community of friendship and vice versa. Participants are asked to read in advance a brand new article by Timothy Kircher, "The Community of Letters in Renaissance Italy," Antike und Abenland 68 (2022): 37-58, so as to be prepared to engage in rich discussion. Contact Dr. Michael Cornett at jmems@duke.edu for a copy of the article if you do not have access to it otherwise.