The romantic tale of Peter Abelard and Heloise has been widely known for
centuries. The legend relates in part to the letters exchanged between
the two, years after Abelard had been castrated at the behest of
Heloise's vindictive uncle, Fulbert.
These "personal" letters form the basis for bestselling compilations of
works by Abelard and Heloise in translation, such as the recently
revised Penguin The Letters of Abelard and Heloise or the new Hackett
Abelard and Heloise, The Letters and Other Writings. They hold
fascination for the light they shed on the relationship between the man
and woman, as teacher and student, lovers, husband and wife, monk and
nun, abbot and mother superior, and much more.
The popularity of the "personal" letters has generated considerable
fanfare for the publication of another set of correspondence printed
under the title The Lost Love Letters of Heloise and Abelard. The
authorship of all these letters has been contested repeatedly, with the
last-mentioned collection being the center of a present firestorm.
Generally ignored have been nearly a dozen other letters or letter-like
texts, unassailably the work of Peter Abelard. Jan M. Ziolkowski's
comprehensive and learned translation of these texts affords insight
into Abelard's thinking over a much longer sweep of time and offers
snapshots of the great twelfth-century philosopher and theologian in a
variety of contexts. One group shows him engaging with Heloise and nuns
of the Paraclete, another with Bernard of Clairvaux, and a third with
four entirely different addressees on four entirely different topics.
Broadening our panorama of the twelfth-century Renaissance, the picture
presented by these texts complements, complicates, and enriches
Abelard's autobiographical letter of consolation and his personal
letters to Heloise.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jan M. Ziolkowski is Arthur Kingsley Porter Professor of Medieval Latin
at Harvard University and director of Dumbarton Oaks. His publications
include thirteen books, nearly one hundred articles and essays, and more
than fifty book reviews. The books encompass critical editions of
Medieval Latin texts (such as The Cambridge Songs; Jezebel: A Norman
Latin Poem of the Early Eleventh Century; and two of poetry by Nigel of
Canterbury), as well as literary histories such as Alan of Lille's
Grammar of Sex and Talking Animals: Medieval Latin Beast Poetry.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
"No comparable book brings together this entire range of materials.
Ziolkowski's book is an impressive addition to Abelardian scholarship
and will be welcomed enthusiastically."--Peter Dronke, professor
emeritus, University of Cambridge
"There is no volume like this one. Ziolkowski's collection makes a
powerful supporting portfolio of fascinating Abelard materials for use
by both students and scholars."--Paul Edward Dutton, Simon Fraser
University
"The most important thing about this new collection of Abelard letters
is that they are not the ones with which people are most familiar.
Ziolkowski, a noted translator who is professor of medieval Latin at
Harvard, has turned his skills to a group of twelve other "non-personal
letters" or "letter-like texts" for this new volume. . . . This book
will add additional details to the portrait of this extraordinary man.
It provides a different perspective and range than the more common
writings." - Magistra
"This helpful and appropriately revisionist collection will be warmly
welcomed by scholars, teachers, and students. Ziolkowski's translation
is elegant and readable while remaining faithful to Abelard's
characteristic style. The letters themselves, spanning some twenty years
of Abelard's career, provide important insights into the spiritual and
intellectual context of northern France in the early-twelfth century.
All are authentic. Together with t
