Dante and the “Dead White Dude” Dilemma: Exploring the Complexities of Diversity and Controversy in Medieval Literature

Recently, one of the goals on the English discipline has been diversification. Students and scholars alike call for program requirements that are inclusive instead of imperialistic. They want to read texts written by non-white, non-male authors and to hear voices that are less represented in literature. In short, they want to eliminate the focus on literature written by the “dead white dude.” While literature programs should be more diversified, it is still possible to hear from marginalized voices and discuss current controversial issues through older canonical texts. Dante Alighieri does this exceptionally well in his Divine Comedy as he tends to diverge from traditional medieval thinking. In Inferno specifically, Dante includes voices from women, same-sex sinners, and cultural Others in order to push back against the oppressive attitudes of his day. Although Dante’s poem does not provide a perfect subversion of medieval attitudes, it does complicate them, giving us space to question not only his characters but also our own society

Balancing, Prioritizing, and Reimagining: Comprehensively Updating Asynchronous Library Instruction

Academic instruction librarians and library instruction programs have been turning to online instruction in recent years as an option for creating a more sustainable presence. Developing online learning opportunities often requires various considerations outside of identifying learning needs. Librarians may consider designing for students both in-person and online; creating online instruction to replace or supplement one-shot sessions; and marrying chosen technology with a pedagogical approach. These are common to instruction librarians as they create online learning, but they are also sometimes challenging to address simultaneously. This process-focused article details one librarian’s experience balancing all three of these considerations while reimagining asynchronous library instruction for large-enrollment introductory public speaking courses. This article shares an iterative process for determining needs and addressing multiple considerations. It also details how the author practically addressed considerations as well as how the redesigned instruction was implemented. There is discussion on the idea of “comprehensive” design and what it means to balance multiple priorities in practice. The article ends with recommendations for librarians who are designing or redesigning online instruction who are holding many interests and goals in mind.  Keywords: online learning, information literacy instruction, asynchronous instruction, academic librarie