Arts of Dying
Book • 2019
In Arts of Dying, D. Vance Smith investigates medieval English literary and cultural engagements with death and finitude.
The book analyzes how late medieval texts represent dying, funeral practices, and the theological and social frameworks surrounding mortality.
Smith situates literary works within broader historical and religious contexts to reveal evolving attitudes toward death.
He combines close textual reading with cultural history to show how literature both reflects and shapes practices of dying.
The book is recognized for its rigorous medievalist scholarship and contributions to literary history.
The book analyzes how late medieval texts represent dying, funeral practices, and the theological and social frameworks surrounding mortality.
Smith situates literary works within broader historical and religious contexts to reveal evolving attitudes toward death.
He combines close textual reading with cultural history to show how literature both reflects and shapes practices of dying.
The book is recognized for its rigorous medievalist scholarship and contributions to literary history.
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Morteza Hajizadeh
D. Vance Smith
D. Vance Smith, "Atlas’s Bones: The African Foundations of Europe" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
Mentioned by the host as a previously published work by the guest, highlighting his expertise in medieval literature.
D. Vance Smith, "Atlas’s Bones: The African Foundations of Europe" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
