The essays in Verbal Encounters are not merely a fitting tribute to Roberta Frank, but also strong contributions to current scholarship on medieval literature and culture.

By Antonina Harbus and Russell Poole

Introduction
Roberta Frank Biography, 1970-2003

Part I - On Words

1. Early Medieval Chaos, Christopher A. Jones
2. Composing and Joining: How the Anglo-Saxons Talked About Compounding, Don Chapman
3. Cennan, 'to Cause to be Born'/'To Cause to Know':Incarnation as Revelation on Old English Literature, Pauline Head
4. Pride, Courage, and Anger: The Polysemousness of Old English Mod, Vicki Low

Part II - On Latin and Old English Prose

5. Desipere in loco: Style, Memory, and the Teachable Moment, Carin Ruff
6. Courtroom Drama and the Homiletic monologues of The Vercelli Book, Dorothy Haines

Part III - On Old English Poetry

7. Him þæs Grim lean Becom: The theme of Infertility in Genesis A, Karin Olsen
8. Odd Characters: Runes in Old English Poetry, Robert DiNapoli
9. Articulate Contact in Juliana, Antonina Harbus

Part IV - On Beowulf

10. The Education of Beowulf and the Affair of the Leisure Class, Haruko Momma
11. Beowulf's Dark Thoughts: Beowulf in a Wisdom Context, Ruth Wehlau

Part V - On Old Norse Literature

12. The Refracted Beam: Einarr Skulason's Liturgical Theology, Martin Chase
13. Beardless Wonders: Gaman vas Soxu: The Sex was Great, Oren Falk
14. Prophetic Dreams and Visions in the Sagas of the Early Icelandic Saints, Bernadine McCreesch
15. Claiming Kin Skaldic-Style, Russell Poole