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Papers by James Mitchell
Much attention has been paid in recent years to ethnicity in the early Middle Ages, but one area ... more Much attention has been paid in recent years to ethnicity in the early Middle Ages, but one area of investigation that has escaped scholarly attention is the illustrated psalters that originated in Frankish monasteries in the ninth and tenth centuries, chief among them the Stuttgart Psalter, the Utrecht Psalter and the Codex aureum of St. Gall. Of these, the Stuttgart Psalter provides the most explicit portrayal of different ethnic groups, because it employs an innovative pictorial technique by means of which ethnicity could be readily expressed by early medieval artists. In this brief essay we review a variety of the signs, images and visual cues employed in the Stuttgart Psalter meant to signify or to suggest ethnic identity, and we show how Germanic ethnicity is constructed to reinforce Frankish strategies of religious and imperial hegemony.
After the fire and earthquake of 1906, the reconstruction of San Francisco initiated a profusion ... more After the fire and earthquake of 1906, the reconstruction of San Francisco initiated a profusion of neo-Gothic churches, public buildings and residential architecture. This paper examines the development from the novel perspective of medievalism—the study of the Middle Ages as an imaginative construct in western society after their actual demise. It offers a selection of the best known neo-Gothic artifacts in the city, describes the technological innovations which distinguish them from the medievalist architecture of the nineteenth century, and shows the motivation for their creation. The significance of the California Arts and Crafts movement is explained, and profiles are offered of the two leading medievalist architects of the period, Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan. A final episode in the City’s encounter with medievalism is cited in the ill-fated attempt to create a museum for medieval arts, designed by Julia Morgan and commissioned by the Board of Supervisors in response to William Randoph Hearst’s donation of an intact monastery building imported from Spain.
Revolutionary Themes in Martin Luther's Treatises of 1520
Located in eastern central China, Jiangxi Province is an area of special interest in the history ... more Located in eastern central China, Jiangxi Province is an area of special interest in the history of Chinese Buddhism, since it was here that two principal sects were born: Cao‐Dong (Soto Zen) and Jing‐tu (Pure Land), both of which were to become greatly important in Japan as well. In 1987 I journeyed to Zhenru Si at Yunju Shan and interviewed Abbot Yi Chen.
Books by James Mitchell
Widely regarded as the first gardening book in European history, and currently the only translati... more Widely regarded as the first gardening book in European history, and currently the only translation available in English, this book was written in the ninth century by Walafrid Strabo, Abbot of the Carolingian monastery at Reichenau Island. It tells us what our medieval gardener is growing in his garden, explains the benefits and medicinal properties of the plants, and gives an idea of how they are to be looked after. James Mitchell introduces and translates this classic from the original Latin hexameters, and S.F. Bay Area gardening columnist Richard Schwarzenberger provides a foreword.
Chinese Buddhism. Zen Buddhism. Translations from the Chinese by James Mitchell and Yulie Lou. Th... more Chinese Buddhism. Zen Buddhism. Translations from the Chinese by James Mitchell and Yulie Lou. This book describes the development of Zen Buddhism in Tang-period China, and it presents the recorded teachings of Shitou Xiqian, Yaoshan Weiyan and Yunyan Tansheng, collected from the Chinese canon. These three Buddhist masters were instrumental in the growth of the Cao-Dong School, one of the Five Houses of Chan, later introduced to Japan by Master Dogen Zenji in the 13th century as Soto Zen. The translations were made during James Mitchell's tenure as visiting professor at the Foreign Affairs Graduate College of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, in collaboration with Prof. Yulie Lou, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Beijing University, after a careful examination and comparison of the Song-period histories.
Bi-lingual translations of major poems by Friedrich Hölderlin, originally published by Ithuriel'... more Bi-lingual translations of major poems by Friedrich Hölderlin, originally published by Ithuriel's Spear in 2004.
Mostly gay-themed poetry published in small press venues from 1967 to 2007.
