Western Michigan University Research Articles

Introduction: War and Peace in the Late Middle Ages

Whither just war? It is a question scholars and activists have been asking with particular intensity and reappraisal in the last two generations. We turn here to the late medieval period, especially around the time when Muslim forces finally achieved in 1453 an earlier goal: the occupation of Constantinople. This fifteenth-century event, along with the decades before and after, focused the 19th biennial meeting of the American Cusanus Society and the International Seminar on Pre-Reformation Theology held at United Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg PA during the autumn of 2023. Three panels of papers and two workshops on texts studied war, peace, and religious violence. While participants looked closely at the life and works of Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464), they also considered major events during the long late Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East. The goal was to reevaluate options and actions for war and peace during this crucible moment in history with an eye toward applying historical lessons. This special issue features five articles that grew out of presentations at the 2023 conference by emerging and established scholars; the sixth is on a related topic (by this author). The journal articles in this special issue continue the prolific publication record of the American Cusanus Society, which since 1991 has published, mostly with Brill, over a dozen volumes of essays originating with papers from the Society’s Gettysburg conferences as well as the annual meetings of the Renaissance Society of America and the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University and Leeds.

Perceptions of the Scope of Practice of Audiology.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine which scope of practice roles and responsibilities are attributed to the profession of audiology (AUD) relative to other health care disciplines by a group of health and human services faculty and students. An online survey inquiring about participant knowledge of different health professions' scopes of practice, and experience with and attitude toward the profession of AUD, was sent to faculty and students in the Western Michigan University College of Health and Human Services. Students also completed two subscales of the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale. Descriptive statistics and chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis analyses evaluating response differences between groups are presented. Thirty-six faculty and 118 students (48 graduate and 70 undergraduate) completed the survey. AUD was the profession most often associated with all hearing-related scope of practice activities. Speech-language pathology was often associated with hearing-related scope of practice activities. Audiologists were less commonly associated with vestibular, balance, and mobility scope of practice activities. Group was significant for four scope of practice activities. About half of respondents indicated they knew nothing or a little about AUD, and a majority had no or rare interactions with audiologists in class or clinic. Only about half of participants responded they were likely or very likely to refer patients to an audiologist. Increased knowledge of the scope of practice and exposure to the profession of AUD may benefit other health care professionals and patients, possibly leading to increased interprofessional practice and an increased number of appropriate referrals.

Do Surgery Residents Prepare Enough for Surgical Cases?

This study aimed to identify both modifiable and nonmodifiable factors that affect intraoperative-specific surgical education and performance, with an overall goal of increasing cognizance of such factors to improve surgical training. To determine whether surgery residents prepare adequately for participation in surgical cases and to examine specific variables that affect resident preparation. This study is a retrospective survey-based study that included data from 1945 postoperative case evaluations completed by 59 different general surgery residents over a period of 8 years (2014-2022). A Midwestern medical school's general surgery residency program. Fifty-nine general surgery residents at Western Michigan University's medical school; 50 attending surgeons and faculty with whom residents regularly operate. The sample was comprised of residents and attendings who voluntarily filled out postoperative performance surveys after elective cases. This retrospective survey-based study included postoperative evaluation data from 1945 procedures performed by 59 different residents and 50 attendings. Participants included 36 male residents, 23 female residents, 39 male attendings, and 11 female attendings. All included data were for elective cases. Self-reported preoperative communication was worst at the PGY1 level with positive correlation of improvement yearly (r = 0.30, p < 0.001). Positive correlation was seen between overall preparedness and case complexity (r = 0.25, p < 0.001). Positive correlation was seen between case complexity and resident perception of intraoperative teaching quality (r = 0.53, p < 0.001). Preoperative communication initiated by residents was significantly worse when the attending surgeon was female, regardless of resident gender (p < 0.001); this effect was particularly profound with male residents. Male residents overall rated themselves as more prepared compared to their female counterparts (11.13 ± 1.96 vs. 10.84 ± 2.03, p = 0.003). There is a need to identify and address quantifiable gaps in communication between residents and faculty to optimize surgical education; one of the first steps is characterizing nonmodifiable factors that correlate with differences in pre-operative communication and case preparation.

