Bohemian Forgery: The Legendary Czech Manuscripts and National Myth

On this episode, Cullan is joined by Dr. David Cooper, the department head and associate professor at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Illinois, to speak about his recent book on two Czech Manuscripts and the story of their successful forgery and dramatic discovery in the early 19th century. Dr. Cooper elaborates on the manuscripts' importance to the Czech cultural revival during the period of "Medieval mania" in Europe and the role they played in proving that Czech culture was just as rich and dated as any other European country. Thanks for listening! ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr. David Cooper is the author of The Czech Manuscripts: Forgery, Translation, and National Myth (Cornell, 2023) and Creating the Nation: Identity and Aesthetics in Early Nineteenth-century Russia and Bohemia (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2010). Cooper also is the editor of Traditional Slovak Folktales; Collected by Pavol Dobšinský (2001) and The Queen's Court and Green Mountain Manuscripts, With Other Forgeries of the Czech Revival (Ann Arbor: Michigan Slavic Publications, 2018). PRODUCER'S NOTE: This episode was recorded on August 18th, 2023 via Zoom. If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on the show, please email [email protected] and we will be in touch! CREDITS Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig (@cullanwithana) Associate Producer: Sergio Glajar Associate Producer: Misha Simanovskyy (@MSimanovskyy) Production Assistant: Faith VanVleet Production Assistant: Eliza Fisher Supervising Producer: Nicholas Pierce Music Producer: Charlie Harper (@charlieharpermusic) --Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Stobotone, Jazzafari, Blue Dot Sessions Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (@M_S_Daniel) www.msdaniel.com DISCLAIMER: Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin. Special Guest: David Cooper.