Lord Byron
Famous as Poet
Born on 22 January 1788
Born in London
Died on 19 April 1824
Nationality United Kingdom
Works & Achievements She Walks in Beauty and When We Two Parted
Lord Byron was a legendary English poet who ushered into the English romanticism with his creations and launched the Romantic era in the English literature. Some of his best known works in this genre are She Walks in Beauty, When We Two Parted and So, We?ll go no more a roving. The great bard, who is revered as one of the greatest European poets, lived a controversial and extravagant life, and drew criticism for his numerous love affairs, debts and abusive marriages.
Born on 22 January 1788 on Hollis Streets in London, Byron was the son of Captain John “Mad Jack” Byron and his second wife Catherine Gordon. Lord Byron was baptized at St. Marylebone Parish Church and acquired the name George Gordon Byron after his maternal grandfather. Byron’s father, however, proved to be an irresponsible father and husband and acquired a debt that had to be paid by Catherine by selling all her property; though it did not prevented him from deserting her.
After a legal separation from her husband, Catherine took young Byron to Scotland and shortly afterwards, Aberdeen, where he was raised in a poor surrounding. Things became better in 1798, when the young Byron inherited the title and estate of his great uncle, who passed away that year. In the next year in 1799, Byron was sent to the school of William Glennie and later to the Aberdeen Grammar School, where he received his early education. Upon completing his primary education there, Byron enrolled at the Trinity College, Cambridge University to pursue higher education.
Poetic Career
Byron wrote his first poem, Fugitive Pieces at a very young age of 14. The volume which was printed by Ridge of Newark contained such amorous poetries as “To Mary” and thus had to be destroyed soon after publishing. His early writings include Hours of Idleness, a collection of his previous poems, which was published in 1807 received bad reviews and criticism and thus pushed him to write his first satire, English Bards and Scotch Reviews in 1809. The book, which offended many criticizers, made him a target of frequent attacks from the literary world of England. However, his first poetic success came with the fist two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage which were published in 1812 and received great compliments and the success was repeated with the other two cantos of the poem he wrote later. In 1833, 17 volumes of his complete works were published by his publisher John Murray.
Personal Life & Love Affairs
Byron’s fame lies in not only his writings but also his scandalous love affairs, alleged incest and his bisexuality. He first felt passion about Mary Chaworth, a girl that remained in his heart till his death, when he was just 10. His other love experiences include that with his distant cousins Mary Duff and Margaret Parker. Aside from these, Bryon’s growing intimacy with his half sister Augusta Leigh was often interpreted as incestuous.
Byron was also condemned for his bisexual love affairs among which the most enduring was with John FitzGibbon and John Edleston, for whom he described his love as pure yet, passionate. In his later life, He would have to leave England never to return on account of his bisexuality, which was a crime and scandalous act by the social standard and law at that time.
Creating a series of scandalous and outrageous love affairs, he became involve with a married Lady Caroline Lamb. However, he broke off with her after some time; an emotionally drenched Caroline could not get him out of her mind and. He eventually married Caroline’s cousin Anne Isabella Milbanke on 2 January 1815, as revenge to Caroline’s constant pursuing and begging for love. The marriage proved to be disastrous with abusive and torturous behavior oh his part and they finally separated in 1816. They had a daughter Augusta Ada. Bryon had an illegitimate daughter Allegra, with a woman Claire Clairmont, who would die at the age of five.
Later Life
Byron was honored with a seat in the House of Lords in 1811. By this time, he had grown tired of concealing his sexual curiosity and fearing the restrictions of the British society, he left England in 1816. He visited Venice the same year where he indulged himself into the vigorous study of history and language and wrote English grammar and Armenian in 1817. He further wrote a book Armenian grammar and the English in 1819.
During the year 1821 to 1822, Byron wrote cantos of Don Juan and co founded a newspaper The Liberal that survived for a very short period. During his last years, he became immensely concerned with the Greek’s fight against Ottoman overlords and decided to aid the nation. On 16 July, Bryon left Genoa and sailed to the Ionian Islands, where he spent huge money to refurbishment of the Greek fleet.
Death
Before he could join the military actions in Greece, he contracted a fever and fell ill on 15 February 1824. The remedy of bleeding worsened his condition and as suspected, he became infected with sepsis and succumbed to death on 19 April 1924. The Greek mourned profoundly on the death of their hero and according to the sources, retained some of his body parts as his last token. His body lays at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottingham.
Timeline:
• 1788- Lord Byron was born on 22 January 1788.
• 1798- Byron inherited the title and estate of his great uncle and moved to England.
• 1799- Byron was sent to the school of William Glennie.
• 1807- HisbookHours of Idleness was published in 1807.
• 1809- He wrote his first satire, English Bards and Scotch Reviews in 1809.
• 1811- Byron was honored with a seat in the House of Lords in 1811.
• 1812- The fist two cantos of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage were published in 1812.
• 1815- He married Caroline’s cousin Anne Isabella Milbanke on 2 January 1815.
• 1816- They finally separated in 1816.
• 1816- He left England and visited Venice in 1816.
• 1817- Hewrote English grammar and Armenian in 1817.
• 1819- He further wrote a book Armenian grammar and the English in 1819.
• 1833- 17 volumes of his complete works were published by his publisher John Murray.
• 1824- Lord Byron died on 19 April 1824.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Famous as Novelist and Poet
Born on 28 August 1828
Born in Russia
Died on 20 Novomber 1910
Nationality Russian Federation
Works & Achievements War and Peace and Anna Karenina
Leo Tolstoy was a Russia born writer and poet and is regarded as the world's greatest poet and novelist. The one of the legacies of the poet is the culmination of the Realist Fiction that he achieved with the publication of his two masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina. In his later life, Leo explored many talents and emerged as an essayist, education reformer and an excellent dramatist and gained reverence as the most influential member of the noble Tolstoy family. His ideas on non-violence made him a devoted Christian anarchist and pacifist and he renounced the authority of Orthodox Church in 1901. Though he never called himself an anarchist, his later teachings can be classified as Christian anarchism. His much acclaimed book The Kingdom of God is Within You which came in 1893, is a mirror of his religious and ethical teachings.
Childhood & Early Life
Leo Tolstoy was born on 28 August 1828 at Yasnaya Polyana in Central Russia in a noble Russian family. He was the fourth child of Maria Volkonsky and Nicolay Ilvich Tolstoy. His mother died when he was two. Tolstoy further lost his father at the age of nine and went on to stay with his aunt Madame Ergolsky. In 1844, he enrolled into Kazan University to study Turco-Arabic literature, but dropped out in the middle of a term in 1847. According to his auto biography, he was frustrated and committed every crime of drinking, gambling and visiting brothels in his pursuit for pleasure. Addicted to gambling, he had to sell out most of his father’s inheritance.
He returned to his birth place at Yasnaya Polyana in a hope to educate and help the peasants working in his estates. It did not amuse him for long and in 1851; he accompanied his elder brother Nikolay to Chechnya to join the military service where he joined an artillery unit battalion in Chechnya as a volunteer of private rank. While serving in the army, Tolstoy began writing short stories and had faced several rejections before his first novel Childhood was published in 1852. The book proved to be an immediate success and catapulted him in the front row of Russian writers. Encouraged by the success of Childhood, which was a reflection of his own childhood, he continued with Boyhood and Youth. He further wrote the battlefield observation based on his experience in the army.
Evolution as a Writer
With his growing success as a writer, Tolstoy became a renowned name in the literary world. He left army in 1855 and between the years 1856-1861, he traveled to many foreign countries. In 1857, he again traveled to European countries and wrote his experience there in his book Lucerne and Three Deaths and Kholstomer. During this period he emerged as an education reformer and in 1859, Tolstoy established a school for peasants’ children at Yasnaya. He also wrote several stories for them and took a keen interest in teaching these unprivileged people.
However, a turning point came in his life when his elder brother died on 20 September 1860, which shattered him. Tolstoy described the incident as devastating and his first encounter with the preordained reality of death. Deeply profound by his brother’s death, Tolstoy began to lose his mental stability and often confessed his remorse in his personal diary. This state continued for at least one year till 1861. After getting over his shock and grieves, Tolstoy accepted the honorary post of Justice of the Peace in 1861.
Marriage & Family Life
At the age of thirty four, Tolstoy fell in love and married Sofia Andreyevna Behrs on 24 September 1862. During their courtship, Tolstoy gave his personal diaries to Sofia as he wanted her to learn of his faults before they married. Though she consented to the marriage, she could not get over the shocking content of the diaries for the rest of her life.
However in other matter, Sofia proved a good wife and a great help to his literary work. She assisted him with business correspondence, writing drafts and organizing his rough notes. His marriage gave him a moral stability and for the next fifteen years he remained in what he called, ‘a natural state’. The couple had 12 children, five of whom died in their childhood.
Major Writing Works
Tolstoy began to write his masterpiece War and Peace in 1862 and six volumes of the book were published between the year 1863 and 1869. His started his next classic Anna Karenina in 1873, which was a reflection of his own married life, and was first published in the Russian Herald in 1876. Throughout his life, Tolstoy felt an insatiable thirst for a realistic and moral justification of life and it remained the centre of his literary works. During this period he experienced his deepest fear of self questioning and self criticizing as father and husband.
He harshly disparaged himself for his egoistical concerns and self interest. These thoughts left him in depths of despair and a state of moral crisis. Overwhelmed by the bouts of remorse and grief upon his previous life, he wrote his Confession in 1879. He further wrote a number of books, criticizing the Orthodox Church and government. Moving on to philosophical and spiritual topics, he authored books such as A Criticism of Dogmatic Theology (1880), A Short Exposition of the Gospels’ (1881), What I Believe (1882), and What Then Must We Do? (1886).
Conversion and Last Days of Tolstoy
In his later life, Tolstoy preached non-violence, vegetarianism and chastity. He himself gave up meat, alcohol and tobacco, and embraced the teaching of Jesus. His book The Kingdom of God is Within You which came in 1893, is a mirror of his religious and ethical teachings. Tolstoy renounced the authority of Orthodox Church in 1901, and though he never called himself an anarchist, his later teachings can be classified as Christian anarchism.
By this time, he had become increasingly interested in the subject of life and death and authored books such as How much land does a man need, War and Peace and Kholstomer, examining the complexity of relationship between life and death. After his excommunication in 1901, he became known as a Christian anarchist, and his teaching were somehow related to communism. As his reputation grew immensely, he began to attract followers from across the country and people began to preach Tolstoy’s religious doctrines known as ‘Tolstoyaism’.
Death
Tolstoy renounced his father’s inheritance and surrendered all his land assets to his wife, who refused to give up her possessions. While his own life had become extremely bitter and painful with his wife Sofia, the only member who did not show hostility towards his teachings, was his youngest daughter Alexandera. In a hope to start a new life away from his wife, Tolstoy left home with his daughter Alexandra on 28 October 1910 and headed for a convent where his sister lived. The journey was cut short as he fell ill on the way near a train station and eventually died on 20 November 1910. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in a simple coffin near Yasnaya Polyana.
Timeline:
1828- Leo Tolstoy was born on 28 August.
1844- He enrolled into Kazan University.
1847- He dropped out of the University.
1851- He went to Chechnya to join the military service.
1852- His first novel Childhood was published.
1855- He left army.
1859- Tolstoy established a school for peasants’ children at Yasnaya.
1860- His elder brother Nikolay died on 20 September.
1861- Tolstoy became Justice of the Peace.
1862- He married Sofia Andreyevna Behrs on 24 September.
1863- His masterpiece War and Peace was first published.
1876- Anna Karenina was first published in the Russian Herald.
1879- He wrote his confession.
1893- The Kingdom of God is Within You was published.
1901- Tolstoy renounced the authority of Orthodox Church.
1910- Tolstoy left home with his daughter Alexandra on 28 October.
1910- He died on 20 November.
Famous as Novelist and Poet
Born on 28 August 1828
Born in Russia
Died on 20 Novomber 1910
Nationality Russian Federation
Works & Achievements War and Peace and Anna Karenina
Leo Tolstoy was a Russia born writer and poet and is regarded as the world's greatest poet and novelist. The one of the legacies of the poet is the culmination of the Realist Fiction that he achieved with the publication of his two masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina. In his later life, Leo explored many talents and emerged as an essayist, education reformer and an excellent dramatist and gained reverence as the most influential member of the noble Tolstoy family. His ideas on non-violence made him a devoted Christian anarchist and pacifist and he renounced the authority of Orthodox Church in 1901. Though he never called himself an anarchist, his later teachings can be classified as Christian anarchism. His much acclaimed book The Kingdom of God is Within You which came in 1893, is a mirror of his religious and ethical teachings.
