Thank you, Helen, for another lovely reading from the astonishing Paston letters. This domestic saga is so fascinating and so full of love and warmth. And I love the chaotic spelling of the scribes - the English language could be so wonderfully hit and miss at that time! Again, thank you.
Thank you, Tom! And isn't it wonderful – I was finding it hard to pick a favourite in this letter. Maybe pylgreymmays?? I also love 'I sopose' which feels importantly and qualitatively different from 'I suppose'... (Maybe I'm hearing Molesworth?!)
Thank you for your reading this week. I had just finished reading Blood and Roses when you joined substack. It was lovely to find you here, and learn still more. A friend recently said she could never share my interest in history (mostly medieval, mostly English, but the boundaries keep stretching) because it is always about kings and nobility. She said she would be interested to learn about the lives of average people. I recommended your book, but I don't know if she has ordered it. She researched Cromwell after Hilary Mantel's account, but usually chooses fiction. Perhaps you will influence a new reader of history. Thank you for your work and wonderful writing.
Thank you so much, Lee - that's so lovely to hear. Please let me know if she does take a look at the Pastons? But I'm just delighted to know that you find them interesting.
So interesting. I bought a copy of the Paston Letters last week. Dipping into them randomly without the help of your wonderful posts. But now it's much easier!
I love reading your Paston letters articles, but especially this latest one from Margaret. I can almost hear her breathlessly dictating this letter to her husband. I really look forward to the next installment on the Pastons!
Yes! Question for you, are your newsletters on the Paxton letters drawn from your book? I just finished your book on Joan of Arc (my childhood hero and patron saint) and am debating which to read next: She-Wolves or Blood and Roses. I’ve watched your television series She-Wolves (twice), but there is always so much more in-depth content in a book. Do you have a favorite?
Ah, that's like choosing between my book-children...! My posts here on the letters are founded in the work I did for the book, but in telling the Pastons' story as a narrative I could only quote from the letters, so my chance here is to put a single letter in the spotlight as a whole. But certainly you'll get a much more rounded view of the whole family story in the book. And much more detail in She-Wolves on the page rather than the screen. Not sure I'm helping, but very much hoping you'll enjoy whichever one you try.
I almost mentioned your wonderful name last time I replied! 'Jeanne', to me, evokes her so much more intensely than the English 'Joan'...
I’m so pleased you like my name. As a young girl I was thrilled when I discovered her French name was Jeanne. In my early 20s when I was traveling in France, I made sure to visit Reims Cathedral to see that wonderful statue of her in armour and then, of course, to Rouen. Your reply regarding which book I should choose next is, actually, how I hoped you would reply. I have time to make my decision as I just started reading Shelley Puhak’s book “The Dark Queens,” again for a virtual book club with Holly Brown’s Medieval Musings substack. I have never joined a book club before, but I think this will be fun since I know the other members share my love of medieval history.
I enjoy hearing these letters being read before I read them myself, Helen. Your scholarship and intonation really helps in making them both accessible and sounding as fresh as the day on which they were written.
Oof, thank you so much, Louise. I always worry that I must be giving language specialists conniptions! But that's exactly the joy for me – hearing at least echoes of the voices of the people who wrote or dictated them...
Emily, you're so kind. I'm determined always to post audio as well as text, but am always conscious I'm no kind of expert in how to pronounce Middle English - so I'm delighted if muddling through to the modernised version works in some shape or form. Thank you!
I rely on text-to-speech software, so I definitely appreciate the human voice! I studied Old English, so I'm just as lost with Middle English. :) But it's such a sweet letter.
Thank you, Helen, for another lovely reading from the astonishing Paston letters. This domestic saga is so fascinating and so full of love and warmth. And I love the chaotic spelling of the scribes - the English language could be so wonderfully hit and miss at that time! Again, thank you.
