Carol Zaleski

Carol Zaleski is the Professor of World Religions at Smith College in Massachusetts. She grew up in New York City, where she learned to love bialys and pickles. She lives with her family in Massachusetts and writes (often in collaboration with her husband Philip Zaleski) on matters of faith and culture, and on visions of heaven, hell and purgatory. Her most recent book is The Fellowship, a biography of the Inklings, co-authored with Philip Zaleski; excerpts are available here: http://chronicle.com/article/Oxfords-Influential-Inklings/229967?cid=megamenu and here: http://us.macmillan.com/excerpt?isbn=9780374154097 A few snippets from reviews: THE FELLOWSHIP: THE LITERARY LIVES OF THE INKLINGS--J.R.R. TOLKIEN, C. S. LEWIS, OWEN BARFIELD, CHARLES WILLIAMS A gutsy, glorious adoration of the English fantasy and faerie traditions, which celebrates what sometimes seems like a fantastical time when religion didn't destroy art but created it. (Joshua Cohen, Harper's Magazine) The husband-and-wife team of Philip and Carol Zaleski bring to bear both extensive scholarship and a neatly interwoven narrative; this is a story about storytellers, and it shows . . . (Genevieve Valentine, The New York Times Book Review) A fascinating overview of this 'intellectual orchestra' . . . a captivating story of young writers finding their literary footing while trying to rectify competing desires for happiness, love, fame, and faith. (Ethan Gilsdorf The Boston Globe) OTHERWORLD JOURNEYS: ACCOUNTS OF NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE IN MEDIEVAL AND MODERN TIMES "the first historical perspective on the subject . . . a brilliant, historically rich, commonsensical book." -- Jonathan Cott, Vogue "Ms. Zaleski has written a sophisticated post-modern, hence nonphilosophical, book about that timeless philosophical problem. . . ." -- Richard A. Shweder, The New York Times Book Review "a classic in the study of religious experience and popular religion." -- The Journal of Religion THE BOOK OF HEAVEN "Everything Philip and Carol Zaleski touch turns to gold. Scholarly, witty and wise, they know the field well and have keen eyes for what's interesting." -- Annie Dillard "The Zaleskis are cheerfully learned. Distinctly pro-heaven themselves, they wish everybody else were . . ." -- Frank Kermode, "Heaven, They're in Heaven," The New York Times Book Review PRAYER: A HISTORY "A lovely, interesting new book . . . Philip and Carol Zaleski explore this most personal of religious practices in an ecumenical spirit." -- Jon Meacham, The New York Times Book Review "Thought-provoking and soul-uplifting . . . There's an engaging ease to the Zaleskis' prose, and humor pops through regularly." -- Los Angeles Times "This is the most stunning book on prayer that I have ever read. It will become the benchmark for every other work on the subject, present or future." -- Phyllis Tickle