The Influence of Mass Media on the COVID-19 Vaccination Decision-making Process: Prospective Survey-Based Study.

Vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic was exacerbated by an infodemic of conflating accurate and inaccurate information with divergent political messages, leading to varying adherence to health-related behaviors. In addition to the media, people received information about COVID-19 and the vaccine from their physicians and closest networks of family and friends. This study explored individuals' decision-making processes in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, focusing on the influence of specific media outlets, political orientation, personal networks, and the physician-patient relationship. We also evaluated the effect of other demographic data like age and employment status. An internet survey was disseminated through the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine Facebook account. The survey included questions on media sources for COVID-19 information, political affiliation, presidential candidate choice, and multiple Likert-type agreement scale questions on conceptions of the vaccine. Each respondent was assigned a media source score, which represented the political leaning of their media consumption. This was calculated using a model based on data from the Pew Research Center that assigned an ideological profile to various news outlets. The sample consisted of 1757 respondents, with 89.58% (1574/1757) of them choosing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Those employed part-time and the unemployed were at 1.94 (95% CI 1.15-3.27) and 2.48 (95% CI 1.43-4.39) greater odds of choosing the vaccine than those employed full-time. For every 1-year increase in age, there was a 1.04 (95% CI 1.02-1.06) multiplicative increase in odds of choosing to receive the vaccine. For every 1-point increase in media source score toward more Liberal or Democrat, there was a 1.06 (95% CI 1.04-1.07) multiplicative increase in odds of choosing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The Likert-type agreement scale showed statistically significant differences (P<.001) between respondents; those who chose the vaccine agreed more strongly on their belief in the safety and efficacy of vaccines, the influence of their personal beliefs, and the encouragement and positive experiences of family and friends. Most respondents rated their personal relationship with their physician to be good, but this factor did not correlate with differences in vaccine decision. Although multiple factors are involved, the role of mass media in shaping attitudes toward vaccines cannot be ignored, especially its ability to spread misinformation and foster division. Surprisingly, the effect of one's personal physician may not weigh as heavily in one's decision-making process, potentially indicating the need for physicians to alter their communication style, including involvement in social media. In the era of information overload, effective communication is critical in ensuring the dissemination of accurate and reliable information to optimize the vaccination decision-making process.

Review: Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine, by Anna Della Subin

Book Review| May 01 2023 Review: Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine, by Anna Della Subin Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine. By Anna Della Subin. Granta Books, 2021. 462 pages. $35.00 hardcover; $22.99 softcover; ebook available. Brian C. Wilson Brian C. Wilson Western Michigan University Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Nova Religio (2023) 26 (4): 126–127. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2023.26.4.126 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Brian C. Wilson; Review: Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine, by Anna Della Subin. Nova Religio 1 May 2023; 26 (4): 126–127. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2023.26.4.126 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentNova Religio Search Anna Della Subin’s book, Accidental Gods, is an interesting, if impressionistic exploration of the forces behind apotheosis in the modern world. As she observes in her introduction, “Though the idea that man could become deified may appear an archaic and arcane theological puzzle,” modernity has nevertheless witnessed a “flood of sanctifications” (8) in the wake of western colonialism. The range of Subin’s examples is truly remarkable, covering the globe and ranging from the expected (e.g., Hernán Cortés as Quetzalcoatl in Mexico) to the more obscure (e.g., the worship of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in Vanuatu and Donald Trump in India). What ties all these examples together is Subin’s consistent postcolonial lens, which, despite the book’s achronological approach and journalistic looseness, yields many nuanced insights into the processes of continued god-making in the modern world. The first part of the book, “Late Theogony,” begins with an extended case study... You do not currently have access to this content.