Childhood & Early Life
Leo Tolstoy was born on 28 August 1828 at Yasnaya Polyana in Central Russia in a noble Russian family. He was the fourth child of Maria Volkonsky and Nicolay Ilvich Tolstoy. His mother died when he was two. Tolstoy further lost his father at the age of nine and went on to stay with his aunt Madame Ergolsky. In 1844, he enrolled into Kazan University to study Turco-Arabic literature, but dropped out in the middle of a term in 1847. According to his auto biography, he was frustrated and committed every crime of drinking, gambling and visiting brothels in his pursuit for pleasure. Addicted to gambling, he had to sell out most of his father’s inheritance.
He returned to his birth place at Yasnaya Polyana in a hope to educate and help the peasants working in his estates. It did not amuse him for long and in 1851; he accompanied his elder brother Nikolay to Chechnya to join the military service where he joined an artillery unit battalion in Chechnya as a volunteer of private rank. While serving in the army, Tolstoy began writing short stories and had faced several rejections before his first novel Childhood was published in 1852. The book proved to be an immediate success and catapulted him in the front row of Russian writers. Encouraged by the success of Childhood, which was a reflection of his own childhood, he continued with Boyhood and Youth. He further wrote the battlefield observation based on his experience in the army.
Evolution as a Writer
With his growing success as a writer, Tolstoy became a renowned name in the literary world. He left army in 1855 and between the years 1856-1861, he traveled to many foreign countries. In 1857, he again traveled to European countries and wrote his experience there in his book Lucerne and Three Deaths and Kholstomer. During this period he emerged as an education reformer and in 1859, Tolstoy established a school for peasants’ children at Yasnaya. He also wrote several stories for them and took a keen interest in teaching these unprivileged people.
However, a turning point came in his life when his elder brother died on 20 September 1860, which shattered him. Tolstoy described the incident as devastating and his first encounter with the preordained reality of death. Deeply profound by his brother’s death, Tolstoy began to lose his mental stability and often confessed his remorse in his personal diary. This state continued for at least one year till 1861. After getting over his shock and grieves, Tolstoy accepted the honorary post of Justice of the Peace in 1861.
Marriage & Family Life
At the age of thirty four, Tolstoy fell in love and married Sofia Andreyevna Behrs on 24 September 1862. During their courtship, Tolstoy gave his personal diaries to Sofia as he wanted her to learn of his faults before they married. Though she consented to the marriage, she could not get over the shocking content of the diaries for the rest of her life.
However in other matter, Sofia proved a good wife and a great help to his literary work. She assisted him with business correspondence, writing drafts and organizing his rough notes. His marriage gave him a moral stability and for the next fifteen years he remained in what he called, ‘a natural state’. The couple had 12 children, five of whom died in their childhood.
Major Writing Works
Tolstoy began to write his masterpiece War and Peace in 1862 and six volumes of the book were published between the year 1863 and 1869. His started his next classic Anna Karenina in 1873, which was a reflection of his own married life, and was first published in the Russian Herald in 1876. Throughout his life, Tolstoy felt an insatiable thirst for a realistic and moral justification of life and it remained the centre of his literary works. During this period he experienced his deepest fear of self questioning and self criticizing as father and husband.
He harshly disparaged himself for his egoistical concerns and self interest. These thoughts left him in depths of despair and a state of moral crisis. Overwhelmed by the bouts of remorse and grief upon his previous life, he wrote his Confession in 1879. He further wrote a number of books, criticizing the Orthodox Church and government. Moving on to philosophical and spiritual topics, he authored books such as A Criticism of Dogmatic Theology (1880), A Short Exposition of the Gospels’ (1881), What I Believe (1882), and What Then Must We Do? (1886).
Conversion and Last Days of Tolstoy
In his later life, Tolstoy preached non-violence, vegetarianism and chastity. He himself gave up meat, alcohol and tobacco, and embraced the teaching of Jesus. His book The Kingdom of God is Within You which came in 1893, is a mirror of his religious and ethical teachings. Tolstoy renounced the authority of Orthodox Church in 1901, and though he never called himself an anarchist, his later teachings can be classified as Christian anarchism.
By this time, he had become increasingly interested in the subject of life and death and authored books such as How much land does a man need, War and Peace and Kholstomer, examining the complexity of relationship between life and death. After his excommunication in 1901, he became known as a Christian anarchist, and his teaching were somehow related to communism. As his reputation grew immensely, he began to attract followers from across the country and people began to preach Tolstoy’s religious doctrines known as ‘Tolstoyaism’.
Death
Tolstoy renounced his father’s inheritance and surrendered all his land assets to his wife, who refused to give up her possessions. While his own life had become extremely bitter and painful with his wife Sofia, the only member who did not show hostility towards his teachings, was his youngest daughter Alexandera. In a hope to start a new life away from his wife, Tolstoy left home with his daughter Alexandra on 28 October 1910 and headed for a convent where his sister lived. The journey was cut short as he fell ill on the way near a train station and eventually died on 20 November 1910. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in a simple coffin near Yasnaya Polyana.
Timeline:
1828- Leo Tolstoy was born on 28 August.
1844- He enrolled into Kazan University.
1847- He dropped out of the University.
1851- He went to Chechnya to join the military service.
1852- His first novel Childhood was published.
1855- He left army.
1859- Tolstoy established a school for peasants’ children at Yasnaya.
1860- His elder brother Nikolay died on 20 September.
1861- Tolstoy became Justice of the Peace.
1862- He married Sofia Andreyevna Behrs on 24 September.
1863- His masterpiece War and Peace was first published.
1876- Anna Karenina was first published in the Russian Herald.
1879- He wrote his confession.
1893- The Kingdom of God is Within You was published.
1901- Tolstoy renounced the authority of Orthodox Church.
1910- Tolstoy left home with his daughter Alexandra on 28 October.
1910- He died on 20 November.
Kingsley Amis
Kingsley Amis
Famous as Poet, novelist and lecturer
Born on 16 April 1922
Born in Clap ham, South London
Died on 22 October 1995
Nationality United Kingdom
Works & Achievements Lucky Jim
Sir Kingsley Williams Amis was an English novelist, poet and teacher and his literary work is includes short stories, poetry, books of criticism, food and drinking writing, radio and television scripts and a number of novels in the genre of science and fictions, and mysteries. His poetry collections are known for his straightforward style and are often classified as anti-romanticism. Kingsley?s most notable works include his first novel Lucky Jim, which became an exemplary novel of 1950?s in Britain.
Childhood & Education
Kingsley Amis was born on 16 April 1922 in Clap ham, a place in south London. His father, William Robert Amis was a mustard manufacturer’s clerk. Kingsley received his primary education from the City of London School and enrolled into St. John’s College, Oxford in year 1941. After less than a year in 1942, he was admitted into army service, where he served in the Royal Corps of Signals during the Second World War. With the ending of the war in 1945, he returned to Oxford and resumed his studies and got a distinction in English. In 1946, Kingsley joined the Communist Party of Great Britain.
Early Life
Kingsley was appointed as lecturer at the University of Wales Swansea in 1948, where he worked till the year 1961. It was then that he wrote his first novel Lucky Jim, which became the most praiseworthy novel of 1950’s Britain. He was a visiting fellow researcher in creative writing at Princeton University in the United States and a visiting lecturer in other northeastern universities as well. After serving for thirteen long years at the University of Wales Swansea, he became a fellow of Peterhouse at Cambridge in 1961; though he regretted the decision very soon and resigned in 1963.
Marriages & Personal Life
Kingsley had two marriages and was divorced twice. He married his first wife Hilary Bardwell in 1948 but the two divorced soon after his love affair with Elizabeth Jane Howard was discovered by Hilary in 1963. However, the marriage broke partly because of the earlier adultery activities on the part of Kingsley, which he had admitted to many times. Kingsley fathered three children from Hilary, among which was Martin Amis, who would follow his father in his great career as a writer. After divorcing Hilary in 1965, Kingsley married Jen the same year. Again the marriage proved to be unsuccessful and they divorced in 1983. Kingsley did not remarry after it and in his last years stayed in the same house where his first wife Hilary lived with her third husband.
Notable Works
Kingsley’s literary works is known for its wide variety and reach to every genre- novels, scripts, short stories, science and mystery. In his early career, he gained recognition as a comedy novelist though the multiplicity of his work removed this tag later and he became known as the master of every genre. Originally inclined to be a poet, Kingsley wrote poetries which draw heavily for their simple and accessible approach.
As a novelist, his first novel Lucky Jim may well be termed as his most famous work in which was apparently a part of the Angry Young Men movement in Britain. He wrote novels that were a reflection of his own life and thoughts. Among his other popular works was That Uncertain Feeling, which came in 1955, and I like It Here, published in 1958’. ‘Take a girl like you’ which was published in 1960, was his second best novel after Lucky Jim and gained him a huge popularity as an author.
After 1960, Kingsley embarked on writing about science and mystery fictions as well as the comedy ones. He later shifted from mystery to horror genre and wrote a successful book The Green Man in 1969. Before that he had written The Anti-Death Leagues, which was based upon imaginary incidents and characters. An atheist, Kingsley wrote poems and stories which showed his scornfulness towards God and religious beliefs. Meanwhile, he produced several essays and social criticism mainly for journalistic publication.
In the late 1960s, Amis became writing James Bond novels. In 1965, he wrote the James Bond Dossier and for the first time it was attributed to him, before that, he had been writing it under a pseudonym or a false name. In the same year, he wrote The Book of Bond, which was also known as Every Man His Own 007. Towards the end of his career, he turned as an Anthologist and wrote a number of poems and essays.
Political & Religious Views
Kingsley was a communist all along his youth and a member of the Communist Party of Britain but estranged himself communism in 1956, when the USSR invaded Hungry. From that time on he became an anti-communist and a conservative. Kingsley’s religious views can be summed up in his one statement, in which he publicly declared that he is a non believer of God and rather hates him. Widely disparage for his addiction to drinking wine and boozing, Kingsley made many attempts to justify it as an influence of the characters in his novels. However, he separated drinking from writing and followed a disciplined routine of writing in his personal life. Kingsley received the honorary title ‘Knight’ in 1990.
Death
Kingsley Amis suffered from a mild stroke in 1995 which worsened his already ill health. After suffering for few months, he eventually died on 22 October 1995 at a hospital in London.
Timeline:
1922- Kingsley Amis was born on 16 April 1922.
1941- He enrolled into St. John’s College, Oxford in year 1941.
1942- He was admitted into army service.
1945- Kingsley returned to Oxford to complete his degree.
1946- Kingsley joined the Communist Party of Great Britain.
1948- Kingsley was appointed as lecturer at the University of Wales Swansea.
1961- He became a fellow of Peterhouse at Cambridge in 1961.
1963- He resigned from the position.
1948- He married his first wife Hilary Bardwell in 1948.
1955- His book ‘that Uncertain Feeling’ came in 1955.
1958- He wrote a book ‘I like It Here’, which was published in 1958’.
1965- He divorced Hilary Bardwell.
1965- Kingsley married Jane.
1965- He wrote the James Bond Dossier under his name.
1969- He wrote a successful book ‘The Green Man’ in 1969.
1983- He divorced his second wife Jane.
1995- Kingsley Amis died.
Famous as Poet, novelist and lecturer
Born on 16 April 1922
Born in Clap ham, South London
Died on 22 October 1995
Nationality United Kingdom
Works & Achievements Lucky Jim
Sir Kingsley Williams Amis was an English novelist, poet and teacher and his literary work is includes short stories, poetry, books of criticism, food and drinking writing, radio and television scripts and a number of novels in the genre of science and fictions, and mysteries. His poetry collections are known for his straightforward style and are often classified as anti-romanticism. Kingsley?s most notable works include his first novel Lucky Jim, which became an exemplary novel of 1950?s in Britain.
Childhood & Education
Kingsley Amis was born on 16 April 1922 in Clap ham, a place in south London. His father, William Robert Amis was a mustard manufacturer’s clerk. Kingsley received his primary education from the City of London School and enrolled into St. John’s College, Oxford in year 1941. After less than a year in 1942, he was admitted into army service, where he served in the Royal Corps of Signals during the Second World War. With the ending of the war in 1945, he returned to Oxford and resumed his studies and got a distinction in English. In 1946, Kingsley joined the Communist Party of Great Britain.
Early Life
Kingsley was appointed as lecturer at the University of Wales Swansea in 1948, where he worked till the year 1961. It was then that he wrote his first novel Lucky Jim, which became the most praiseworthy novel of 1950’s Britain. He was a visiting fellow researcher in creative writing at Princeton University in the United States and a visiting lecturer in other northeastern universities as well. After serving for thirteen long years at the University of Wales Swansea, he became a fellow of Peterhouse at Cambridge in 1961; though he regretted the decision very soon and resigned in 1963.
