Gabrielle M. Spiegel
Encyclopedia
Gabrielle Michele Spiegel (born January 20, 1943) is an American historian of medieval France, and the current Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of History at The Johns Hopkins University where she served as Chair for the history department for six years and Acting and Interim Dean of Faculty. She also served as Dean of Humanities at the University of California, Los Angeles
in 2004-2005, and, from 2008-2009, she was the President of the American Historical Association
. In 2011, she was elected as a fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
.
in 1964. The next year, she completed a Master of Arts in Teaching at Harvard University
. She received her PhD in 1974 from The Johns Hopkins University.
, Bryn Mawr, from 1972-3. In 1974, she taught at as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland
where she stayed until 1992 (having been made an associate professor in 1979 and a full professor in 1992). During her time at the University of Maryland, she held fellowships with the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
at Stanford, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
and the Rockefeller Residency Program in Atlantic History at Johns Hopkins.
Spiegel has been a full professor at Johns Hopkins since 1993 where she has served as chair of the history department from 1999-2002 and from 2005-2008. During her time at JHU, she has twice served as directeur d'Etudes associé at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
. In 2011, she was named a Gilman scholar.
Spiegel's commitment to the historical profession and post-secondary teaching is well-evidenced by her years of service on the American Historical Association and in university administration at Johns Hopkins. Before her election as President to the AHA in 2007, she had served as vice-president (research division) from 2000-2003. While chair of the History department at JHU, she also served Dean of Faculty from 2005-2007 and returned to those duties once again as Interim Dean in 2010. She has supervised the completion of seventeen PhDs by her graduate students at JHU and continues to teach both graduate- and undergraduate-level courses on medieval history and historiography.
, both in the Middle Ages and in the modern era. Her publications on these topics include The Chronicle Tradition of Saint‐Denis: A Survey (1978), Romancing the Past: The Rise of Vernacular Prose Historiography in Thirteenth‐Century France (1993), The Past as Text: The Theory and Practice of Medieval Historiography (1997), and Practicing History: New Directions in Historical Writing after the Linguistic Turn (2005), as well as some sixty articles on medieval historiography and contemporary theories of historical writing. Many of her articles and books have been translated into other languages such as Japanese, French, German, Italian, Hungarian, Spanish and Chinese.
Her most well-known and frequently cited/reprinted theoretical work is "History, Historicism and the Social Logic of the Text in the Middle Ages," published in the academic journal, Speculum, in 1990. In this article, Spiegel addresses the challenges that the linguistic turn
poses to the historical profession and offers the "social logic of the text" as an interpretive lens that locates written sources within the social, political and economic currents that shaped the discourse of the moment while simultaneously foregrounding the active nature of the author’s work as he seeks to reconstitute and reshape reality as he writes. Her 1993 monograph, Romancing the Past: The Rise of Vernacular Prose Historiography in Thirteenth-Century France serves as a demonstration of the power and usefulness of such an approach to historical sources.
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in 2004-2005, and, from 2008-2009, she was the President of the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
. In 2011, she was elected as a fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
.
Education
Spiegel received a Bachelor of Arts from Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
in 1964. The next year, she completed a Master of Arts in Teaching at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. She received her PhD in 1974 from The Johns Hopkins University.
Career
Spiegel began her lecturing at her alma materAlma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Bryn Mawr, from 1972-3. In 1974, she taught at as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
where she stayed until 1992 (having been made an associate professor in 1979 and a full professor in 1992). During her time at the University of Maryland, she held fellowships with the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences is an American interdisciplinary research body in Stanford, California focusing on the social sciences and humanities . Fellows are elected in a closed process, to spend a period of residence at the Center, released from other duties...
at Stanford, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
and the Rockefeller Residency Program in Atlantic History at Johns Hopkins.