Much attention has been paid in recent years to ethnicity in the early Middle Ages, but one area ... more Much attention has been paid in recent years to ethnicity in the early Middle Ages, but one area of investigation that has escaped scholarly attention is the illustrated psalters that originated in Frankish monasteries in the ninth and tenth centuries, chief among them the Stuttgart Psalter, the Utrecht Psalter and the Codex aureum of St. Gall. Of these, the Stuttgart Psalter provides the most explicit portrayal of different ethnic groups, because it employs an innovative pictorial technique by means of which ethnicity could be readily expressed by early medieval artists. In this brief essay we review a variety of the signs, images and visual cues employed in the Stuttgart Psalter meant to signify or to suggest ethnic identity, and we show how Germanic ethnicity is constructed to reinforce Frankish strategies of religious and imperial hegemony.
After the fire and earthquake of 1906, the reconstruction of San Francisco initiated a profusion ... more After the fire and earthquake of 1906, the reconstruction of San Francisco initiated a profusion of neo-Gothic churches, public buildings and residential architecture. This paper examines the development from the novel perspective of medievalism—the study of the Middle Ages as an imaginative construct in western society after their actual demise. It offers a selection of the best known neo-Gothic artifacts in the city, describes the technological innovations which distinguish them from the medievalist architecture of the nineteenth century, and shows the motivation for their creation. The significance of the California Arts and Crafts movement is explained, and profiles are offered of the two leading medievalist architects of the period, Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan. A final episode in the City’s encounter with medievalism is cited in the ill-fated attempt to create a museum for medieval arts, designed by Julia Morgan and commissioned by the Board of Supervisors in response to William Randoph Hearst’s donation of an intact monastery building imported from Spain.
Revolutionary Themes in Martin Luther's Treatises of 1520
Located in eastern central China, Jiangxi Province is an area of special interest in the history ... more Located in eastern central China, Jiangxi Province is an area of special interest in the history of Chinese Buddhism, since it was here that two principal sects were born: Cao‐Dong (Soto Zen) and Jing‐tu (Pure Land), both of which were to become greatly important in Japan as well. In 1987 I journeyed to Zhenru Si at Yunju Shan and interviewed Abbot Yi Chen.
Widely regarded as the first gardening book in European history, and currently the only translati... more Widely regarded as the first gardening book in European history, and currently the only translation available in English, this book was written in the ninth century by Walafrid Strabo, Abbot of the Carolingian monastery at Reichenau Island. It tells us what our medieval gardener is growing in his garden, explains the benefits and medicinal properties of the plants, and gives an idea of how they are to be looked after. James Mitchell introduces and translates this classic from the original Latin hexameters, and S.F. Bay Area gardening columnist Richard Schwarzenberger provides a foreword.
Chinese Buddhism. Zen Buddhism. Translations from the Chinese by James Mitchell and Yulie Lou. Th... more Chinese Buddhism. Zen Buddhism. Translations from the Chinese by James Mitchell and Yulie Lou. This book describes the development of Zen Buddhism in Tang-period China, and it presents the recorded teachings of Shitou Xiqian, Yaoshan Weiyan and Yunyan Tansheng, collected from the Chinese canon. These three Buddhist masters were instrumental in the growth of the Cao-Dong School, one of the Five Houses of Chan, later introduced to Japan by Master Dogen Zenji in the 13th century as Soto Zen. The translations were made during James Mitchell's tenure as visiting professor at the Foreign Affairs Graduate College of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, in collaboration with Prof. Yulie Lou, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Beijing University, after a careful examination and comparison of the Song-period histories.
Bi-lingual translations of major poems by Friedrich Hölderlin, originally published by Ithuriel'... more Bi-lingual translations of major poems by Friedrich Hölderlin, originally published by Ithuriel's Spear in 2004.
Mostly gay-themed poetry published in small press venues from 1967 to 2007.