WRITING AUTHORITY IN LATE MEDIEVAL ... - Cornell University

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to first thank the several academic authorities whose insights have been
essential to this work. My Special Committee, Andrew Galloway, William J. Kennedy, and
Timothy Murray, for their hard work and patient eye in deciphering my oft-times labyrinthine
prose and thought process. My chair Andrew Galloway has not only been a whetstone to sharpen
my mind, but also a mentor and true “auctoritas” whom I have always tried to emulate albeit
imperfectly. Along with my chair, my minor committee members have been a source of
profound encouragement and inspiration throughout my stay at Cornell. William J. Kennedy has
closely guarded my writing and intellect from straying. Tim Murray has carefully looked after
my scholarly growth and helped keep my thoughts in perspective. Additionally, I would like to
thank Simone Pinet for first directing me to the subject of my dissertation and sparking my
curiosity to navigate uncharted lands.
Thanks are further due to my friends and peers for enduring the labor of my thought.
Caroline Ferraris-Besso, María Fernanda Negrete Martínez, and Kavita Singh have been a light
for me in dark places. Without their help, this dissertation would not have been birthed. Henry
Berlin, Beth Bouloukos, Joseph Stevens, and Paloma Yannakakis have sheltered me through
harsh winters with unbounded hospitality. My dear friends Milan Allan, Hanh Phuong Nguyen,
David Rojas, and Christopher Tucker have, through their support and attention, provided me
much needed respite and nepenthe in this seemingly endless journey.
A note of gratitude also goes to the Institute for European Studies, the Office of the Provost, and
the Graduate School at Cornell University, for funding the research which made this dissertation
possible. Last but certainly not least, I would also like to thank my family, and in particular my
mother Gloria Sierra, whose profound wisdom is exceeded only by her love.
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