Spiegel has been a full professor at Johns Hopkins since 1993 where she has served as chair of the history department from 1999-2002 and from 2005-2008. During her time at JHU, she has twice served as directeur d'Etudes associé at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
The École des hautes études en sciences sociales is a leading French institution for research and higher education, a Grand Établissement. Its mission is research and research training in the social sciences, including the relationship these latter maintain with the natural and life sciences...
. In 2011, she was named a Gilman scholar.
Spiegel's commitment to the historical profession and post-secondary teaching is well-evidenced by her years of service on the American Historical Association and in university administration at Johns Hopkins. Before her election as President to the AHA in 2007, she had served as vice-president (research division) from 2000-2003. While chair of the History department at JHU, she also served Dean of Faculty from 2005-2007 and returned to those duties once again as Interim Dean in 2010. She has supervised the completion of seventeen PhDs by her graduate students at JHU and continues to teach both graduate- and undergraduate-level courses on medieval history and historiography.
Work
Spiegel's work focuses on the theory and practice of historiographyHistoriography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
, both in the Middle Ages and in the modern era. Her publications on these topics include The Chronicle Tradition of Saint‐Denis: A Survey (1978), Romancing the Past: The Rise of Vernacular Prose Historiography in Thirteenth‐Century France (1993), The Past as Text: The Theory and Practice of Medieval Historiography (1997), and Practicing History: New Directions in Historical Writing after the Linguistic Turn (2005), as well as some sixty articles on medieval historiography and contemporary theories of historical writing. Many of her articles and books have been translated into other languages such as Japanese, French, German, Italian, Hungarian, Spanish and Chinese.
Her most well-known and frequently cited/reprinted theoretical work is "History, Historicism and the Social Logic of the Text in the Middle Ages," published in the academic journal, Speculum, in 1990. In this article, Spiegel addresses the challenges that the linguistic turn
Linguistic turn
The linguistic turn was a major development in Western philosophy during the 20th century, the most important characteristic of which is the focusing of philosophy and the other humanities primarily on the relationship between philosophy and language....
poses to the historical profession and offers the "social logic of the text" as an interpretive lens that locates written sources within the social, political and economic currents that shaped the discourse of the moment while simultaneously foregrounding the active nature of the author’s work as he seeks to reconstitute and reshape reality as he writes. Her 1993 monograph, Romancing the Past: The Rise of Vernacular Prose Historiography in Thirteenth-Century France serves as a demonstration of the power and usefulness of such an approach to historical sources.
Research awards and honours
- Elected fellow, American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, 2011. - Named Gilman Scholar, Johns Hopkins University, 2011.
- Elected President, American Historical AssociationAmerican Historical AssociationThe American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
, 2008-2009. - Appointed Krieger-Eisenhower University Professor (of History), Johns Hopkins University, 2003.
- Elected Vice-President for Research Division, American Historical Association, 2000-2003.
- Elected fellow, Medieval Academy of AmericaMedieval Academy of AmericaThe Medieval Academy of America is the largest organization in the United States promoting excellence in the field of medieval studies. It was founded in 1925 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts...
, 1996. - Berkshire Conference of Women Historians' Article Prize for "History, Historicism and the Social Logic of the Text in the Middle Ages," 1989-90.
- William Koren, Jr. Prize for Best Article on French History from Society for French Historical StudiesSociety for French Historical StudiesThe Society for French Historical Studies is, along with the Western Society for French History , one of the two primary historical societies devoted to the study of French history headquartered in the United States....
for "Social Change and Literary Language: The Textualization of the Past in Thirteenth-Century Old French Historiography," 1988. - Fellowship, John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, 1988.
- Phi Beta Kappa, Johns Hopkins University, 1974.