Marriages & Personal Life
Kingsley had two marriages and was divorced twice. He married his first wife Hilary Bardwell in 1948 but the two divorced soon after his love affair with Elizabeth Jane Howard was discovered by Hilary in 1963. However, the marriage broke partly because of the earlier adultery activities on the part of Kingsley, which he had admitted to many times. Kingsley fathered three children from Hilary, among which was Martin Amis, who would follow his father in his great career as a writer. After divorcing Hilary in 1965, Kingsley married Jen the same year. Again the marriage proved to be unsuccessful and they divorced in 1983. Kingsley did not remarry after it and in his last years stayed in the same house where his first wife Hilary lived with her third husband.
Notable Works
Kingsley’s literary works is known for its wide variety and reach to every genre- novels, scripts, short stories, science and mystery. In his early career, he gained recognition as a comedy novelist though the multiplicity of his work removed this tag later and he became known as the master of every genre. Originally inclined to be a poet, Kingsley wrote poetries which draw heavily for their simple and accessible approach.
As a novelist, his first novel Lucky Jim may well be termed as his most famous work in which was apparently a part of the Angry Young Men movement in Britain. He wrote novels that were a reflection of his own life and thoughts. Among his other popular works was That Uncertain Feeling, which came in 1955, and I like It Here, published in 1958’. ‘Take a girl like you’ which was published in 1960, was his second best novel after Lucky Jim and gained him a huge popularity as an author.
After 1960, Kingsley embarked on writing about science and mystery fictions as well as the comedy ones. He later shifted from mystery to horror genre and wrote a successful book The Green Man in 1969. Before that he had written The Anti-Death Leagues, which was based upon imaginary incidents and characters. An atheist, Kingsley wrote poems and stories which showed his scornfulness towards God and religious beliefs. Meanwhile, he produced several essays and social criticism mainly for journalistic publication.
In the late 1960s, Amis became writing James Bond novels. In 1965, he wrote the James Bond Dossier and for the first time it was attributed to him, before that, he had been writing it under a pseudonym or a false name. In the same year, he wrote The Book of Bond, which was also known as Every Man His Own 007. Towards the end of his career, he turned as an Anthologist and wrote a number of poems and essays.
Political & Religious Views
Kingsley was a communist all along his youth and a member of the Communist Party of Britain but estranged himself communism in 1956, when the USSR invaded Hungry. From that time on he became an anti-communist and a conservative. Kingsley’s religious views can be summed up in his one statement, in which he publicly declared that he is a non believer of God and rather hates him. Widely disparage for his addiction to drinking wine and boozing, Kingsley made many attempts to justify it as an influence of the characters in his novels. However, he separated drinking from writing and followed a disciplined routine of writing in his personal life. Kingsley received the honorary title ‘Knight’ in 1990.
Death
Kingsley Amis suffered from a mild stroke in 1995 which worsened his already ill health. After suffering for few months, he eventually died on 22 October 1995 at a hospital in London.
Timeline:
1922- Kingsley Amis was born on 16 April 1922.
1941- He enrolled into St. John’s College, Oxford in year 1941.
1942- He was admitted into army service.
1945- Kingsley returned to Oxford to complete his degree.
1946- Kingsley joined the Communist Party of Great Britain.
1948- Kingsley was appointed as lecturer at the University of Wales Swansea.
1961- He became a fellow of Peterhouse at Cambridge in 1961.
1963- He resigned from the position.
1948- He married his first wife Hilary Bardwell in 1948.
1955- His book ‘that Uncertain Feeling’ came in 1955.
1958- He wrote a book ‘I like It Here’, which was published in 1958’.
1965- He divorced Hilary Bardwell.
1965- Kingsley married Jane.
1965- He wrote the James Bond Dossier under his name.
1969- He wrote a successful book ‘The Green Man’ in 1969.
1983- He divorced his second wife Jane.
1995- Kingsley Amis died.
Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran
Famous as Poet, Artist and Novelist
Born on 06 January 1883
Born in Lebanon
Died on 10 April 1931
Nationality Lebanon
Works & Achievements The Prophet
Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese American artist, writer, philosopher and the third most popular poet in history after Shakespeare and Laozi. Born in an underprivileged and deprived family, Khalil rose to the level of world renowned author and artist despite the adverse circumstances he often landed into. As an artist, he has also created some of the most fascinating drawing during his lifetime. His best selling book The Prophet, a collection of 26 splendid poems, has been translated into over 20 foreign languages.
Childhood
Gibran was born on 6 January 1883 in a Christian Town of modern day Lebanon. His mother Kamila, who was from a Christian family had married twice before marrying his father whose name was also Khalil and had a son Peter from her previous marriage. Later, the young Khalil’s two siblings, both girls, Mariana and Sultana were born. His father Khalil, however, proved to be an irresponsible father and husband and became so indebted from gambling that the family lost almost all its property.
Due to family’s abject poverty, young Gibran was deprived of the formal schooling though he was often visited by priests who taught him about Bible and other languages. The conditions worsened when his father, who was a tax collector, was arrested for alleged fraud. When was released by the authorities in 1994, the family had lost its last asset; their home. It was then, that his mother Kamila decided to move to the United States along with her children to make a life far from her husband. The family left for New York on 25 June 1895.
Education & Early Life
In the United States, Gibran’s family stayed in Boston’s South End, which was the second largest Lebanese-American community at that time. His mother began to work as a peddler selling things door to door and the family suffered from many other hardships there until Peter was grown enough to take up the major responsibilities of the family. Meanwhile, Khalil was sent to a school especially for immigrants in 1895 and later to an art school in the same year where he caught his teacher’s eye with his promising drawings.
In 1898, Gibran returned to Lebanon where he studied at a preparatory school and later enrolled into a higher studies institute in Beirut. In 1902, his younger sister Sultana died of tuberculosis before he could return to them in the United States. His brother Peter died of the same disease the following year. Already shattered by the death of his siblings, Khalil lost his mother in the same year who died of cancer. It was his younger sister Mariana, who consoled and supported him during this toughest time of his life.
Khalil as an Artist & Poet
Khalil devoted himself to his childhood passion for drawings and organized his first exhibition in 1904, where he met Mary Elizabeth Haskell who was a headmistress and ten years senior to him. The relationship between them which started with a casual friendship became more intimate as time passed and had a great influence in Khalil’s later life. In 1908, Gibran enrolled into an Art college in Paris and studied there for two years before going to Boston. As a native of Lebanon, Khalil’s wrote extensively in Arabic and other Syrian languages, before he acquired a proficiency in the English language and most of his works published after 1918, were in English. His first book was The Madman, which was published in 1918. While in New York, he became associated with the New York Pen League, an organization formed by Lebanese-American immigrant poets.
Notable Works & Political Views
Gibran’s early works were largely influenced with Christianity and he wrote several books based upon Christian beliefs and sometimes contradicting it. One of such work was Jesus, The Son of Man. His best selling book, The Prophet, which is a masterpiece of 26 poetic essays, became a landslide success and remains so till this day. The book was first published in 1923, and since then it has been translated into over 20 languages. It was ranked as the most popular book of the 20th century in America. His other notable work was poetry, Sand and Foam that became famous for its quotes.
A Syrian nationalist, Gibran wrote a political draft in 1911, where he showed his unwavering allegiance and commitment to his country and its territory integrity. Despite being a great supporter of internationalism, he believed in a Syrian nationalism, which was distinguished from Lebanese or Arab nationalism. Furthermore, he also demanded for the adoption of Arabic as a national language of Syria.
Death
Khalil Gibran died on 10 April 1931 in New York. His death came as a result of advanced tuberculosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Keeping with his wishes, he was buried in Lebanon in 1932, in a monastery purchased by Mary Haskell and his sister Mariana. After his death letters between Haskell and Gibran and his large art collections were donated to the museums in Lebanon and Carolina. Some of the letters were published in a book Beloved Prophet in 1972.
Timeline:
1883- Gibran was born on 6 January 1883.
1894- His father was arrested and released.
1895- His family left for New York on 25 June 1895.
1895- Khalil was sent to a school especially for immigrants in 1895.
1898- Gibran returned to Lebanon for studies.
1902- His younger sister Sultana died of tuberculosis.
1903- His brother Peter died of the same disease.
1903- Khalil’s mother Kamila died of cancer.
1904- Khalil organized his first exhibition in 1904.
1908- Gibran enrolled into an Art college in Paris.
1911- Gibran wrote a political draft in 1911.
1918- His first book ‘The Madman’ was published in 1918.
1923- His best selling book The Prophet was first published in 1923.
1931- Khalil Gibran died on 10 April 1931.
Famous as Poet, Artist and Novelist
Born on 06 January 1883
Born in Lebanon
Died on 10 April 1931
Nationality Lebanon
Works & Achievements The Prophet
Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese American artist, writer, philosopher and the third most popular poet in history after Shakespeare and Laozi. Born in an underprivileged and deprived family, Khalil rose to the level of world renowned author and artist despite the adverse circumstances he often landed into. As an artist, he has also created some of the most fascinating drawing during his lifetime. His best selling book The Prophet, a collection of 26 splendid poems, has been translated into over 20 foreign languages.
Childhood
Gibran was born on 6 January 1883 in a Christian Town of modern day Lebanon. His mother Kamila, who was from a Christian family had married twice before marrying his father whose name was also Khalil and had a son Peter from her previous marriage. Later, the young Khalil’s two siblings, both girls, Mariana and Sultana were born. His father Khalil, however, proved to be an irresponsible father and husband and became so indebted from gambling that the family lost almost all its property.
Due to family’s abject poverty, young Gibran was deprived of the formal schooling though he was often visited by priests who taught him about Bible and other languages. The conditions worsened when his father, who was a tax collector, was arrested for alleged fraud. When was released by the authorities in 1994, the family had lost its last asset; their home. It was then, that his mother Kamila decided to move to the United States along with her children to make a life far from her husband. The family left for New York on 25 June 1895.
Education & Early Life
In the United States, Gibran’s family stayed in Boston’s South End, which was the second largest Lebanese-American community at that time. His mother began to work as a peddler selling things door to door and the family suffered from many other hardships there until Peter was grown enough to take up the major responsibilities of the family. Meanwhile, Khalil was sent to a school especially for immigrants in 1895 and later to an art school in the same year where he caught his teacher’s eye with his promising drawings.
In 1898, Gibran returned to Lebanon where he studied at a preparatory school and later enrolled into a higher studies institute in Beirut. In 1902, his younger sister Sultana died of tuberculosis before he could return to them in the United States. His brother Peter died of the same disease the following year. Already shattered by the death of his siblings, Khalil lost his mother in the same year who died of cancer. It was his younger sister Mariana, who consoled and supported him during this toughest time of his life.
Khalil as an Artist & Poet
Khalil devoted himself to his childhood passion for drawings and organized his first exhibition in 1904, where he met Mary Elizabeth Haskell who was a headmistress and ten years senior to him. The relationship between them which started with a casual friendship became more intimate as time passed and had a great influence in Khalil’s later life. In 1908, Gibran enrolled into an Art college in Paris and studied there for two years before going to Boston. As a native of Lebanon, Khalil’s wrote extensively in Arabic and other Syrian languages, before he acquired a proficiency in the English language and most of his works published after 1918, were in English. His first book was The Madman, which was published in 1918. While in New York, he became associated with the New York Pen League, an organization formed by Lebanese-American immigrant poets.
Notable Works & Political Views
Gibran’s early works were largely influenced with Christianity and he wrote several books based upon Christian beliefs and sometimes contradicting it. One of such work was Jesus, The Son of Man. His best selling book, The Prophet, which is a masterpiece of 26 poetic essays, became a landslide success and remains so till this day. The book was first published in 1923, and since then it has been translated into over 20 languages. It was ranked as the most popular book of the 20th century in America. His other notable work was poetry, Sand and Foam that became famous for its quotes.
A Syrian nationalist, Gibran wrote a political draft in 1911, where he showed his unwavering allegiance and commitment to his country and its territory integrity. Despite being a great supporter of internationalism, he believed in a Syrian nationalism, which was distinguished from Lebanese or Arab nationalism. Furthermore, he also demanded for the adoption of Arabic as a national language of Syria.
Death
Khalil Gibran died on 10 April 1931 in New York. His death came as a result of advanced tuberculosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Keeping with his wishes, he was buried in Lebanon in 1932, in a monastery purchased by Mary Haskell and his sister Mariana. After his death letters between Haskell and Gibran and his large art collections were donated to the museums in Lebanon and Carolina. Some of the letters were published in a book Beloved Prophet in 1972.
Timeline:
1883- Gibran was born on 6 January 1883.
1894- His father was arrested and released.
1895- His family left for New York on 25 June 1895.
1895- Khalil was sent to a school especially for immigrants in 1895.
1898- Gibran returned to Lebanon for studies.
