All roads lead to...

So why Rome, anyway?

This upcoming academic year is Josh's sabbatical year, and he'll spend it turning his dissertation into a book for publication, a necessary step to acquire tenure at Smith College. He applied for, and (drum roll please!) won the Rome Prize, a prestigious award made annually by the American Academy in Rome. It was a national competition (I'm told there were more than 800 applicants), and fellowships were awarded to 30 artists and scholars, Josh included. I'm very proud, can't you tell?

Here's the official prize information:
Millicent Mercer Johnsen Post-Doctoral Rome Prize
JOSHUA COLIN BIRK
Assistant Professor, Department of History, Smith College
Baptized Sultans: The Norman Kings of Sicily & the Birth of the Anti-Islamic Critique

Snazzy book name, too, don't you think? He's proud of it.

So, off we go to Rome for the 2012-13 academic year. We depart the U.S. on September 6th, and return next June. We'll be staying on the Academy grounds, which are located on the Janiculum Hill, one of the tallest hills in Rome.

Aerial View of the Janiculum, Photo by Alex MacLean

Here is the The McKim, Mead & White Building, the main building of the Academy where we will eat and congregate. We'll be living in an apartment in another building.

Photo by Jonathan Wallen

I could post a hundred pictures of the buildings and grounds that I've found online, but I think I'll wait and post my own photos.  I can't wait!