New Dominion Bookshop in Charlottesville will host a book talk and signing with Evelyn Edson, editor and translator of Cristoforo Buondelmonti’s 15th-century manuscript Description of the Aegean and Other Islands, on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
This event is free to attend.
Description of the Aegean and Other Islands (New York: Italica Press) is a full-color facsimile of a 15th-century manuscript of an atlas of the Aegean Sea, originally written in about 1420 by the Florentine traveler Cristoforo Buondelmonti. Unlike previous writers on the interesting subject of islands, Buondelmonti actually traveled extensively in the area and made maps of the individual islands he visited. Each map is accompanied by a brief descriptive passage with information on geography, economic activities, history, folk medicine, and mythology, illuminated with entertaining anecdotes. In addition to the facsimile, the book contains a transcription of the original Latin text and a translation into English by Evelyn Edson.
Evelyn Edson is a student of medieval and Renaissance maps and has published four books in the field. She taught history and humanities for many years at Piedmont Virginia Community College, winning several teaching awards and research grants. Having retired from PVCC, she continues to teach at the University of Virginia in the adult-degree program, and to tutor third-graders in reading at Carysbrook Elementary School in Fluvanna County. She earned her BA at Swarthmore College, and her MA and PhD in history from the University of Chicago.
About New Dominion Bookshop: Serving Albemarle and Central Virginia since 1924, New Dominion Bookshop is the oldest independent bookseller in Virginia. Located in Historic Downtown Charlottesville, New Dominion is a general trade bookshop that serves as the hub for readings and other literary events in the community. For more information, visit ndbookshop.com.
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