#recovered texts

[italianartsociety]

By Alexis Culotta 

Famed humanist scholar, translator, and man of letters Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini, better know as simply as Poggio, died 30 October 1459. Born 11 February 1380 in the town of Terranuova (which became Terranuova Bracciolini in 1862 in Poggio’s honor), the young Poggio showed early promise as a student of Latin, prompting his father to send him to Florence for his studies. 

While in Florence he studied under Giovanni Malpaghino of Ravenna, and in his early twenties he was granted admission to the Arte de’ Giudici e Notai, the Florentine Guild of Judges and Notaries. Soon after this guild acceptance Poggio began work for Cardinal Landolfo Maramaldo, Bishop of Bari, his first role in a succession of posts within the Catholic Church that would endure for half a century. He served a total of seven popes as part of his duties within the Roman Curia, but he also ensured that his ties to Florence remained strong. He maintained friendships with the likes of Lorenzo de’ Medici and became Chancellor of Florence toward the end of his life in 1453. 

His pursuit of literature, though, took Poggio across the European continent in various trips form 1415 onward. Recovering works from the prominent authors of history, Poggio is most often lauded for his discovery of De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) by first-century BC writer Lucretius, a text which proved pivotal to the fields of both humanism and science during the fifteenth century. He himself became a collector of texts and art and continued to write until his death at the age of 79. 

References/Further Reading: Craig Kallendorf, “Poggio Bracciolini.” Oxford Bibliographies. 

James J. Rorer, “A Reliquary Bust Made for Poggio Bracciolini.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, 14 (10) (June 1965), 246-251. 

Engraving of Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini. From Icones quinquaginta virorum illustrium, 1597, by Jean Jacques Boissard (1528-1602). Typ 520.97.225, Hougton Library, Harvard University.

[books-in-trees]

Recovered Texts You Should Read, Part 1 of ?

@athousandwords asked for a list of recovered texts because of this quote. The following list collects a variety of such texts, but is by no means exhaustive. Most of these pieces are pulled from my comprehensive exam lists, which means they involve prolonged engagement with the natural environment. Please add to this list! It is incredibly important to me that we don’t lose these voices again.

(Two notes: 1) I link to Penguin editions of books when possible, not because Penguin is the best [they’re pretty okay, but not “scholarly,” if you know what I mean] but because Penguin books are widely available and you can order them from whomever you buy your books from. 2) This turned out 200% longer than expected, so I’m going to do this in parts. This first part is five American women.)

So, in no particular order, women writers (from, primarily, the nineteenth century) you should read:

Susanna Rowson, Charlotte Temple: Widely considered the first best-selling American woman writer, Rowson is popularly considered to have written morality books that basically tried to warn young women about how bad sleeping with guys before marriage is. Of course, her work is much more complicated than that. Not exactly recovered, but not widely taught either. Recommended for people who enjoy Moll Flanders-esque novels. Also good for people who want to know more about the women writers who came before Jane Austen. Pairs well with Jane Eyre, Who Would Have Thought It?, and the work of Ann Radcliffe. Widely available.

Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton, Who Would Have Thought It?: Do you like your satire with a splash of bitterness? How about problematic authors? This is the book for you! Ruiz de Burton was a Mexican-American writer who came from the .1%, which means that her place in literary studies is a bit precarious (scholars still struggle with how to frame and contextualize her cultural position). This particular satire attacks just about everything possible, from women’s education to President Lincoln, and is equal parts entertaining and annoying. Anyone who is a fan of satire (especially Jonathan Swift’s unique blend of elitist bitterness) needs to read this. Anyone interested in Mexican-American literature should probably read this. Anyone who likes a good soap opera should read this (my classmates compared this to the show Dallas, and frankly the comparison fits). Pairs well with Gulliver’s Travels, George Eliot, and William Thackery. Again, widely available.

Catherine Maria Sedgwick, “Cacoethes Scribendi”: A short story that examines contemporary portrayals of women writers. It’s funny in a “I’m really uncomfortable can this please end” sort of way. I recommend this as an introduction to Sedgwick--who, surprise!, was another best-seller. (This is a trend. Women who write bestsellers are often thrown out of the canon for being “too popular.” Never mind that The Scarlet Letter has never been out of print or that Mark Twain sold like hotcakes.) For those of you who like this story (or who, like me, get to be tested on all of this) read Hope Leslie, which is a novel about (white) women, Native Americans, and colonization. Be warned: Sedgwick is a big proponent of Republican Motherhood. Recommended: anyone. This story is short, it gives you a lot to talk about, and you can trot it out at dinner parties and look smart. Pairs well with any modern piece about women writers (say, Anne Fadiman’s Ex Libris or, if you want to generate contrast and discussion, Miranda July’s No One Belongs Here More Than You). Not widely available, but it’s been digitized.

Caroline Kirkland, A New Home, Who’ll Follow?: Interested in frontier life but tired of rereading Laura Ingalls Wilder? Give this book a shot. Part how-to guide for setting up a house in the relative wilderness, part social commentary, this book is incredibly important, incredibly interesting, and definitely worth your time. Recommended for people who were/are obsessed with The Little House on... books, people who like camping, people who want to set up their house in the wilderness, etc etc. Pairs well with Walden, Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands, Lydia Maria Child’s The American Frugal Housewife, and Susan Fenimore Cooper’s Rural Hours. Again, not widely available, but it’s been digitized.

Lydia Maria Child, The American Frugal Housewife: Child wrote lots and lots of pieces, primarily for children (hence her need to be recovered--women who write for children are clearly not canonical, right?! Never mind that Hawthorne wrote a book of stories for kids!!). This piece is a little different--it is literally a guide for economical housekeeping. However, I included it a) because it pretty easy to find a digital copy and b) because it basically out-Waldens Walden. I mean it! This is the female version of Thoreau’s opening chapter about economy, but with slightly less overblown idiotic rage. It’s also approximately 1587% easier to read (and this from someone who likes Walden a whole lot). Recommended for anyone who likes Walden or who is just setting up house--or, honestly, for anyone who really likes domestic novels like Sense and Sensibility. Of course, this is dealing with a completely different class of people (on a different continent...), but it gives readers an exceptional view of what women were expected to do, what they were capable of doing, and what they should do, according to one 19th-century writer. I’d pair it with Celia Thaxter’s An Island Garden, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or a modern cookbook/how-to guide. (My professor had us look at magazines aimed at women when we read this book. Some things NEVER CHANGE.)