"Best Tradition": CREATE, JCSEE and the Program Evaluation Standards

Background: Evaluation “is a task in the best tradition of the most abstract theoretical science as well as the most practical applied science” (Scriven, 1968, p .9). The Program Evaluation Standards of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (JCSEE) operationalize the theoretical aspects of evaluation and, when used, facilitate sound evaluation methods in applied settings. Between the publications of the first and second editions of The Program Evaluation Standards, the Center for Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation (CREATE) was funded in 1990 at Western Michigan University with federal monies of $5.2 million, and between 1990 and 1995 by the United States Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). CREATE was established for the betterment of evaluation within the educational context (Stufflebeam, 1991; Stufflebeam &amp; Shinkfield, 1994). CREATE’s mandate and subsequent mission furthered the work of the Program Evaluation Standards and the JCSEE by using the standards in applied settings. Keeping to Scriven’s notion of evaluation as the best tradition, the collaborative work between CREATE and JCSEE is a well-established tradition that furthers the development of theoretical aspects of evaluation and the application of the evaluation standards. Purpose: Examine CREATE’s impact on the Program Evaluation Standards’ theoretical development and applied use. Setting: Not applicable. Intervention: Not applicable Research Design: Not applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: Systematic review of the theoretical development and applied use of the Program Evaluation Standards in the books, journal articles, monographs, special papers, meeting minutes, conference programs, and presentations associated with CREATE. Findings: CREATE has contributed to the operationalization of the theoretical aspects of evaluation with the Program Evaluation Standards and facilitated their use in applied settings. CREATE has also furthered the work of the Personnel Evaluation Standards and the Classroom Assessment Standards (formerly the Student Evaluation Standards). Leading scholars from CREATE and the JCSEE have contributed to the standards since the 1990s. Members of CREATE have published a notable range of books, journal articles, monographs, special papers and conference presentations related to the Program Evaluation Standards. Organizational capacity and shared goals of both the JCSEE and CREATE guided the practical application and theoretical development of the Program Evaluation Standards. Keywords: Program Evaluation Standards; Consortium for Research on Educational Assessment and Teaching Effectiveness; Joint Committee for Standards on Educational Evaluation

ACCelerator Advances Student Success Through an Innovative Learning Space at Austin Community College: An Interview with Curtiss Stevens

Curtiss Stevens, is the executive dean of the ACCelerator and Strategic Initiatives at AustinCommunity College (ACC). In 2019, Curtiss was awarded the President’s Leadership ExcellenceAward and the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for outstanding leadership, service, anddedication to ACC. Curtiss holds a bachelor's degree in Geography from Valparaiso University, a master's degree in Geographic Education and Research from Western Michigan University, and pursued doctoral studies in Economic Geography at Indiana State University. He has amassed over 2 decades of experience in the field of higher education, serving in various capacities such as admissions and financial aid, student affairs, international education, academic and life skills training, grants and fundraising, curriculum, and athletics. His previous employments include positions at Valparaiso University, Western Michigan University, Indiana University, and Purdue University. Apart from teaching Geography and Geosciences, he has also worked as an Executive Director of a Boys &amp; Girls Club and as a TV personality. The ACCelerator, at Austin Community College (ACC) Highland’s campus, is a 32,000-square-foot space that fosters dynamic learning. The ACCelerator features classrooms, study rooms, and numerous computer pod stations that can be reserved by ACC faculty and staff for a variety of purposes. The ACC Highland campus serves over 8,000 students, with over 17,000 student visits to the Highland ACCelerator per year. The ACCelerator features innovative teaching and instruction, learning support services, student support services, and community engagement, which provides an engaged student-centric customer service vision.

Autonomous sequential surgical skills assessment for the peg transfer task in a laparoscopic box-trainer system with three cameras

AbstractIn laparoscopic surgery, surgeons should develop several manual laparoscopic skills before carrying out real operative procedures using a low-cost box trainer. The Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) program was developed as a program to assess fundamental knowledge and surgical skills, required for basic laparoscopic surgery. The peg transfer task is a hands-on exam in the FLS program that assists a trainee to understand the relative minimum amount of grasping force necessary to move the pegs from one place to another place without dropping them. In this paper, an autonomous, sequential assessment algorithm based on deep learning, a multi-object detection method, and, several sequential If-Then conditional statements have been developed to monitor each step of a surgeon’s performance. Images from three different cameras are used to assess whether the surgeon executes the peg transfer task correctly and to display a notification on any errors on the monitor immediately. This algorithm improves the performance of a laparoscopic box-trainer system using top, side, and front cameras and removes the need for any human monitoring during a peg transfer task. The developed algorithm can detect each object and its status during a peg transfer task and notifies the resident about the correct or failed outcome. In addition, this system can correctly determine the peg transfer execution time, and the move, carry, and dropped states for each object by the top, side, and front-mounted cameras. Based on the experimental results, the proposed surgical skill assessment system can identify each object at a high score of fidelity, and the train-validation total loss for the single-shot detector (SSD) ResNet50 v1 was about 0.05. Also, the mean average precision (mAP) and Intersection over Union (IoU) of this detection system were 0.741, and 0.75, respectively. This project is a collaborative research effort between the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Surgery, at Western Michigan University.