Thank you, Tom! And isn't it wonderful – I was finding it hard to pick a favourite in this letter. Maybe pylgreymmays?? I also love 'I sopose' which feels importantly and qualitatively different from 'I suppose'... (Maybe I'm hearing Molesworth?!)
Thank you for your reading this week. I had just finished reading Blood and Roses when you joined substack. It was lovely to find you here, and learn still more. A friend recently said she could never share my interest in history (mostly medieval, mostly English, but the boundaries keep stretching) because it is always about kings and nobility. She said she would be interested to learn about the lives of average people. I recommended your book, but I don't know if she has ordered it. She researched Cromwell after Hilary Mantel's account, but usually chooses fiction. Perhaps you will influence a new reader of history. Thank you for your work and wonderful writing.
Thank you so much, Lee - that's so lovely to hear. Please let me know if she does take a look at the Pastons? But I'm just delighted to know that you find them interesting.
So interesting. I bought a copy of the Paston Letters last week. Dipping into them randomly without the help of your wonderful posts. But now it's much easier!
Aren't they fantastic? So glad to hear the posts help!
I love reading your Paston letters articles, but especially this latest one from Margaret. I can almost hear her breathlessly dictating this letter to her husband. I really look forward to the next installment on the Pastons!
You do get to recognise her voice, don't you (we!)?
Yes! Question for you, are your newsletters on the Paxton letters drawn from your book? I just finished your book on Joan of Arc (my childhood hero and patron saint) and am debating which to read next: She-Wolves or Blood and Roses. I’ve watched your television series She-Wolves (twice), but there is always so much more in-depth content in a book. Do you have a favorite?
Ah, that's like choosing between my book-children...! My posts here on the letters are founded in the work I did for the book, but in telling the Pastons' story as a narrative I could only quote from the letters, so my chance here is to put a single letter in the spotlight as a whole. But certainly you'll get a much more rounded view of the whole family story in the book. And much more detail in She-Wolves on the page rather than the screen. Not sure I'm helping, but very much hoping you'll enjoy whichever one you try.
I almost mentioned your wonderful name last time I replied! 'Jeanne', to me, evokes her so much more intensely than the English 'Joan'...
I’m so pleased you like my name. As a young girl I was thrilled when I discovered her French name was Jeanne. In my early 20s when I was traveling in France, I made sure to visit Reims Cathedral to see that wonderful statue of her in armour and then, of course, to Rouen. Your reply regarding which book I should choose next is, actually, how I hoped you would reply. I have time to make my decision as I just started reading Shelley Puhak’s book “The Dark Queens,” again for a virtual book club with Holly Brown’s Medieval Musings substack. I have never joined a book club before, but I think this will be fun since I know the other members share my love of medieval history.
Thank you Helen for another fascinating instalment. You provide such a clear yet still very personal and human explanation.
Your work in all its forms is a joy to me.
Thank you so much, John - what a generous thing to say. It's a joy to me to find that other people might enjoy the letters as much as I do.
I enjoy hearing these letters being read before I read them myself, Helen. Your scholarship and intonation really helps in making them both accessible and sounding as fresh as the day on which they were written.
Oof, thank you so much, Louise. I always worry that I must be giving language specialists conniptions! But that's exactly the joy for me – hearing at least echoes of the voices of the people who wrote or dictated them...
Thank you so much for reading this post out loud! It is such a joy to hear you reading this heartfelt letter.
Emily, you're so kind. I'm determined always to post audio as well as text, but am always conscious I'm no kind of expert in how to pronounce Middle English - so I'm delighted if muddling through to the modernised version works in some shape or form. Thank you!
I rely on text-to-speech software, so I definitely appreciate the human voice! I studied Old English, so I'm just as lost with Middle English. :) But it's such a sweet letter.
I’m even more lost with Old English! But am so grateful to know it’s worth persisting. And what a letter, isn’t it…
Given the choice between an upgrade and buying your books, it seems the latter is the outcome.