Professor of English Michael Saenger presented a seminar paper titled “A Mouldy Tale Newly Set” at the Shakespeare Association of America conference in Boston on March 21. His paper discusses the path of Pericles, a play that Shakespeare co-authored, through its recent performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The play was once disdained because of its collaborative nature and sprawling geography, but now has become interesting for the same reasons.

Professor of English Michael Saenger was an invited member of the delegation representing Academic Engagement Network (AEN), an organization dedicated to fighting academic antisemitism, at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) “Never is Now” conference in New York City from March 3-4. The conference featured both Jews and allies who are working to fight a tide of Jew-hate that is rising at college campuses nationwide, including David Schwimmer, Gal Gadot, Billie Jean King, and Van Jones, as well as the presidents of the University of Michigan and Washington University in St. Louis. AEN and ADL announced a new partnership to clearly articulate that debate and protest about the Middle East is good, but harassment of Jewish students and calls for genocide must be stopped. A photo including Saenger and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the ADL, to promote the work they are doing together can be seen here, via X.

Professor of English Michael Saenger delivered an invited lecture to a diverse group of 38 academics from around the country at the Academic Engagement Network’s Short Course in Miami on January 7. His talk, “The Battle for Legitimacy: Zionism, the MLA and Academic Freedom,” related to his ongoing leadership in efforts to protect academic freedom for all students and professors, including those who identify as Zionist, Jewish, and Israeli.

Professor of English Michael Saenger published a new article, “A Magnus Amator in Illyria: Shakespeare and the Memory of Plautus,” in Memoria Di Shakespeare, the leading Shakespeare journal in Italy. In the article, Saenger argues that a key line in Twelfth Night, which begins “Some are born great,” is actually an echo of the Latin dramatist Plautus. The article further explores the poetic space between languages, which Saenger has called “interlinguicity.” It can be read here.

Professor of English Michael Saenger was the invited speaker at an event at the Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding at Old Dominion University. He spoke about the crucial value of Zionism amidst the need to confront academic antisemitism and cultivate peace and inclusive community.