Female spirit mediums unsettled the late imperial state and Confucian elite due to their access to unseen worlds. Yet these women remained vital to ritual life and popular in anecdotal literature. This colloquium examines two to three texts exploring how Ming-Qing scholars discussed the influence of female spirit mediums within and beyond the domestic space.

To join virtually: https://cornell.zoom.us/j/93897995492?pwd=atUpMapQEnBn8ULXGTSRgX7d7V3tT…

About Cornell Classical Chinese Colloquium
The group meets monthly during the semester to explore a variety of classical Chinese texts and styles. Other premodern texts linked to classical Chinese in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese have also been explored. Presentations include works from the earliest times to the 20th century. Workshop sessions are led by local, national, and international scholars. Participants with any level of classical Chinese experience are welcome to attend.
o At each session, a presenter guides the group in a reading of a classical Chinese text. Attendees discuss historical, literary, linguistic, and other aspects of the text, working together to resolve difficulties in comprehension and translation.
o No preparation is required; all texts will be distributed at the meeting.
o Refreshments will be served.