1902- His younger sister Sultana died of tuberculosis.
1903- His brother Peter died of the same disease.
1903- Khalil’s mother Kamila died of cancer.
1904- Khalil organized his first exhibition in 1904.
1908- Gibran enrolled into an Art college in Paris.
1911- Gibran wrote a political draft in 1911.
1918- His first book ‘The Madman’ was published in 1918.
1923- His best selling book The Prophet was first published in 1923.
1931- Khalil Gibran died on 10 April 1931.
Judith Wright
Judith Wright
Famous as Australian Poet, Environmentalist, Campaigner for Aboriginal Land Rights
Born on 31 May 1915
Born in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Died on 26 June 2000
Nationality Australia
Works & Achievements Judith Wright was a founding member and President of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. She fought to conserve the Great Barrier Reef. She was also an ardent supporter for the Aboriginal land rights movement. Her works include, 'The Moving Image', 'Because I was Invited' and 'Half a Lifetime', amongst others.
Judith Wright, born in the early 20th century, was a well-known Australian poet, short-story writer and conversationalist. She was also a highly acclaimed critic of Australian poetry. Apart from this, Wright was an uncompromising campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She had received honorary degrees from several universities and was also appointed as one of the members of Australia Council (in 1973-74).
Wright had written numerous poems, literary criticism and letters in her life and strongly believed the fact that a poet should be concerned with national and social problems. Her works have been awarded a number of times and translated into other languages also, like Italian, Japanese and Russian. Wright was also a highly successful literary critic and had edited several collections of Australian verse in her career.
Childhood
Judith Wright was born on the 31st May 1915, in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. However, Wright spent most of her formative years in Brisbane and Sydney. She was the first child of Phillip Wright and his first wife, Ethel. When she was still in the tender years of her life, Wright went through frequent ill-health of her mother. This was when she started writing poetry, mainly to please her mother and bring her merriment.
Wright was brought up in her family's sheep station, until the death of her mother, in 1927. Thereafter, she was put under the guidance of her grandmother, who also took care of her education. In the year 1929, at the age of 14, Judith Wright enrolled in New England Girls' School. Her love for poetry enhanced in the school, as it gave her immense comfort and solace. This was when she decided to become a poet.
Early Life
In 1934, Judith Wright gained admission in Sydney University, where she studied philosophy, history, psychology and English, without taking a degree. At the beginning of World War II, the shortage of manpower brought Wright back to her father's station. This served as the turning point in her life, as she developed immense attachment to the land and its people. This love for people and land was visible in her works as well.
Wright, in her 20s, started becoming increasingly deaf. In 1937-38, she traveled to Britain and Europe. Until 1944, she worked as a secretary-stenographer and clerk. From the year 1944 to 1948, she worked at the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, as the university statistician. In 1946, she made her debut in poetry, with her first book 'The Moving Image' being published. During this time, she also worked with Clem Christensen, editor of the literary journal 'Meanjin'.
Meeting J.P. McKinney
Judith Wright met J.P. McKinney when she was 30 years old. Though the latter, an unorthodox philosopher, was 23 years her senior, she was attracted to him. Wright moved to Mount Tamborine (Queensland), along with J.P. McKinney, in 1950. In the same year, the duo was blessed with a daughter, whom they named Meredith. Judith & McKinney got married in 1962. In 1966, McKinney departed for the heavenly abode and Wright moved to the NSW town of Braidwood.
Career
Judith Wright's meeting with J.P. McKinney, and moving to Queensland, proved beneficial to her career. She wrote most of her works in the mountains of southern Queensland only. Her next move, to Braidwood, was with respect to her protest against the political policies of Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the Premier of Queensland. It was here that Wright composed her nature-based poetry. Apart from being a poetess, Wright produced hack work; school plays for Australian Broadcasting Comission and children's books, to earn her livelihood.
Wright also lectured, as a part timer, at various Australian universities. In 1975, all her addresses and speeches were collected in the literary criticism 'Because I was Invited'. Around this time, she was selected as a foundation fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and an emeritus professor of the Literature Board of the Arts Council of Australia. Some time later, she wrote her own memoir, 'Half a Lifetime', covering her life until 1960s, which was published in 2000.
Death
On26th June 2000, Wright died of a heart attack, in Canberra. At that time, she was 85 years old. Her ashes were scattered around the cemetery of Tamborine Mountain. Her possession of a strip of rainforest was donated to the state government, so it could be preserved as a national park.
Writing Style
Judith Wright's writing style was steeply inspired by the places in which she had stayed - New England, New South Wales, the subtropical rainforests of Tamborine Mountain, Queensland and the plains of the southern highlands (near Braidwood). For Wright, her mission was to connect the human experience with the natural world, through poetry and other works.
Beliefs
Land played an important and influential role for Judith Wright, all her life. This can widely be seen in her poetry, in which she takes effort to bridge the gap between nature and man. Wright condemned the educational system and blamed it for failing to teach the students the art and pleasure of poetry. On her part, she popularized poetry by promoting students to read and write poems in schools. However, she also expressed the uncertainty of poetry changing the scheme of things.
Being An Environmentalist
Judith Wright, together with David Fleay, Kathleen McArthur and Brian Clouston, was a founding member of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. She was also the President of the society, from 1964 to 1976. She fought to conserve the Great Barrier Reef, when its ecology was threatened by oil drilling, and campaigned against sand mining on Fraser Island. Wright, along with her friends, founded one of the earliest nature conservation movements. She was also an ardent supporter of the Aboriginal land rights movement. Shortly before her death, at 85 years of age, she attended a march in Canberra, for reconciliation between white Australians and the Aboriginal people.
Awards
1950 - Grace Leven Prize
1964 - Aurtralia-Britannica Award
1977 - Robert Frost Memorial Award
1984 - Australian World Prize
1992 - Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry
1994 - Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission Poetry Award, for Collected Poems
Her Works
Poetry
1946 - The Moving Image
1949 - Woman to Man
1953 - The Gateway
1955 - The Two Fires
1961- Australian Bird Poems
1962 - Birds: Poems
1963 - Five Senses: Selected Poems, Selected Poems
1964 - Tentacles: A tribute to those lovely things, City Sunrise
1966 - The Other Half
1973 - Alive: Poems 1971-72
1976 - Fourth Quarter and Other Poems
1978 - Train Journey, The Double Tree: Selected Poems 1942-76
1985 - Phantom Dwelling
1990 - A Human Pattern: Selected Poems
1993 - The Flame Tree
Literary Criticism
1955 - William Baylebridge & The Modern Problem (Canberra University College)
1963 - Charles Harpur
1965 - Preoccupations in Australian Poetry
1967 - Henry Lawson
1971- Collected Poems
1975 - Because I was Invited
1991 - Going on Talking
Other Works
1959 - The Generations of Men
1977 - The Coral Battleground
1981 - The Cry for the Dead
1985 - We Call for a Treaty
1991 - Born of the Conquerors: Selected Essays
2001 - Half a Lifetime (Text)
Letters
2004 - The Equal Heart and Mind: Letters between Judith Wright and Jack McKinney
2006 - With Love and Fury: Selected letters of Judith Wright
2007 - Portrait of a friendship: the letters of Barbara Blackman and Judith Wright
Timeline:
1915 - Judith Wright was born
1927 - Lost her mother
1929 - Enrolled in New England Girls' School
1934 - Gained admission in Sydney University
1937 & 1938 - Traveled to Britain and Europe
1944 - Stopped working as a secretary-stenographer and clerk
1944 to 1948 - Worked at University of Queensland, as university statistician
1945 - Met J.P. McKinney
1946 - Published her first book of poetry, 'The Moving Image'
1950 - Moved to Mount Tamborine, in Queensland, along with J.P. McKinney, Gave birth to a daughter - Meredith
1962 - Married J.P. McKinney
1964 to 1976 - Served as President of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
1966 - Lost J.P. McKinney
1975 - Published 'Because I was Invited'
1973-74 - Appointed as one of the members of Australia Council
1992 - Became the second Australian to receive Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry
2000 - Left for the heavenly abode
Famous as Australian Poet, Environmentalist, Campaigner for Aboriginal Land Rights
Born on 31 May 1915
Born in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Died on 26 June 2000
Nationality Australia
Works & Achievements Judith Wright was a founding member and President of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. She fought to conserve the Great Barrier Reef. She was also an ardent supporter for the Aboriginal land rights movement. Her works include, 'The Moving Image', 'Because I was Invited' and 'Half a Lifetime', amongst others.
Judith Wright, born in the early 20th century, was a well-known Australian poet, short-story writer and conversationalist. She was also a highly acclaimed critic of Australian poetry. Apart from this, Wright was an uncompromising campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She had received honorary degrees from several universities and was also appointed as one of the members of Australia Council (in 1973-74).
Wright had written numerous poems, literary criticism and letters in her life and strongly believed the fact that a poet should be concerned with national and social problems. Her works have been awarded a number of times and translated into other languages also, like Italian, Japanese and Russian. Wright was also a highly successful literary critic and had edited several collections of Australian verse in her career.
Childhood
Judith Wright was born on the 31st May 1915, in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. However, Wright spent most of her formative years in Brisbane and Sydney. She was the first child of Phillip Wright and his first wife, Ethel. When she was still in the tender years of her life, Wright went through frequent ill-health of her mother. This was when she started writing poetry, mainly to please her mother and bring her merriment.
Wright was brought up in her family's sheep station, until the death of her mother, in 1927. Thereafter, she was put under the guidance of her grandmother, who also took care of her education. In the year 1929, at the age of 14, Judith Wright enrolled in New England Girls' School. Her love for poetry enhanced in the school, as it gave her immense comfort and solace. This was when she decided to become a poet.
Early Life
In 1934, Judith Wright gained admission in Sydney University, where she studied philosophy, history, psychology and English, without taking a degree. At the beginning of World War II, the shortage of manpower brought Wright back to her father's station. This served as the turning point in her life, as she developed immense attachment to the land and its people. This love for people and land was visible in her works as well.
Wright, in her 20s, started becoming increasingly deaf. In 1937-38, she traveled to Britain and Europe. Until 1944, she worked as a secretary-stenographer and clerk. From the year 1944 to 1948, she worked at the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, as the university statistician. In 1946, she made her debut in poetry, with her first book 'The Moving Image' being published. During this time, she also worked with Clem Christensen, editor of the literary journal 'Meanjin'.
Meeting J.P. McKinney
Judith Wright met J.P. McKinney when she was 30 years old. Though the latter, an unorthodox philosopher, was 23 years her senior, she was attracted to him. Wright moved to Mount Tamborine (Queensland), along with J.P. McKinney, in 1950. In the same year, the duo was blessed with a daughter, whom they named Meredith. Judith & McKinney got married in 1962. In 1966, McKinney departed for the heavenly abode and Wright moved to the NSW town of Braidwood.
Career
Judith Wright's meeting with J.P. McKinney, and moving to Queensland, proved beneficial to her career. She wrote most of her works in the mountains of southern Queensland only. Her next move, to Braidwood, was with respect to her protest against the political policies of Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the Premier of Queensland. It was here that Wright composed her nature-based poetry. Apart from being a poetess, Wright produced hack work; school plays for Australian Broadcasting Comission and children's books, to earn her livelihood.
Wright also lectured, as a part timer, at various Australian universities. In 1975, all her addresses and speeches were collected in the literary criticism 'Because I was Invited'. Around this time, she was selected as a foundation fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and an emeritus professor of the Literature Board of the Arts Council of Australia. Some time later, she wrote her own memoir, 'Half a Lifetime', covering her life until 1960s, which was published in 2000.
Death
On26th June 2000, Wright died of a heart attack, in Canberra. At that time, she was 85 years old. Her ashes were scattered around the cemetery of Tamborine Mountain. Her possession of a strip of rainforest was donated to the state government, so it could be preserved as a national park.
Writing Style
Judith Wright's writing style was steeply inspired by the places in which she had stayed - New England, New South Wales, the subtropical rainforests of Tamborine Mountain, Queensland and the plains of the southern highlands (near Braidwood). For Wright, her mission was to connect the human experience with the natural world, through poetry and other works.
Beliefs
Land played an important and influential role for Judith Wright, all her life. This can widely be seen in her poetry, in which she takes effort to bridge the gap between nature and man. Wright condemned the educational system and blamed it for failing to teach the students the art and pleasure of poetry. On her part, she popularized poetry by promoting students to read and write poems in schools. However, she also expressed the uncertainty of poetry changing the scheme of things.
Being An Environmentalist
Judith Wright, together with David Fleay, Kathleen McArthur and Brian Clouston, was a founding member of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. She was also the President of the society, from 1964 to 1976. She fought to conserve the Great Barrier Reef, when its ecology was threatened by oil drilling, and campaigned against sand mining on Fraser Island. Wright, along with her friends, founded one of the earliest nature conservation movements. She was also an ardent supporter of the Aboriginal land rights movement. Shortly before her death, at 85 years of age, she attended a march in Canberra, for reconciliation between white Australians and the Aboriginal people.
