Given that the nature of academia involves creating history specialists, what are your views on the need to communicate what's learned from those specializations to the broader public? Can they even be synthesized into enough of a generalization for public consumption, or does the nature of specialty make this impossible?

I'm thinking mostly in terms of Guy Halsall's recent book debunking many King Arthur myths, where he says in the absence of scholarly presence in popular history, pseudo-historians have taken over, and have likewise permanently clouded tainted the public's knowledge of the subject.

Is there a worry that this is what happens with modern history the way it is done? That either you're living in the academic history eco-system, or you're living in the popular, but pseudohistorical infotainment ecosystem?

How do you see historians bridging that gap?

EDIT: And while we're at it...

600 - 900 CE in western Europe. What percentage late roman? What percentage high medieval?

1. It seems to me that medieval studies are poorly represented in most American high schools, except as a background unit to the Renaissance. What are your feelings about this? Do you think there's a place for medieval history in high schools, given time and budget constraints? Would you rather high school students focused on learning the tools of the trade (analysis of primary sources, references, research, etc.) or focus on content (events, people, etc.)? If the latter, would you give a broad overview, or delve deeper into a particular period or topic, like early common law in England or the culture of the Arab world?

2. Are there any really obscure fields of research opening up to medievalists? Also, what's the big controversy in your field right now?

3. Have you ever attended a joust? How was it?

What methods do you use to determine which source is considered to be current or viable? I sometimes see people cite books or papers that in turn cause quite a bit of discussion among historians. So how is a consensus reached? Which historian's work is citable?

Why is Western Michigan University the traditional venue for the International Congress of Medieval Studies?

The conference seems to be a mix of academic discussion and less serious programming - I notice that there will be "purveyors of medieval-themed wares" setting up shop. Does the conference attract many non-academics?

Gothic revivalists in the 19th century, like A.W.N. Pugin, viewed gothic architecture as as the "pure" Christian style, contrasting it with the "paganism" of classical and neoclassical architecture. Pugin in particular read deep theological significance in even the most mundane aspects of high and late medieval architecture, and incorporated it into his own Gothic Revival designs.

Did the architects of the medieval Gothic style see themselves as creating a uniquely "Christian" style? Was there any element of disdain for the earlier, classically-influenced Romanesque style, or classical architecture in general? Did they, as revivalists like Pugin did, see a deep theological significance in even the more mundane aspects of their design?

Questions of personal interest to me:

1. Where do we draw the line temporally but also geographically between "Studying Late Antiquity" and 'studying the Middle ages"? Can you present on Kerdir in a panel on medieval religious reform? Is that even a useful exercise?

2. What's the next step in digitizing medieval primary sources? There are a lot of projects to digitize manuscripts; are there comparable projects to digitize and annotate primary texts and provide portals with background information for nonspecialists?

3. Given that public engagement is an important part of the discussion here, what field-specific public engagement problems do medieval studies have?

EDIT: To clarify question 2: I have in mind something like the various databases under the ORACC umbrella, especially the State Archives of Assyria Online or the Corpus of Ancient Mesopotamian Scholarship, and the various portals developed to introduce students and the lay public to cuneiform studies using these databases.

I want to resurrect a research interest in pre-eleventh-century North-Sea beliefs/folklore. It's been three decades since I looked at the literature. Any recommendations regarding secondary sources and how the field has developed recently? Thanks for any suggestions.

Has the greater availability of translated editions of primary sources stunted the linguistic development of students at an undergraduate level and, if true, do you believe that this has had a knock-on effect in early career academic careers?

One gripe I often hear, and have made myself on occasion, is the lack of pedagogical preparation for lecturers and Ph.D. candidates who might take on teaching positions. What measures should academics (if the onus should be placed upon them at all) take to ensure that their Ph.D. candidates are ready to assume teaching positions?

Finally, something more fun: What lost source (an MS, an inscription, a body, etc.) would you most like to rediscover on your next research trip, and what would you sacrifice to possess it?

Do you feel that participating in non-professional online environments is worth your time as a professional? Given that building a career in academic is difficult, is something like AskHistorians worth it?

If not, do you wish it were and what might be done to make environments like this more attractive to professional historians? Can such time spent be evaluated for tenure? For hiring? Should it?

So how does medieval people viewed history itself? How they view the past achievements of empires such as Roman Empire? How much does Christianity influences such views? Did we knew how pagans viewed history and did such views survives the conversion to Christianity?

What topics or fields of study concerning the medieval era do you consider most misunderstood by the public? Conversely, what in your opinions do you think people have a good understanding of?

I know that in the context of West African history, there is a good deal of interest in environmental archaeology, especially palaeobotany, for what these disciplines can tell us about the climate and habitat.

Are questions of climate and habitat change relevant in Medieval Studies? If so, what are some current topics of debate or revelation?

I think most people would consider female knights as a relatively modern creation limited to historical fiction and fantasy. I would like to think there are some medieval female figures who contributed to this image, like Joan of Arc. What other women in medieval history could be a basis for this concept of the female knight?

Also, are there any stories of female knights in medieval fiction?

How and why did the term "Dark Ages" become synonymous with the Medieval era?

How is mental illness portrayed in English, French or Italian literary and dramatic works in the period from 1200-1500?

Is there a difference in how medical professionals of the era understood mental illness and the understanding portrayed in popular works (plays, songs, etc?)

Over the decades, academia has become increasingly specialized and fragmented. How often do historians of Medieval Europe engage with historians of Central Asia, China, or India? Are there any ongoing programs, journals, or methods for encouraging more dialogue between different fields of study? How much focus has there been on the global context of Medieval Europe?