Clinician Wellness—Self-Care for Staying Healthy: Nutritional Deficiencies That Compromise Health Occur in Clinicians, Not Only Patients

Integrative and Complementary TherapiesVol. 29, No. 1 Clinician Wellness—Self-Care for Staying Healthy: Nutritional Deficiencies That Compromise Health Occur in Clinicians, Not Only PatientsRamona Wallace and Janet MindesRamona WallaceRamona Wallace, DO, is Assistant Professor in Family and Community Medicine at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine. Dr. Wallace is certified by the Institute for Functional Medicine and is involved in teaching Family Medicine and supporting a functional medicine track for the Family Medicine residents.Search for more papers by this author and Janet MindesJanet Mindes, PhD, is an independent medical writer and editor active in research, education and publication in integrative medicine, psychology and neuroscience, formerly at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and other institutions in New York City.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:14 Feb 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/ict.2022.29057.rwaAboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 29Issue 1Feb 2023 InformationCopyright 2022, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Ramona Wallace and Janet Mindes.Clinician Wellness—Self-Care for Staying Healthy: Nutritional Deficiencies That Compromise Health Occur in Clinicians, Not Only Patients.Integrative and Complementary Therapies.Feb 2023.12-14.http://doi.org/10.1089/ict.2022.29057.rwaPublished in Volume: 29 Issue 1: February 14, 2023PDF download

Intergenerational Associations of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Engagement in High-Risk Behaviors

Purpose: While the association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and negative health outcomes in adulthood is well established, very few studies have examined the cumulative impact of ACEs across generations (intergenerational ACEs – caregiver and youth) on health outcomes in adolescence. The purpose of this study is to examine whether intergenerational ACEs are associated with an increased likelihood of participation by youth in high-risk behaviors including tobacco use, vaping, alcohol use, engagement in sexual activity, or result in higher rates of affective disorders such as depression. Methods: 234 caregiver-youth dyads were recruited via a convenience sample from pediatric clinics at East Tennessee State University and Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. Participant dyads completed a survey assessing both caregiver and youth ACEs, youth depression, and youth participation in high-risk behaviors. Caregiver-youth dyads were sorted into an ACEs matrix with the following groups: Low Caregiver-Low Youth ACEs (LC-LY), Low Caregiver-High Youth ACEs (LC-HY), High Caregiver-Low Youth ACEs (HC-LY), and High Caregiver-High Youth ACEs (HC-HY). Results: HC-HY dyads were 11.4 times more likely to report moderate to severe depression compared to LC-LY dyads (p&lt;0.01). HC-HY dyads were 4.5, 3.3, and 7.5 times more likely to have youth participate in alcohol use (p&lt;0.05), vaping (p&lt;0.05), and sexual activity (p&lt;0.01), respectively, compared to LC-LY dyads. Conclusions: Intergenerational ACEs exposure was related to greater youth engagement in high-risk behaviors and risk of depression. Assessing both caregiver and youth ACEs would better identify youth at risk for alcohol use, vaping, sexual debut, and depression.