Awards
1950 - Grace Leven Prize
1964 - Aurtralia-Britannica Award
1977 - Robert Frost Memorial Award
1984 - Australian World Prize
1992 - Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry
1994 - Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission Poetry Award, for Collected Poems
Her Works
Poetry
1946 - The Moving Image
1949 - Woman to Man
1953 - The Gateway
1955 - The Two Fires
1961- Australian Bird Poems
1962 - Birds: Poems
1963 - Five Senses: Selected Poems, Selected Poems
1964 - Tentacles: A tribute to those lovely things, City Sunrise
1966 - The Other Half
1973 - Alive: Poems 1971-72
1976 - Fourth Quarter and Other Poems
1978 - Train Journey, The Double Tree: Selected Poems 1942-76
1985 - Phantom Dwelling
1990 - A Human Pattern: Selected Poems
1993 - The Flame Tree
Literary Criticism
1955 - William Baylebridge & The Modern Problem (Canberra University College)
1963 - Charles Harpur
1965 - Preoccupations in Australian Poetry
1967 - Henry Lawson
1971- Collected Poems
1975 - Because I was Invited
1991 - Going on Talking
Other Works
1959 - The Generations of Men
1977 - The Coral Battleground
1981 - The Cry for the Dead
1985 - We Call for a Treaty
1991 - Born of the Conquerors: Selected Essays
2001 - Half a Lifetime (Text)
Letters
2004 - The Equal Heart and Mind: Letters between Judith Wright and Jack McKinney
2006 - With Love and Fury: Selected letters of Judith Wright
2007 - Portrait of a friendship: the letters of Barbara Blackman and Judith Wright
Timeline:
1915 - Judith Wright was born
1927 - Lost her mother
1929 - Enrolled in New England Girls' School
1934 - Gained admission in Sydney University
1937 & 1938 - Traveled to Britain and Europe
1944 - Stopped working as a secretary-stenographer and clerk
1944 to 1948 - Worked at University of Queensland, as university statistician
1945 - Met J.P. McKinney
1946 - Published her first book of poetry, 'The Moving Image'
1950 - Moved to Mount Tamborine, in Queensland, along with J.P. McKinney, Gave birth to a daughter - Meredith
1962 - Married J.P. McKinney
1964 to 1976 - Served as President of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
1966 - Lost J.P. McKinney
1975 - Published 'Because I was Invited'
1973-74 - Appointed as one of the members of Australia Council
1992 - Became the second Australian to receive Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry
2000 - Left for the heavenly abode
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Born on 30 Novomber 1667
Born in Dublin, Ireland
Died on 19 October 1745
Nationality Ireland
Works & Achievements Gulliver's Travels, A Modest proposal, A Tale of a Tub and Drapier's Letters
Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish poet, writer and cleric who gained reputation as a great political writer and an essayist. Jonathan, who became Dean of St. Patrick's in Dublin, is also known for his excellence in satire. His most remembered works include Gulliver's Travels, A modest Proposal, An Argument against Abolishing Christianity and A Tale of a Tub.
Childhood & Early Life
Jonathan Swift was born on 30 November 1667 in Dublin, Ireland to an Irish father Jonathan Swift and an English mother Abigail Erick. Jonathan, who was second child and the only son of his parents, was born seven months after his father's death. His mother left him with his father's family and returned to England. After loosing his parent's contact, Jonathan stayed with his uncle Godwin, who sent him to Kilkenny College for studies. After completing primary schooling, Jonathan went on to study at the Dublin University in 1682, and received a B.A. Degree in 1686. He had to drop his further studies after a political clash broke in Ireland. Jonathan was forced to leave the place and moved to England in 1688, where withy the help of his mother, he secured a job as secretary of an English diplomat Sir William Temple at Moor Park.
Swift left Temple in 1690 because of his persisting illness but returned in the next year. It was during this period, that he began to show signs of Meniere's disease, which remained until his death. Jonathan received his M.A. degree from the Oxford University in 1692 and left Moor Park and moved to Ireland where he was appointed as a priest in the Church of Ireland. He again returned to Temple in 1696 forever. Working as an assistant to Temple, he was given many responsibilities such as writing memoirs and correspondence for publication. Swift wrote The Battle of the Books in 1690, a satire, which was finally published in 1704. After Temple's death on 27 January 1699, Swift stayed in England for a brief period and returned to Ireland to become Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
Jonathan as a Writer
Swift was awarded Doctor of Divinity from Trinity College, Dublin in 1702. During this period he wrote A Tale of Tub and his previous work A Battle of Books was published. With the success of these two, he began to achieve excellence as a writer and came into contact with Alexander Pope, Johan Gay and John Arbuthnot. During year 1707-1709, Swift remained politically active and again in 1710, he traveled to London seeking the claims of Irish clergy to the First-Fruits and Twentieths.
As his urges to the Whig administration of Lord Godolphin went unheeded, he published a political pamphlet The Conduct of the Allies in 1711. The pamphlet harshly criticized the Whig government for its incapability to end the war with France. Tory government, an opposition party to the Whig government, recruited Swift as editor of The Examiner when it came in power in 1710. The party initiated a negotiation with France and signed the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. After the Whig government again returned to power in 1714, the Tory leaders were charged with treason and tried for illegal negotiation with France.
Controversies over Personal Life
Swift was widely believed to share an intimate and close relationship with a girl Esther Johnson. He first met her when she was eight years old. The two maintained a close but ambiguous relationship for the rest of his life. They were believed to have secretly married, though there is no definite proof corroborating this. But it was certain that she held a special place in his heart throughout his life. In his later life, Swift was linked to another fatherless girl, Esther Vanhomrigh, who presumably was infatuated with him, though Swift later tried to break off relationship with her.
Later Life and Death
With Whig government coming to power, Jonathan Swift left England for one more time. He returned to Ireland and began a series of political writing in Irish support. Some of his notable works during this period are Proposal for Universal Use of Irish Manufacturer (1720), Drapier’s Letters (1724) and A Modest Proposal (1729). Some of his masterpiece, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World and Gulliver’s Travels also came during that period. In 1726 he visited England where he stayed with his life long friends Alexander Pope, John Arbuthnot and John Gay. With the help of them, Swift anonymously published his book Gulliver’s Travels in 1726. The book was proved to be such a huge success that it’s French, German and Dutch version had to be published in 1727.
Esther Johnson’s death on 28 January 1728 shattered him and pushed him in to a state of mental illness. He wrote his book The Death of Mrs. Johnson as a tribute to Esther Johnson after her death. Moved by her death, Swift began to write extensively on death and in 1731, he wrote Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, which was published in 1739. Before that in 1738, he had begun to show signs of mental illness and gradually lost his ability to speak and walk. On 19 October 1745 Jonathan Swift died. In accordance to his wishes, he was buried near the grave of Esther Johnson and his assets were donated to found a hospital for the mentally ill.
Timeline:
1667- Jonathan Swift was born on 30 November 1667.
1682- Jonathan went on to study at the Dublin University in 1682.
1686- He received a B.A. Degree in 1686.
1688- Jonathan was forced to leave Ireland and moved to England in 1688.
1690- Swift wrote The Battle of the Books in 1690.
1692- Jonathan received his M.A. degree from the Oxford University in 1692.
1699- Temple died on 27 January 1699.
1702- Swift was awarded Doctor of Divinity from Trinity College, Dublin in 1702.
1704- The Battle of the Books was finally published in 1704.
1710- The Tory Part came in power in 1710.
1711- He published a political pamphlet “The Conduct of the Allies” in 1711.
1713- The Tory party initiated a negotiation with France and signed the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
1714- Whig government again returned to power in 1714.
1726- Swift anonymously published his book Gulliver’s Travels in 1726.
1728- Esther Johnson died on 28 January 1728.
1731- He wrote Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift.
1739- Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift was published.
1745- Jonathan Swift died on 19 October 1745 Jonathan
Born on 30 Novomber 1667
Born in Dublin, Ireland
Died on 19 October 1745
Nationality Ireland
Works & Achievements Gulliver's Travels, A Modest proposal, A Tale of a Tub and Drapier's Letters
Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish poet, writer and cleric who gained reputation as a great political writer and an essayist. Jonathan, who became Dean of St. Patrick's in Dublin, is also known for his excellence in satire. His most remembered works include Gulliver's Travels, A modest Proposal, An Argument against Abolishing Christianity and A Tale of a Tub.
Childhood & Early Life
Jonathan Swift was born on 30 November 1667 in Dublin, Ireland to an Irish father Jonathan Swift and an English mother Abigail Erick. Jonathan, who was second child and the only son of his parents, was born seven months after his father's death. His mother left him with his father's family and returned to England. After loosing his parent's contact, Jonathan stayed with his uncle Godwin, who sent him to Kilkenny College for studies. After completing primary schooling, Jonathan went on to study at the Dublin University in 1682, and received a B.A. Degree in 1686. He had to drop his further studies after a political clash broke in Ireland. Jonathan was forced to leave the place and moved to England in 1688, where withy the help of his mother, he secured a job as secretary of an English diplomat Sir William Temple at Moor Park.
Swift left Temple in 1690 because of his persisting illness but returned in the next year. It was during this period, that he began to show signs of Meniere's disease, which remained until his death. Jonathan received his M.A. degree from the Oxford University in 1692 and left Moor Park and moved to Ireland where he was appointed as a priest in the Church of Ireland. He again returned to Temple in 1696 forever. Working as an assistant to Temple, he was given many responsibilities such as writing memoirs and correspondence for publication. Swift wrote The Battle of the Books in 1690, a satire, which was finally published in 1704. After Temple's death on 27 January 1699, Swift stayed in England for a brief period and returned to Ireland to become Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
Jonathan as a Writer
Swift was awarded Doctor of Divinity from Trinity College, Dublin in 1702. During this period he wrote A Tale of Tub and his previous work A Battle of Books was published. With the success of these two, he began to achieve excellence as a writer and came into contact with Alexander Pope, Johan Gay and John Arbuthnot. During year 1707-1709, Swift remained politically active and again in 1710, he traveled to London seeking the claims of Irish clergy to the First-Fruits and Twentieths.
As his urges to the Whig administration of Lord Godolphin went unheeded, he published a political pamphlet The Conduct of the Allies in 1711. The pamphlet harshly criticized the Whig government for its incapability to end the war with France. Tory government, an opposition party to the Whig government, recruited Swift as editor of The Examiner when it came in power in 1710. The party initiated a negotiation with France and signed the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. After the Whig government again returned to power in 1714, the Tory leaders were charged with treason and tried for illegal negotiation with France.
Controversies over Personal Life
Swift was widely believed to share an intimate and close relationship with a girl Esther Johnson. He first met her when she was eight years old. The two maintained a close but ambiguous relationship for the rest of his life. They were believed to have secretly married, though there is no definite proof corroborating this. But it was certain that she held a special place in his heart throughout his life. In his later life, Swift was linked to another fatherless girl, Esther Vanhomrigh, who presumably was infatuated with him, though Swift later tried to break off relationship with her.
Later Life and Death
With Whig government coming to power, Jonathan Swift left England for one more time. He returned to Ireland and began a series of political writing in Irish support. Some of his notable works during this period are Proposal for Universal Use of Irish Manufacturer (1720), Drapier’s Letters (1724) and A Modest Proposal (1729). Some of his masterpiece, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World and Gulliver’s Travels also came during that period. In 1726 he visited England where he stayed with his life long friends Alexander Pope, John Arbuthnot and John Gay. With the help of them, Swift anonymously published his book Gulliver’s Travels in 1726. The book was proved to be such a huge success that it’s French, German and Dutch version had to be published in 1727.
Esther Johnson’s death on 28 January 1728 shattered him and pushed him in to a state of mental illness. He wrote his book The Death of Mrs. Johnson as a tribute to Esther Johnson after her death. Moved by her death, Swift began to write extensively on death and in 1731, he wrote Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, which was published in 1739. Before that in 1738, he had begun to show signs of mental illness and gradually lost his ability to speak and walk. On 19 October 1745 Jonathan Swift died. In accordance to his wishes, he was buried near the grave of Esther Johnson and his assets were donated to found a hospital for the mentally ill.
Timeline:
1667- Jonathan Swift was born on 30 November 1667.
1682- Jonathan went on to study at the Dublin University in 1682.
1686- He received a B.A. Degree in 1686.
1688- Jonathan was forced to leave Ireland and moved to England in 1688.
1690- Swift wrote The Battle of the Books in 1690.
1692- Jonathan received his M.A. degree from the Oxford University in 1692.
1699- Temple died on 27 January 1699.
