91Ž«Ăœ

Hannah Victoria Johnson

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Hannah Victoria Johnson

Junior Lecturer

  • Department: 91Ž«Ăœ Literature and English

Professor Johnson began teaching at AUP in Fall 2024 upon completion of their PhD in linguistics and medieval literature at Sorbonne Université. Prior to this, they completed two masters degrees in medieval literature: the first from the University of York (2019) which focused on Old and Middle English, Latin, and Anglo-Norman languages and literature; the second from Sorbonne Université (2021) which focused on French, Latin, and Germanic languages and literature. They completed their BA in comparative literature at AUP (2018), where they first became interested in theoretical approaches in gender and sexuality studies that have remained at the heart of the research interests ever since.

Their current research projects combine cognitive linguistics and queer theory to show how the affective discourse in twelfth and thirteenth century devotional poems can be read as ‘lesbian’. They are especially interested in using multidisciplinary and comparative approaches to highlight the ways in which historic literature can speak to modern sensibilities and emotive experiences.Ìę

Their research areas and areas of expertise include:Ìę

  • cognitive linguistics,
  • comparative literature,
  • medieval literature,
  • mystical devotions,
  • gender studies,
  • queer studies,
  • medieval German,
  • Latin


Education/Degrees

2024
PhD in linguistics and medieval literature – Sorbonne UniversitĂ© – supervisors: Delphine Pasques and Diane Watt
Funded by « Initiative genre »

2021
Master 2 : lettres mĂ©diĂ©vales – Sorbonne UniversitĂ© (Jointly organised with: Sorbonne Nouvelle, École Nationale des Chartes, École Normale SupĂ©rieur)

2020
Master 1 : lettres mĂ©diĂ©vales – Sorbonne UniversitĂ© (Jointly organised with: Sorbonne Nouvelle, École Nationale des Chartes, École Normale SupĂ©rieur)

2019
MA: Medieval Literatures and Languages (with distinction) – University of York

2018
BA: 91Ž«Ăœ Literature (with honours) – American University of Paris

Publications

2025. “In te non deficit ullum gaudiumÌę: lire une affectivitĂ© « lesbienneÌę» dans les Symphoniae de Hildegard von Bingen,” Perspectives mĂ©diĂ©vales, no. 45-46. Doi: 10.4000/13bhk.

2024. “Mouth stuff: How Hildegard and Mechthild feminise God and articulate a discourse of ‘lesbian’ erotics through oral metaphors,” postmedieval, vol. 15, no. 4. Doi: 10.1057/s41280-024-00344-z.

2024. “F±đ±đ±ôŸ±ČÔČ” Minne: Selfhood and Embodied Emotion in Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Mystical Devotions,” Emotions: History, Culture, Society, vol. 8, no. 2. Doi: 10.1163/2208522X-bja10047.

2023. “Reorienting Disorientation: Hildegard von Bingen’s Depiction of the Female Body as Erotic, Fertile, and Holy”, Medieval Mobilities: Gendered Bodies, Spaces and Movements, eds. J. Bonsall, M. Khoury, B. Price, Palgrave. Co-author: L. Cole.Ìę Doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-12647-5_4.

2022. “Hildegard von Bingen,” Encyclopedia of Medieval Women’s Writing, eds. M. M. Sauer, D. Watt, E. H. McAvoy, Palgrave. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-76219-3_22-1.

2021. “The pastime of the people: reading culture in medieval cities,” ARMA – The Art of Reading in the Middle Ages. Virtual exhibition on Europeana.

Ìę

2021. “Bookpaths: circulation of manuscripts in the Middle Ages,” ARMA – The Art of Reading in the Middle Ages. Virtual exhibition on Europeana.Ìę

Conferences & Lectures

2024

«ÌęEtudes queer et linguistique cognitiveÌę: mĂ©thodologie d’une double approche thĂ©orique aux textes mystiques des XIIe et XIIIe siĂšclesÌę», DoctoralÌęSeminarÌę: Linguistics, Sorbonne UniversitĂ©, 29 March.