Bibliometric Analysis of Ethical Behavior in Education Using VOSviewer

The research theme of ethical behavior, particularly in educational organizations, is of great importance. There have been many publications on ethical behavior, but there has been no research to identify and summarize publications on it comprehensively. This research aims to clarify the history and predict the hotspots of ethical behavior themes in the future. This research method uses bibliographical analysis using the VOSviewer application. Data was sourced from the Scopus database between 1982 and 2021, downloaded into Excel 2016, and processed by VOSviewer. Bibliometric maps are formed by VOSviewer software automatically.Results of the research, which began with a search on the article title through the keyword "ethic* behav*," obtained 957 documents. After being limited by publication between 1983 and 2021, 590 papers were accepted. Then it was restricted again based on articles, reviews, and English obtained from as many as 399 documents. The United States, United Kingdom, and Canada are the most productive countries writing this theme. Department of Management, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, United States; School of Management, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, United States; andDepartment of Basic Psychology and Methodology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; they are the most prolific Institutions with this theme. The Journal of Business Ethics, Ethics and Behavior, and Science and Engineering Ethics are the journals that expose ethical behavior the most. Meanwhile, the most prolific authors are Deshpande S.P, Joseph J, Cronan T.P, Leonard N.K., Al Habusi H., and Gino F. Conclusion of the research with the theme of ethical behavior is generally associated with behavior in business, the prerequisite occurrence of ethical behavior in organizations, and variables that can improve and shape ethical behavior. In line with the development of societal progress, ethical behavior research requires more intensive attention, especially in education organizations, because the quality and sustainability of human life, business, and education lie in the quality of ethical behavior.

Resisting Ableism in School-Based Speech-Language Therapy: An Invitation to Change.

Resisting Ableism in School-Based Speech-Language Therapy: An Invitation to Change.

REMEMBERING DALE BRETHOWER—INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY PIONEER

Dale M. Brethower was professor emeritus at Western Michigan University (WMU), having started as a graduate student at Harvard University who studied under B. F. Skinner. He was a pioneer in the field of human performance technology (HPT) and served as president in 2000–2001 for the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). His family and colleagues share their memories and tributes to his esteemed life and legacy.

TRANSLATING CORE VALUES INTO ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES

TRANSLATING CORE VALUES INTO ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES

New Books across the Disciplines

New Books across the Disciplines

Ursula A.Potter: The Unruly Womb in Early Modern English Drama: Plotting Women's Biology on the Stage. Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan University, Medieval Institute Publications, 2019; pp. x + 263.

Ursula A.Potter: The Unruly Womb in Early Modern English Drama: Plotting Women's Biology on the Stage. Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan University, Medieval Institute Publications, 2019; pp. x + 263.

Russell C. Williams, A Journey Well Traveled

Russell C. Williams, A Journey Well Traveled

We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Phyllis Michael Wong

Reviewed by: We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Phyllis Michael Wong Sharon Carlson, Professor Emerita Phyllis Michael Wong. We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2022. Pp. 196. Images. Glossary. Paperback: $19.95. Phyllis Michael Wong’s We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula offers a glimpse into the lives of working-class women who earned a living by performing piecework in the Gossard Company factories in Ishpeming and Gwinn, Michigan. The H. W. Gossard Company had its origins in Chicago beginning in 1900, with the first plant built in 1904 in nearby Belvidere, Illinois, about 70 miles northwest of Chicago. Other plants followed, including the construction of two in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula— Ishpeming in 1920 and Gwinn in 1947. Wong provides compelling stories based on nearly one hundred interviews with former Gossard employees and their family members. Many of these women were first- or second-generation immigrants with few options available to them other than working as a clerk in a store. The Gossard Company employed women of all ages and life circumstances. While some employees worked to provide extras or earn money for a few years before marriage, most of the women needed employment at the Gossard factories to support their [End Page 134] families. The company paid higher wages than other limited job opportunities available to these women. Gossard’s labor force was consistently 85 to 95 percent female, and over the decades, the more than 1,500 women employed by the company came to be known as “Gossard Girls.” The steady employment and camaraderie described throughout the book demonstrate the value of the company to the employees, their families, and communities. Accounts by former employees who began working at Gossard at age fourteen or fifteen—lying about their age to gain employment—may make their situations seem exploitative, but many of these young women were grateful to find employment and earn desperately needed income for their families. For single and widowed women, as well as married women whose husbands had more precarious employment in the mining industries of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, employment at Gossard not only kept their families afloat but also sustained the economies of Ishpeming and Gwinn. These women also felt a sense of pride in the lingerie they produced, including bras, girdles, and corsets that were sold across the United States by major retailers such as J. C. Penney and Montgomery Ward. The stories raise more questions that fall beyond the scope of this work. There are frequent references to “favoritism” by female and male supervisors. Did any of the female employees experience sexual harassment? There is one reference to employees terminated because of pregnancy, but with a primarily female workforce, this must have happened frequently. Workers were split on whether to organize, and it took seven years before the Ishpeming women voted to unionize. The factory in Gwinn did not vote to unionize. The Ishpeming women went on a sixteen-week strike in 1949, resulting in pay raises and mandatory union membership for nonmanagerial employees. By the 1970s, fashions were changing, and garment work was moving overseas to reduce production costs. Both of the factories in Ishpeming and Gwinn closed in 1976. Wong’s account reminds readers that the history of women’s work outside the home is long and complex. Women worked out of economic necessity and found other benefits and personal enrichment too. She ends the book by encouraging readers to seek out community stories and contribute additional histories. One hopes that readers take up this mission because of the numerous examples in the garment and textile industry alone in Michigan. The corset factories in Kalamazoo and Three Oaks and the silk mills in Belding are just a few examples, not to mention the numerous other industries where women worked. [End Page 135] Sharon Carlson, Professor Emerita Zhang Legacy Collections Center Western Michigan University Copyright © 2022 Historical Society of Michigan