1702- Swift was awarded Doctor of Divinity from Trinity College, Dublin in 1702.
1704- The Battle of the Books was finally published in 1704.
1710- The Tory Part came in power in 1710.
1711- He published a political pamphlet “The Conduct of the Allies” in 1711.
1713- The Tory party initiated a negotiation with France and signed the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
1714- Whig government again returned to power in 1714.
1726- Swift anonymously published his book Gulliver’s Travels in 1726.
1728- Esther Johnson died on 28 January 1728.
1731- He wrote Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift.
1739- Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift was published.
1745- Jonathan Swift died on 19 October 1745 Jonathan
James Wright
James Wright
Famous as American Poet
Born on 12 January 1927
Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, USA
Died on 25 March 1980
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements Pulitzer Prize, Yale Series of Younger Poets Award and Ohiona Book Award; Notable works include 'The Green Wall', 'Saint Judas' and 'The Branch Will Not Break'.
James Arlington Wright, one of the most prolific American poets of the 20th century, was the proud recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. Wright made a debut in the literary world in the year 1956, with 'The Green Wall'. The book not only earned him rave reviews, but also won him Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Thereafter, there was no stopping for this talented poet. His second book, 'Saint Judas' came soon after and earned him Ohiona Book Award. Later on in his life, Wright shed the conservational style and adopted the contemporary writing style. It was his book 'The Branch Will Not Break', which gave Wright's new mode its maximum expression. Apart from the prestigious awards, Wright also received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Childhood & Early Life
JamesArlington Wright was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, on December 13, 1927. While his father had a job in a glass factory, his mother worked in a laundry. In 1943, when Wright was still in high school, he suffered a nervous breakdown and missed a year of school. Graduating a year late, in 1946, he joined the army and was stationed in Japan, during the American occupation. After coming back from the army, he joined Kenyon College and graduated with honors in 1952. There, instead of studying vocational subjects, Wright focused his attention on English and Russian literature. During his graduation, he had published 20 journals, won Robert Frost Poetry Prize and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1953, he married Liberty Kardules in Martins Ferry. Thereafter, he moved to Vienna, along with his wife, to study at the University of Vienna. For a year, Wright studied the works of Theodor Storm and Georg Trakl, on a Fulbright fellowship.
Later Life
In 1954, James Wright enrolled himself at the University of Washington. Studying under Theodore Roethke, he earned a master's degree and went on to pursue a doctoral degree. In 1957, he made his debut with 'The Green Wall' and was awarded with the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Around the same time, i.e. after the publication of 'The Green Wall', Wright was offered the position of a professor at the University of Minnesota. In 1959, he attained his doctorate, with a thesis on Charles Dickens. While his professional life was soaring high, his personal life turned sour. The marriage with Liberty Kardules ended in a disaster and the two separated in 1962.
Around the time of his separation, Wright made friends with Robert Bly, a poet, who was struggling to make a mark in the world. Together, both of them explored the boundaries of poetic language and worked on European and Latin American poets, like Georg Trakl and Cesar Vallejo. Soon, his second collection, 'Saint Judas', was published in the distinguished Wesleyan University Press. Three years later, in 1962, he was awarded with the Ohiona Book Award for 'Saint Judas'. During these years, Wright had become an illustrious poet. His works featured in the major publications and journals, such as the Sewannee Review, the New Yorker and New Orleans Poetry Review.
Despite his achievements in the literary field, the University of Minnesota had doubts about Wright's qualification for becoming a tenured professor, resulting in his relocation to Macalester College. In 1963, his third book, previously titled 'Amenities of Stone', was released under the name 'The Branch Shall Not Break'. The book proved to be one of the most influential volumes of the 1960s. Also It also market Wright's movement, away from the conservative trend and style, and towards the more experimental, free verse.
After his teaching experience at the Macalester College, Wright held a similar position in the Hunter College (1966). A year later, in 1967, he met Edith Ann Runk (Annie) and eventually, the two of them married and moved to New York. The two gelled very well and explored each other's positive qualities. Apart from supporting Wright's poetry, Annie also tamed down his drinking habit. Around this time, he published 'Shall We Gather at the River', a collection that, one may say, unified because it seemed like one long poem or notes for a long poem.
James Wright and Annie were always on the move. They would spend their summers in Paris and Italy, traveling from one hotel to another, just lazing around and writing poetry. In his last year, Wright and his wife traveled throughout Europe, until September 1979. He would often write back, about his new found life, to his friends in the US. In the autumn of 1979, when Wright and Annie reached USA, the former got hospitalized with a severe sore throat. He was diagnosed with cancer, which was neither treatable, nor could be operated upon. In 1980, his last book, 'This Journey' was published.
Death
On the 25th of March, 1980, James Wright left for the heavenly abode. His funeral was held at the same church Wright and Annie got married in - Riverside Church.
Personal Life
In 1953, James Wright married Liberty Kardules, in Martins Ferry. The same year, the couple was blessed with a baby boy, whom they named Franz. Later, in 1958, Marshall was born. However, things were not as smooth as they had been earlier. Wright left his wife in 1959. Things worsened further and eventually, they got divorced in 1962. Four years later, Wright met Edith Ann Runk and the two got married. His second marriage was blissful, with Annie bringing out his positive side and making him a better person.
Awards
1972 - Pulitzer Prize, for Collected Poems
1957 - Yale Series of Younger Poets Award, for 'The Green Wall'
1962 - Ohiona Book Award, for 'Saint Judas'
His Works
Poems Published During His Lifetime
1957 - The Green Wall
1959 - Saint Judas
1963 - The Branch Will Not Break, Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio
1967 - Shall We Gather at the River
1971 - Collected Poems
1973 - Two Citizens
1976 - Moments of the Italian Summer
1977 - To a Blossoming Pear Tree
Poems Published Posthumously
1982 - This Journey, The Temple at Nimes
1992 - Above the River - the Complete Poems, introduction by Donald Hall
2005 - Selected Poems, A Wild Perfection: The Selected Letters of James Wright
Prose
1983 - Collected Prose
Timeline:
1927 - James Wright was born
1946 - Joined the army
1952 - Graduated with honors from Kenyon College
1953 - Married Liberty Kardules, Studied the works of Theodor Storm & Georg Trakl
1954 - Enrolled himself at the University of Washington
1957 - Made his debut in the literary world, with 'The Green Wall'
1959 - Attained his doctorate, with a thesis on Charles Dickens
1962 - Gotdivorced from Liberty Kardules
1963 - Published his third book 'The Branch Shall Not Break'
1966 - Became a professor in Hunter College
1967 - Met Edith Ann Runk (Annie)
1979 - Hospitalized with a severe sore throat and diagnosed with cancer
1980 - Published 'This Journey', Left for the heavenly abode
Famous as American Poet
Born on 12 January 1927
Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, USA
Died on 25 March 1980
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements Pulitzer Prize, Yale Series of Younger Poets Award and Ohiona Book Award; Notable works include 'The Green Wall', 'Saint Judas' and 'The Branch Will Not Break'.
James Arlington Wright, one of the most prolific American poets of the 20th century, was the proud recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. Wright made a debut in the literary world in the year 1956, with 'The Green Wall'. The book not only earned him rave reviews, but also won him Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Thereafter, there was no stopping for this talented poet. His second book, 'Saint Judas' came soon after and earned him Ohiona Book Award. Later on in his life, Wright shed the conservational style and adopted the contemporary writing style. It was his book 'The Branch Will Not Break', which gave Wright's new mode its maximum expression. Apart from the prestigious awards, Wright also received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Childhood & Early Life
JamesArlington Wright was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, on December 13, 1927. While his father had a job in a glass factory, his mother worked in a laundry. In 1943, when Wright was still in high school, he suffered a nervous breakdown and missed a year of school. Graduating a year late, in 1946, he joined the army and was stationed in Japan, during the American occupation. After coming back from the army, he joined Kenyon College and graduated with honors in 1952. There, instead of studying vocational subjects, Wright focused his attention on English and Russian literature. During his graduation, he had published 20 journals, won Robert Frost Poetry Prize and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1953, he married Liberty Kardules in Martins Ferry. Thereafter, he moved to Vienna, along with his wife, to study at the University of Vienna. For a year, Wright studied the works of Theodor Storm and Georg Trakl, on a Fulbright fellowship.
Later Life
In 1954, James Wright enrolled himself at the University of Washington. Studying under Theodore Roethke, he earned a master's degree and went on to pursue a doctoral degree. In 1957, he made his debut with 'The Green Wall' and was awarded with the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Around the same time, i.e. after the publication of 'The Green Wall', Wright was offered the position of a professor at the University of Minnesota. In 1959, he attained his doctorate, with a thesis on Charles Dickens. While his professional life was soaring high, his personal life turned sour. The marriage with Liberty Kardules ended in a disaster and the two separated in 1962.
Around the time of his separation, Wright made friends with Robert Bly, a poet, who was struggling to make a mark in the world. Together, both of them explored the boundaries of poetic language and worked on European and Latin American poets, like Georg Trakl and Cesar Vallejo. Soon, his second collection, 'Saint Judas', was published in the distinguished Wesleyan University Press. Three years later, in 1962, he was awarded with the Ohiona Book Award for 'Saint Judas'. During these years, Wright had become an illustrious poet. His works featured in the major publications and journals, such as the Sewannee Review, the New Yorker and New Orleans Poetry Review.
Despite his achievements in the literary field, the University of Minnesota had doubts about Wright's qualification for becoming a tenured professor, resulting in his relocation to Macalester College. In 1963, his third book, previously titled 'Amenities of Stone', was released under the name 'The Branch Shall Not Break'. The book proved to be one of the most influential volumes of the 1960s. Also It also market Wright's movement, away from the conservative trend and style, and towards the more experimental, free verse.
After his teaching experience at the Macalester College, Wright held a similar position in the Hunter College (1966). A year later, in 1967, he met Edith Ann Runk (Annie) and eventually, the two of them married and moved to New York. The two gelled very well and explored each other's positive qualities. Apart from supporting Wright's poetry, Annie also tamed down his drinking habit. Around this time, he published 'Shall We Gather at the River', a collection that, one may say, unified because it seemed like one long poem or notes for a long poem.
James Wright and Annie were always on the move. They would spend their summers in Paris and Italy, traveling from one hotel to another, just lazing around and writing poetry. In his last year, Wright and his wife traveled throughout Europe, until September 1979. He would often write back, about his new found life, to his friends in the US. In the autumn of 1979, when Wright and Annie reached USA, the former got hospitalized with a severe sore throat. He was diagnosed with cancer, which was neither treatable, nor could be operated upon. In 1980, his last book, 'This Journey' was published.
Death
On the 25th of March, 1980, James Wright left for the heavenly abode. His funeral was held at the same church Wright and Annie got married in - Riverside Church.
Personal Life
In 1953, James Wright married Liberty Kardules, in Martins Ferry. The same year, the couple was blessed with a baby boy, whom they named Franz. Later, in 1958, Marshall was born. However, things were not as smooth as they had been earlier. Wright left his wife in 1959. Things worsened further and eventually, they got divorced in 1962. Four years later, Wright met Edith Ann Runk and the two got married. His second marriage was blissful, with Annie bringing out his positive side and making him a better person.
Awards
1972 - Pulitzer Prize, for Collected Poems
1957 - Yale Series of Younger Poets Award, for 'The Green Wall'
1962 - Ohiona Book Award, for 'Saint Judas'
His Works
Poems Published During His Lifetime
1957 - The Green Wall
1959 - Saint Judas
1963 - The Branch Will Not Break, Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio
1967 - Shall We Gather at the River
1971 - Collected Poems
1973 - Two Citizens
1976 - Moments of the Italian Summer
1977 - To a Blossoming Pear Tree
Poems Published Posthumously
1982 - This Journey, The Temple at Nimes
1992 - Above the River - the Complete Poems, introduction by Donald Hall
2005 - Selected Poems, A Wild Perfection: The Selected Letters of James Wright
Prose
1983 - Collected Prose
Timeline:
1927 - James Wright was born
1946 - Joined the army
1952 - Graduated with honors from Kenyon College
1953 - Married Liberty Kardules, Studied the works of Theodor Storm & Georg Trakl
1954 - Enrolled himself at the University of Washington
1957 - Made his debut in the literary world, with 'The Green Wall'
1959 - Attained his doctorate, with a thesis on Charles Dickens
1962 - Gotdivorced from Liberty Kardules
1963 - Published his third book 'The Branch Shall Not Break'
1966 - Became a professor in Hunter College
1967 - Met Edith Ann Runk (Annie)
1979 - Hospitalized with a severe sore throat and diagnosed with cancer
1980 - Published 'This Journey', Left for the heavenly abode
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson
Famous as Educator, Lawyer, Diplomat, Songwriter, Writer, Anthropologist, Poet and Activist
Born on 17 June 1871
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Died on 26 June 1938
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements James Weldon Johnson was one of the first African-American professors at New York University. He also accepted the Spence Chair of Creative Literature at Fisk University in Nashville. His famous works include 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing', which was adopted as the Negro National Anthem.