«ÌęIn te non deficit ullum gaudiumÌę: lire une affectivitĂ© ‘lesbienne’ dans les Symphoniae de Hildegard von BingenÌę», LIMA.GEÌęconference: «ÌęLes littĂ©ratures mĂ©diĂ©vales dans l’atelier du genreÌę», UniversitĂ© Rennes 2, 13-15 March.Ìę

“Queer Studies and Cognitive Linguistics: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Reading Twelfth and Thirteenth Century Mystical Texts,” SGS Seminar, University of Surrey, 30 July.

2023

«ÌęEtudes lesbiennes en littĂ©rature mĂ©diĂ©valeÌę: quelle pertinence, quelle utilitĂ©Ìę?Ìę», Mois du genre Ă  la bibliothĂšque Malesherbes de Sorbonne UniversitĂ©, 7 November.

“A Sensory Linguistics of Interconnected Embodiment and Emotion in Hildegard von Bingen’s Symphoniae,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 3-6 July.

“What Constitutes the ‘Outside’?: ‘Lesbian’ Affection at the Heart of 12th century Spiritual Writing,” The Medieval Church, University of York, 26-27 June.

“Love Wins: the Beginnings of a Theory of the Joyous Queer,” M&LEN Seminar Series: Joy, virtual, 14-16 June.

“‘Queer’ Sensibilities: Affective Discourse in the Devotional Poetry of Hildegard von Bingen and Mechthild von Magdeburg,” Medieval Literary Studies Seminar, UniversitĂ© de Strasbourg, 23 March.

2022

“F±đ±đ±ôŸ±ČÔČ” Minne: Embodied Emotion in Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Devotions,” Mystical Theology Network Annual Conference: Passions and the Mystical, Brandsma Institut, Nijmegen, 1-3 December.

“Love and Duty: Narrative Construction of the Jedi Knight in SWTOR & the Medieval Knight in Lancelot,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 4-7 July.

“Round Table: Mysticism and Lived Experience,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 4-7 July.

“F±đ±đ±ôŸ±ČÔČ” Minne: Embodied Emotion in Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Mystical Devotions,” Emotions and the Medieval Self, HĂĄskĂłli Íslands, 24-27 May.

“'Ires allerreinosten vleisches': the Erotic Virginal Body in Mechthild von Magdeburg,” International Medieval Congress: Kalamazoo, University of Michigan, 9-14 May.

“God is Love: God’s Gender-fluid Person in the Poetry of Hadewijch van Antwerpen”, Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, American University of Paris, 5-7 January.

2021

« God is (Lady) Love: God’s Gender-fluid Person(ification) in the Poetry of Hadewijch van Antwerpen », ArchĂ©ologies des transidentitĂ©s : mondes mĂ©diĂ©vaux, Sorbonne UniversitĂ©, 24-26 November .

Presentation of PhD project at the Philomel Doctoral Workshop, Sorbonne Université, November.

“What is it? A fish?: Interpreting fantastical images in mystical visions,” M&LEN Seminar Series: Mystics and Animals, virtual, October. Co-presenter: A. J. Langley.

“‘Reorienting Disorientation: Hildegard von Bingen’s annus horribilis and its Effect on her Depiction of Female Bodies,” Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, University of Surrey, 10-13 January. Co-presenter: L. Cole.

2020

“Hildegard's Homoerotic Vision of the Female Body,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 6-9 July.

2019

“Homoeroticism in the Devotions of Hildegard von Bingen,” Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, University of Durham, 7-10 January.

Affiliations

Groupe PhilomelÌę- gender studies research group based at Sorbonne UniversitĂ©

Research Areas

cognitive linguistics, comparative literature, medieval literature, mystical devotions, gender studies, queer studies, medieval German, Latin

Curriculum Vitae