Epistolários e preserva o da memória : a correspondência de Jo o Penha

Due to their hybrid nature, moving back and forth between life and literature, the letters exchangedby writers constitute valuable documents, not only preserving the biographic memory of their author, but alsoproviding raw material for textual scholars, as already stated by Gérard Genette. The legacy of Jo o Penha(*1839 1919) may be considered a good example, since the studies on this poet have greatly benefited fromthe use of his correspondence. The letters exchanged by Penha represent not only explicit testimonies of hisideas as a man and as an artist, but are also indirect sources on his work, contextualizing the paths of literarycreation and thus enriching critical edition.