A multi-faceted personality, James Weldon Johnson grew up to be America's top author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter and early civil rights activist. He also played a prominent role in the Harlem Renaissance, during the 1920s. Extremely ingenious when it came to writing, Johnson is notable for his contribution in poetry, novels, short stories and folklore. His command over literature earned him the position of a professor at New York University and he became the first African-American to receive such an honor. He also took up the Spence Chair in creative literature and writing department, at Fisk University, in Nashville.
Childhood
Son of Helen Louise Dillet and James Johnson, James Weldon Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on 17th June 1871. Young Johnson received his preliminary education from his mother and later on, was sent to Edwin M. Stanton School. It was through his mom that he gained the love and knowledge of English literature and the European tradition in music. In the year 1887, Johnson enrolled himself at Atlanta University.
In the summer of 1891, four years after joining the university, Johnson visited the rural district in Georgia to teach the children of former slaves. Apart from earning his graduate degree from Atlanta University in 1894, Johnson also completed some graduate coursework. Inspired by the achievement of his father, Johnson's self-confidence led him to pursue a professional career. He regarded his education at the Atlanta University as an added bonus, which would help him dedicate his resources towards black people.
Education & Law
In the year 1897, James Weldon Johnson became the first African-American to be admitted to the Florida Bar Exam, since Reconstruction. With this, he became the first Black in Duval County to seek admission to the state bar. In order to receive entry, Johnson underwent a two-hour examination before three attorneys and a judge. In the year 1904, he received an honorary Master's degree. Upon receiving this, he headed for Stanton, a school for African-American students in Jacksonville.
Johnson was appointed as the principal in Stanton. With this, he became the principal of the largest public school in Jacksonville. However, in terms of salary, he received only half of what a white would have received in the same position. As the principal, Johnson reformed the education standard and introduced ninth and tenth grades. While algebra, English composition, physical geography and bookkeeping were part of the class nine syllabus, the class ten course included geometry, English literature, elementary physics, history and Spanish.
In the fall of 1916, Johnson was commissioned as the national organizer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and later promoted as the head. In the 1920s, his works as a poet, editor and critic made him one of the most influential leaders in the Harlem Renaissance. In 1930, Johnson resigned from NAACP, to accept the Spence Chair of Creative Literature, at Fisk University (Nashville). In the university, he lectured on literature and also on a wide range of issues related to with the life and civil rights of black Americans. He held the chair until 1938.
Music
Throughout his life, Johnson made significant contributions to the field of music. In the year 1901, he moved to New York City, along with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. Employed in musical theater, he produced hits and blockbusters, such as, 'Tell Me, Dusky Maiden' and 'Nobody's Looking but the Owl and the Moon'. During this time, Johnson also composed the lyrics of the famous song, 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing', which was later adopted by the NAACP, as the Negro National Anthem.
The brother duo became highly successful in their songwriting and music expedition. In partnership with producer and director Bob Cole, Johnson and his brother worked at the Broadway as well. They also participated in the opera Tolosa, which was basically a satirical performance on the U.S. annexation of the Pacific islands. With each success, Johnson climbed up the ladder of African-American society in Brooklyn, New York, and became a part of the upper echelons, or the creamy layer, of the society.
Diplomat
Johnson was selected as the US consul of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, in the year 1906. Three years thence, he was transferred as the US consul of Corinto, Nicaragua. During his stay at Corinto, a rebellion occurred against President Adolfo Diaz. Johnson's worth as a diplomat enhanced during the time of building pressure and excessive strain. While working as a diplomat, he became a published poet, with his works being printed in the magazine 'The Century Magazine' and in 'The Independent'.
Literature & Anthologist
While living in South America, Johnson completed 'The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man', which earned him great literary success, acclaim and commendation. The book was published anonymously in the year 1912. Established as a writer, Johnson moved ahead and also earned a name as a proficient anthologist. His anthologies served as an inspiration and source of encouragement for the new generation artists, who would create the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s.
Activist
Johnson's years in the Atlanta University provided him the much needed qualities and confidence that helped him become an activist in the later years. During his years of education at the university, he was known as an influential speaker. He won the Quiz Club Contest in English Composition and Oratory in 1892. Apart for this, in 1895, Johnson founded the paper the 'Daily American' and served as its editor. The paper's content was mostly based on political and racial issues of those times. However, the financial crises led to the closure of the publication. Nevertheless, it marked the beginning of Johnson's life as an activist.
Johnson's entry into the political scene came in the year 1904, when he joined as the treasurer of the Colored Republican Club, started by Charles W. Anderson. Just a year later, he was promoted as the President of the club and his profile included organizing political rallies. A decade since his start, i.e. in 1914, Johnson took over the editorial page of the New York Age, an influential African American weekly. His writings for the weekly showed his knack as a political leader and he soon found himself listed among the 'Who's Who of America', eventually gaining national prominence.
It was during the fall of 1916 that Johnson was commissioned as the national organizer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As soon as he took over, he changed the scenario steeply, by involving people in silent parade, rather than the race riots and lynching that pervaded earlier. The massive gathering of ten thousand African-Americans on July 28, 1917, in the New York's Fifth Avenue, showed his influence as a leader. Three years later, in 1920, Johnson was elected to head the NAACP, becoming the first African American ever to hold the prestigious position.
The same year he became the head of NAAC, i.e. in 1920, Johnson was sent to Haiti, to investigate the condition of the area, as it had been occupied by U.S. Marines since 1915. At this time, he published a series of articles in 'The Nation', in which he gave development ideas for reforming the economic and social status of Haiti. In the articles, Johnson also revealed the brutality of Americans in the island country. He was also one of the initiators behind the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill of 1921.
Personal life
It was during his years in New York, as a songwriter, when Johnson met Grace Nail. A refined lady, she became an accomplished artist in pastels and accompanied Johnson on a screenwriting project. Later, in 1910, the two tied the nuptial knot. Their wedding took place around the same time, when Johnson was appointed as a United States Consul, in Nicaragua.
Death
James Weldon Johnson left for the heavenly abode on June 26, 1938. He was near his summer home in Wiscasset, Maine, when the unfortunate accident took place. His car, which he was driving, was struck by a train. His funeral was held in Harlem and was attended by more than 2000 people.
Awards, Honors & Legacy
• A middle school in Florida, James Weldon Johnson Middle School, has been named after him.
• The United States Postal Service honored Johnson by issuing a 22 cent postage stamp on February 2, 1988.
• Scholar Molefi Kete Asante's list of '100 Greatest African Americans' (2002) includes James Weldon Johnson.
• He was honored with a Springarn Medal from NAACP in the year 1925, for outstanding achievement by an American Negro.
• Johnson was honored with Harmon Gold Award for 'God's Trombones'.
• In 1929, he was granted the Julius Rosenwald Fund.
• In 1933, Johnson was given the W.E.B. Du Bois Prize for Negro Literature. In the same year, he was named first incumbent of Spence Chair of Creative Literature at Fisk University
• Johnson received honorary Master's degree from Atlanta University and honorary doctorates from Talladega College and Howard University
Selected Works
Poetry
1892 - To a Friend
1893 - A Brand
1898 - The Color Sergeant
1899 - Lift Every Voice and Sing
1900 - Sence You Went Away, The Black Mammy
1908 - O Black and Unknown Bards
1916 - Brothers
1917 - Fifty Years and Other Poems
1920 - The Creation
1923 - My City
1926 - Go Down, Death
1927 - God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse
1935 - Saint Peter Relates an Incident
1936 - Selected Poems
The Glory of the Day was in Her Face
Other Works & Collections
1912-27 - The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
1920 - Self-Determining Haiti
1922 - The Book of American Negro Poetry Harcourt, Brace, and Company
1926 - Second Book of Negro Spirituals
1930 - Black Manhattan
1933 - Along This Way
1934 - Negro Americans, What Now?
1995 - The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson (Posthumous collection)
Timeline:
1871 - James Weldon Johnson was born
1887 - Enrolled himself at Atlanta University
1891 - Visited the rural district in Georgia, to instruct the children of former slaves
1892 - Won the Quiz Club Contest in English Composition and Oratory in Atlanta University
1894 - Earned his graduate degree from Atlanta University
1895 - Founded the paper 'Daily American' and served as its editor
1897 - Became the first African American to be admitted to the Florida Bar Exam, since Reconstruction
1901- Moved to New York City along with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson
1904 - Received an honorary Master's degree from Atlanta University, Served as the treasurer of the Colored Republican Club
1906 - Appointed as the principal in Stanton, Selected as the US Consul of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
1909 - Transferred as the US Consul of Corinto, Nicaragua
1910 - Married Grace Nail
1914 - Took over the editorial page of the New York Age
1916 - Commissioned as the national organizer for the National Association forthe Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
1920 - Became the head of NAACP,Sent to Haiti to investigate the condition of the area
1921 - Initiated the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill
1930 - Resigned from the leadership of the NAACP, Accepted the Spence Chair of Creative Literature at Fisk University in Nashville
1920s to 30s - Played a prominent role in the Harlem Renaissance
1938 - Left for the heavenly abode
Famous as Educator, Lawyer, Diplomat, Songwriter, Writer, Anthropologist, Poet and Activist
Born on 17 June 1871
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Died on 26 June 1938
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements James Weldon Johnson was one of the first African-American professors at New York University. He also accepted the Spence Chair of Creative Literature at Fisk University in Nashville. His famous works include 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing', which was adopted as the Negro National Anthem.
A multi-faceted personality, James Weldon Johnson grew up to be America's top author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter and early civil rights activist. He also played a prominent role in the Harlem Renaissance, during the 1920s. Extremely ingenious when it came to writing, Johnson is notable for his contribution in poetry, novels, short stories and folklore. His command over literature earned him the position of a professor at New York University and he became the first African-American to receive such an honor. He also took up the Spence Chair in creative literature and writing department, at Fisk University, in Nashville.
Childhood
Son of Helen Louise Dillet and James Johnson, James Weldon Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on 17th June 1871. Young Johnson received his preliminary education from his mother and later on, was sent to Edwin M. Stanton School. It was through his mom that he gained the love and knowledge of English literature and the European tradition in music. In the year 1887, Johnson enrolled himself at Atlanta University.
In the summer of 1891, four years after joining the university, Johnson visited the rural district in Georgia to teach the children of former slaves. Apart from earning his graduate degree from Atlanta University in 1894, Johnson also completed some graduate coursework. Inspired by the achievement of his father, Johnson's self-confidence led him to pursue a professional career. He regarded his education at the Atlanta University as an added bonus, which would help him dedicate his resources towards black people.
Education & Law
In the year 1897, James Weldon Johnson became the first African-American to be admitted to the Florida Bar Exam, since Reconstruction. With this, he became the first Black in Duval County to seek admission to the state bar. In order to receive entry, Johnson underwent a two-hour examination before three attorneys and a judge. In the year 1904, he received an honorary Master's degree. Upon receiving this, he headed for Stanton, a school for African-American students in Jacksonville.
Johnson was appointed as the principal in Stanton. With this, he became the principal of the largest public school in Jacksonville. However, in terms of salary, he received only half of what a white would have received in the same position. As the principal, Johnson reformed the education standard and introduced ninth and tenth grades. While algebra, English composition, physical geography and bookkeeping were part of the class nine syllabus, the class ten course included geometry, English literature, elementary physics, history and Spanish.
In the fall of 1916, Johnson was commissioned as the national organizer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and later promoted as the head. In the 1920s, his works as a poet, editor and critic made him one of the most influential leaders in the Harlem Renaissance. In 1930, Johnson resigned from NAACP, to accept the Spence Chair of Creative Literature, at Fisk University (Nashville). In the university, he lectured on literature and also on a wide range of issues related to with the life and civil rights of black Americans. He held the chair until 1938.
Music
Throughout his life, Johnson made significant contributions to the field of music. In the year 1901, he moved to New York City, along with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. Employed in musical theater, he produced hits and blockbusters, such as, 'Tell Me, Dusky Maiden' and 'Nobody's Looking but the Owl and the Moon'. During this time, Johnson also composed the lyrics of the famous song, 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing', which was later adopted by the NAACP, as the Negro National Anthem.
The brother duo became highly successful in their songwriting and music expedition. In partnership with producer and director Bob Cole, Johnson and his brother worked at the Broadway as well. They also participated in the opera Tolosa, which was basically a satirical performance on the U.S. annexation of the Pacific islands. With each success, Johnson climbed up the ladder of African-American society in Brooklyn, New York, and became a part of the upper echelons, or the creamy layer, of the society.
