The conference in Zadar (though it was several weeks ago now) was a real success; the opening remarks and keynote address were delivered in a medieval church built on the bones of a Roman forum. We had a guided tour of several of the local sites, then spent the next several days in a lecture hall discussing the conference of Zadar and the associated historical circumstances. While a few of the lectures were delivered in Italian or German and were thus lost on me, those gave me a good chance to unobtrusively delve into the two books I picked up, one on clerical violence in the late middle ages and one on islands as sources of liminality. The other scholars at the conference were very personable, gathered from the Balkans, Germany, Central Europe, Italy, and England. One of the most interesting aspects of the conference was the deep familiarity with the primary sources exhibited during the discussions. I had some excellent conversations with the scholars and the other grad students there, and look forward to the next time!
fulbrightinmontenegro 