Name:
Joshua Westgard

Title:
Ph. D.

Current Position/Academic Assignment:
Lecturer, The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.

Hometown:
Vermillion, South Dakota

Educational Background:
B.A. (History/English) Augustana College (Sioux Falls, 1994), M.A. (Medieval Studies) Western Michigan University (1999), Ph.D. (History) University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (2006).

How did you learn about HMML?
Probably first from the late Professor Tom Amos, who was on my M.A. thesis committee at WMU, and who used to work at HMML, before becoming Director of Rare Books & Manuscripts at WMU.

Current research at HMML:
Manuscripts of the works of the Venerable Bede (672/3-735).

Why did you choose to study this—what got you interested in this topic?
Bede was, far and away, the most important English intellectual of the Early Middle Ages, and to understand his influence on European civilization we have to look at the manuscripts of his works: Which of his many works were being copied? When and where were they copied? By whom? Only then, having answered these questions, can we begin to understand how he became for medieval people, the “teacher of {their} age”. Plus, Bede was a very good writer whose works are a pleasure to read, and even today they still have something to teach us.

What has been the most surprising thing you've uncovered in your current research?
Two copies of Bede’s letter to Albinus in 12th/13th-century manuscripts. This work has previously only been known from an early modern edition made from a lost manuscript.

Why did you decide to come to HMML for this particular research?
This is the only place in North America where there are enough manuscripts to make this kind of “surveying” work possible.

What did you wish you knew about HMML before you came?
I could have proceeded somewhat more efficiently if I had had the more flexible dataset I received once I got here. For my particular project (which produces exceptionally large numbers of hits in its searches) the online database is a bit cumbersome.

What would you tell someone about your experience at HMML?
HMML is a congenial place to conduct research, with an excellent library, peaceful surroundings, and an outstanding staff!

Do you have a favorite book or teacher from your youth that influenced your career/academic path?
Since I am here where he used to work, Tom Amos comes to mind. He was a great teacher from early in my graduate studies.

What do you read for leisure?
I don’t have leisure – instead, I have children (ages 2 and 4). They provide all the recreation I can handle.

If you could travel back in time, what event would you like to experience in person? Why?
Meet Bede, of course. To find out if he really was the saintly man people imagine him to be.