Y líbranos del mal by Santiago Roncagliolo

Reviewed by: Y líbranos del mal by Santiago Roncagliolo Sandra Chang Raak Santiago Roncagliolo Y líbranos del mal Mexico City. Seix Barral. 2021. 394 pages. IN Y LÍBRANOS DEL MAL, Santiago Roncagliolo’s latest novel, the Peruvian author and winner of the prestigious Premio Alfaguara portrays a fictionalized version of the widely publicized scandals of Sodalicio, a Catholic community in the Andean country. In this novel, unlike other published accounts, Roncagliolo explores an innovative point of view, that of Jimmy, a college-aged young man who doesn’t know of his father’s involvement in that faith community. Through Jimmy, Roncagliolo explores the deeply rooted religious beliefs that are perpetuated from one generation to the next. Roncagliolo’s novel presents at least two different chronologies. The first features Jimmy, who was born to Peruvian immigrants and raised in the United States. The second is the story of Jimmy’s father, Sebastián, which is unveiled while Jimmy cares for his ailing grandmother, Tita, in a well-off neighborhood in Lima. Jimmy learns about Sebastián’s past and discovers multiple testimonies that “collapse[s] the past into the present, making it seem or feel as if it were more ‘real’ and ‘present’ than contemporary circumstances” (LaCapra, Writing History, Writing Trauma). By naming evils from the past and bringing them into the present, Roncagliolo empowers those who, as in Y líbranos del mal, have experienced abuse and violence at the hands of authoritative institutions. Unsurprisingly, however, this is a novel in which circumstances are never entirely clear, nor do they need to be in order to understand the events. This ambiguity permeates the novel in its entirety and reflects the lack of trust, essential to the national character, and an acquiescent personality, key to understanding many Peruvians. Even though Roncagliolo resides in Spain, he accurately captures elements of the Peruvian worldview in the context of a very relevant institution in Latin American society: a traditional, Catholic family. As in previous novels, Roncagliolo reflects on ignominious portions of Peruvian history. In Red April (2006), Roncagliolo criticized the actions that the government of Alberto Fujimori took against the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso. The prequel, La pena máxima (2014), is set in a soccer-filled Lima, crowded with fans that supported the national team in the 1978 World Cup. In the background, however, duplicitous characters swarm the streets of the capital because they are interested in eliminating all communist threats. Y líbranos del mal sparked my desire to learn more about contemporary Peruvian history, particularly the historic events that inform this work of fiction. Unlike Mitad monjes, mitad soldados, by Pedro Salinas, which gathers testimonies from the victims, Roncagliolo’s novel explores the aftereffects of growing up in a society where the Catholic church occupies, indisputably, a very important place. Sandra Chang Raak Western Michigan University Copyright © 2022 World Literature Today

Subha Mukherji, ed. Blind Spots of Knowledge in Shakespeare and His World: A Conversation. Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University, 2019. Pp 213.

This review considers Blind Spots of Knowledge in Shakespeare and His World: A Conversation.