Books
- The Chronicle Tradition of Saint-Denis: A Survey (Leiden and Boston: Medieval Classics: Texts and Studies, no. 10, 1978). OCLC 715597893
- Romancing the Past: The Rise of Vernacular Prose Historiography in Thirteenth-Century France, (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1993). ISBN 0520089359
- The Past as Text: The Theory and Practice of Medieval Historiography (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1997). ISBN 0801862590
- Practicing History: New Directions in Historical Writing after the Linguistic Turn, edited with an introduction (London: Routledge, 2005). ISBN 0415341086
Translations
- -- with Stephen Nichols, Kantorowicz: Stories of a Historian (Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins Press, 2001).
Articles
- "The Reditus Regni ad Stirpem Karoli Magni: A New Look," French Historical Studies, 7 (1971), 145-74.
- "The Cult of Saint Denis and Capetian Kingship," Journal of Medieval History, 1 (l975): 43-69.
- "Political Utility in Medieval Historiography: A Sketch," History and Theory, 14 (1975): 314-325.
- "Defense of the Realm: Evolution of a Capetian Propaganda Slogan," Journal of Medieval History, 3 (1977): 115-34.
- -- with Sandra Hindman, "The Fleurs-de-Lis Frontispieces to Guillaume de Nangis's Chronique Abrégée: Political Iconography in Late Fifteenth-Century France" Viator, 12 (1981): 381-407.
- “Genealogy: Form and Function in Medieval Historical Narrative,” History and Theory, 22 (1983): 43-53.
- "History as Enlightenment: Suger and the Mos Anagogicus," in Abbot Suger and the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, ed. Paula Gerson, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, 1986, pp. 17-27.
- "History as Enlightenment: Suger and the Mos Anagogicus," in Abbot Suger and the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, ed. Paula Gerson, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, 1986: 17-27.
- "Pseudo-Turpin, the Crisis of the Aristocracy and the Beginnings of Vernacular Historiography in Thirteenth-Century France," Journal of Medieval History, 12 (1986): 207-223.
- "Social Change and Literary Language: The Textualization of the Past in Thirteenth-Century French Historiography," Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 17 (1987): 129-148.
- "History, Historicism and the Social Logic of the Text in the Middle Ages," Speculum, 65 (1990): 59-86.
- “History and Post-Modernism,” Past and Present 135 (1992): 194-208.
- “Medieval Canon Formation and the Rise of Royal Historiography in Old French Prose,” MLN, 108 (1993): 638-658.
- “In the Mirror’s Eye: The Writing of Medieval History in North America” in Imagined Histories: Americans Interpret The Past, eds. Anthony Molho and Gordon S. Wood, (Princeton University Press, 1998): 238-262.
- -- with Paul Freedman, “Medievalisms Old and New: The Rediscovery of Alterity in North American Medieval Studies,” American Historical Review, 103 (1998): 677-704.
- “Foucault and the Problem of Genealogy,” The Medieval History Journal, 4:1 (January-June 2001): 1-14.
- Historical Thought in Medieval Europe,” in Lloyd Kramer and Sarah Maza, eds., A Companion to Western Historical Thought, (Oxford, 2002): 78-98/
- “Memory and History: Liturgical Time and Historical Time,” History and Theory, (May 2002): 149-162.
- Revising the Past. Revisiting the Present: How Change Happens in Historiography,” History and Theory, 4 (December, 2007): 1-19.
- “The Task of the Historian (American Historical Association Presidential Address), American Historical Review (Feb. 2009): 1-14.
External links
- AHA Presidential Address: "The Task of the Historian"
- History News Network story
- Chronicle of Higher Education article
- "History Mom"
- UCLA News
- Spiegel as gardener
- "The Case for History and the Humanities,” Perspectives on History, Jan. (2008)
- "The Triple 'A' Threat: Accountability, Assessment, Accreditation,” Perspectives on History, March (2008).
- "'Getting Medieval:' History and the Torture Memos,” Perspectives on History, September (2008).
- "History Mom”, Perspectives on History, November (2008).
- "A Modest Proposal," Perspectives on History, December (2008).
- "The Task of the Historian” (AHA Presidential Address), American Historical Review, (Feb. 2009): 1-14.