Diplomat
Johnson was selected as the US consul of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, in the year 1906. Three years thence, he was transferred as the US consul of Corinto, Nicaragua. During his stay at Corinto, a rebellion occurred against President Adolfo Diaz. Johnson's worth as a diplomat enhanced during the time of building pressure and excessive strain. While working as a diplomat, he became a published poet, with his works being printed in the magazine 'The Century Magazine' and in 'The Independent'.
Literature & Anthologist
While living in South America, Johnson completed 'The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man', which earned him great literary success, acclaim and commendation. The book was published anonymously in the year 1912. Established as a writer, Johnson moved ahead and also earned a name as a proficient anthologist. His anthologies served as an inspiration and source of encouragement for the new generation artists, who would create the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s.
Activist
Johnson's years in the Atlanta University provided him the much needed qualities and confidence that helped him become an activist in the later years. During his years of education at the university, he was known as an influential speaker. He won the Quiz Club Contest in English Composition and Oratory in 1892. Apart for this, in 1895, Johnson founded the paper the 'Daily American' and served as its editor. The paper's content was mostly based on political and racial issues of those times. However, the financial crises led to the closure of the publication. Nevertheless, it marked the beginning of Johnson's life as an activist.
Johnson's entry into the political scene came in the year 1904, when he joined as the treasurer of the Colored Republican Club, started by Charles W. Anderson. Just a year later, he was promoted as the President of the club and his profile included organizing political rallies. A decade since his start, i.e. in 1914, Johnson took over the editorial page of the New York Age, an influential African American weekly. His writings for the weekly showed his knack as a political leader and he soon found himself listed among the 'Who's Who of America', eventually gaining national prominence.
It was during the fall of 1916 that Johnson was commissioned as the national organizer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As soon as he took over, he changed the scenario steeply, by involving people in silent parade, rather than the race riots and lynching that pervaded earlier. The massive gathering of ten thousand African-Americans on July 28, 1917, in the New York's Fifth Avenue, showed his influence as a leader. Three years later, in 1920, Johnson was elected to head the NAACP, becoming the first African American ever to hold the prestigious position.
The same year he became the head of NAAC, i.e. in 1920, Johnson was sent to Haiti, to investigate the condition of the area, as it had been occupied by U.S. Marines since 1915. At this time, he published a series of articles in 'The Nation', in which he gave development ideas for reforming the economic and social status of Haiti. In the articles, Johnson also revealed the brutality of Americans in the island country. He was also one of the initiators behind the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill of 1921.
Personal life
It was during his years in New York, as a songwriter, when Johnson met Grace Nail. A refined lady, she became an accomplished artist in pastels and accompanied Johnson on a screenwriting project. Later, in 1910, the two tied the nuptial knot. Their wedding took place around the same time, when Johnson was appointed as a United States Consul, in Nicaragua.
Death
James Weldon Johnson left for the heavenly abode on June 26, 1938. He was near his summer home in Wiscasset, Maine, when the unfortunate accident took place. His car, which he was driving, was struck by a train. His funeral was held in Harlem and was attended by more than 2000 people.
Awards, Honors & Legacy
• A middle school in Florida, James Weldon Johnson Middle School, has been named after him.
• The United States Postal Service honored Johnson by issuing a 22 cent postage stamp on February 2, 1988.
• Scholar Molefi Kete Asante's list of '100 Greatest African Americans' (2002) includes James Weldon Johnson.
• He was honored with a Springarn Medal from NAACP in the year 1925, for outstanding achievement by an American Negro.
• Johnson was honored with Harmon Gold Award for 'God's Trombones'.
• In 1929, he was granted the Julius Rosenwald Fund.
• In 1933, Johnson was given the W.E.B. Du Bois Prize for Negro Literature. In the same year, he was named first incumbent of Spence Chair of Creative Literature at Fisk University
• Johnson received honorary Master's degree from Atlanta University and honorary doctorates from Talladega College and Howard University
Selected Works
Poetry
1892 - To a Friend
1893 - A Brand
1898 - The Color Sergeant
1899 - Lift Every Voice and Sing
1900 - Sence You Went Away, The Black Mammy
1908 - O Black and Unknown Bards
1916 - Brothers
1917 - Fifty Years and Other Poems
1920 - The Creation
1923 - My City
1926 - Go Down, Death
1927 - God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse
1935 - Saint Peter Relates an Incident
1936 - Selected Poems
The Glory of the Day was in Her Face
Other Works & Collections
1912-27 - The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
1920 - Self-Determining Haiti
1922 - The Book of American Negro Poetry Harcourt, Brace, and Company
1926 - Second Book of Negro Spirituals
1930 - Black Manhattan
1933 - Along This Way
1934 - Negro Americans, What Now?
1995 - The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson (Posthumous collection)
Timeline:
1871 - James Weldon Johnson was born
1887 - Enrolled himself at Atlanta University
1891 - Visited the rural district in Georgia, to instruct the children of former slaves
1892 - Won the Quiz Club Contest in English Composition and Oratory in Atlanta University
1894 - Earned his graduate degree from Atlanta University
1895 - Founded the paper 'Daily American' and served as its editor
1897 - Became the first African American to be admitted to the Florida Bar Exam, since Reconstruction
1901- Moved to New York City along with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson
1904 - Received an honorary Master's degree from Atlanta University, Served as the treasurer of the Colored Republican Club
1906 - Appointed as the principal in Stanton, Selected as the US Consul of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
1909 - Transferred as the US Consul of Corinto, Nicaragua
1910 - Married Grace Nail
1914 - Took over the editorial page of the New York Age
1916 - Commissioned as the national organizer for the National Association forthe Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
1920 - Became the head of NAACP,Sent to Haiti to investigate the condition of the area
1921 - Initiated the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill
1930 - Resigned from the leadership of the NAACP, Accepted the Spence Chair of Creative Literature at Fisk University in Nashville
1920s to 30s - Played a prominent role in the Harlem Renaissance
1938 - Left for the heavenly abode
George Elliot
George Elliot
Famous as Author and Novelist
Born on 22 Novomber 1819
Born in Warwickshire, England
Died on 22 December 1880
Nationality United Kingdom
Works & Achievements Scenes of Clerical Life and Adam Bede
Mary Ann (Marian) Evans, more popular by her pen name George Eliot, was one of the most acclaimed English novelists of the Victorian era. Her popularity lies in the fact that she was among a few female writers of her time to experiment with the subject of 'realism' and 'psychological wisdom'. The author remained in constant controversies for her denial of Christian Faith and doubts about the Biblical stories. However the most significant controversy spur when her relationships with the married George Henry Lewes, an author, came in light. She was shunned from the society for living openly with the author and the humiliation and castigation would plague her until her death. The great author wrote her first fiction Adam Bede which was published under an anonymous identity in 1859 and became her ticket to fame.
Childhood & Early Life
Mary Anne Evans was born on 22 November 1819 in Arbury, Warwickshire in England in a farmer family. She was the third child of her parents Robert Evans, a local farmer, and Christina Evans and had two surviving full siblings Chrissey and Issac. Mary Anne, better known as Marian, was a brilliant student and an avid reader and took a keen interest in literature as a child. She received her primary education from boarding schools in Attleborough, Nuneaton and Coventry, where she met her lifelong mentor Maria Lewis. One of the significant influences on her early life is religion and her early religious beliefs are marked by confusion and doubts about the Christianity which will plague her throughout her life. As a child, she wrote poetry and fictions and was admired for her skills at writing.
After the death of her mother in 1839, she left the school and returned home to take care of her father. Meanwhile, she continued her education with the help of a private tutor and Maria Lewis. After her brother Issac married and took over the house they were living in, Marian and her father moved to Foleshill in Coventry in 1841. The new place widened her social circle and she formed strong friendship with people that will last forever. One of the most influential associations he formed there was with the Brays; Charles bray and Cara Bray. Charles Bray was a wealthy businessman and a philanthropic, who shared the same religious views with Marian.
In a society of liberal theology, she began to form atheistic beliefs and deeply doubted the Biblical stories. Such thoughts were corroborated by the people she met there and in 1942, she stopping going to church only to her father’s dismay. However, she began to attend church with respect when her father stopped talking to her, the relationship between the father and daughter remained restrained after that. Her father died after an extended illness in 1849. Meanwhile she had started working on her first major work that was the translation of David Strauss’ Life of Jesus, which she completed in 1846.
Initial Career
After her father’s death, Marian went on a tour to Switzerland with the Bray couple and decided to live alone in Geneva instead of returning home. However, she returned to England in 1850 and made up her mind to move to London with the hope to become a writer. There she came in contact with John Chapman, a London publisher and bookseller. Impressed with her translation of Strauss, he asked her to contribute articles and essays for the Westminster Review. She became the assistant editor of the magazine in 1858. For the next few years, Marian took up lodgings in Chapman’s house where he lived with his wife and mistress.
Relationship with Henry Lewes
Marian met the philosopher and critic George Henry Lewes in 1851. He was unattractive like Marian, but had an impressive personality and wit to win people. It was for the first time that Marian extended her relationship with anyone and her affection was reciprocated. Marian and Henry grew extremely close to each other and by 1854, they decided to live together.
A marriage was not possible though as Henry was legally married to Agnes Jervis, who, on the other hand, had illicit relationships with other men too and had several illegitimate children by them. Under the agreement of 'Free Love' with his wife, Henry had claimed all of them to be his own and hence he could not divorce Agnes.
Legal difficulties made their marriage impossible but it could not prevent them from living together despite being shunned from the literary society of London for their scandalous act. By the end of that year, Evans had begun to call herself Mrs. Lewes and their marriage had officially begun which had consummated in all sense but the legal one.
The Road to Success
While working with the Westminster Review, she had become increasingly popular in a male dominating literary world of London, where it was not conventional and usual to mix with the male dominated society of London. By that time, Marian Evans had begun to use ‘George Eliot’ as her pen name. George Henry proved to be a very supportive person and became her pillar of strength until his death. He encouraged Eliot- who was still contributing pieces to the Westminster Review- to try her hand at fictions writing. With his unwavering support and faith in her ability, she completed the first Scenes of Clerical Life in 1858, which was first published in Blackwood’s Magazine around that year. The book was a huge success and became her most acclaimed work.
In 1859, she completed her first novel Adam Bede which was published under an anonymous identity in 1859. The novel raised much curiosity among the people as to who the author is. Finally, when the secret could not be kept any longer, George Eliot admitted to the authorship of the book. The book, which revealed many stunning facts about her private life, came as a shock to her readers, though it did not affect her popularity among her admirers. She continued to work upon her next bestselling novel The Mill on the Floss which was published in the following year. It was much before the Couple’s relationship was accepted in the society.
She began to work another novel Middlemarch in 1869, which was finally printed in 1871. The record-breaking sell of this novel made her much famous and richer that she was often called ‘the greatest living English novelist’. The huge success made people forget about her private affairs and so-called 'unlawful' relationship with Henry. She continued working and wrote her last novel Daniel Deronda which was published in 1876 and the Lewes’ moved to Witley Surrey. Here she met her tragic fate in 1878, when her lifelong partner and support George Henry died after a long illness living her alone and depressed.
Marriage
His death badly affected her both physically and mentally and she stopped meeting people or even answering telephone calls. She exempted only one person from her social abstain- their business manager John Cross. He had been a regular visitor of the couple for years now. She finally came to terms with her new life and with the help of John began to edit Henry’s final work Life and mind.
Controversies once again spur when a twenty years younger John Cross proposed marriage to her which she refused at least three times. She finally gave in and they married on 16 May 1880. Marian’s legal marriage delighted many, including her brother Issac, who had disowned her after she began living with Lewes.
Death
Now sixty, Marian was old and ill and had been suffering from kidney disease for years. It was less than one year after her marriage that she fell ill with a serious throat infection. Fate once again made a cruel decision and she died just after seven months of her marriage on 22 December 1880. She was buried next her spiritual husband George Lewes in High gate Cemetery in London.
Timeline:
1819- Mary Anne Evans was born on 22 November.
1839- Her mother died.
1841- Marian and her father moved to Foleshill in Coventry.
1942- She stopping going to church.
1846- She completed her first major work, translation of David Strauss’s Life of Jesus.
1849- Her father died after an extended illness.
1851- Marian met the philosopher and critic George Henry Lewes.
1854- The couple decided to live together and Marian Evans became Mrs. Lewes.
1858- She became the assistant editor of the Westminster Review.
1858- She completed the first Scenes of Clerical Life.
1859- She completed her first novel Adam Bede which was published under an anonymous identity.
1869- She began to work another novel Middlemarch in 1869.
1871- The book was finally printed in 1871.
1876- Marian’s last novel Daniel Deronda was published in.
1878- Her lifelong partner and support George Henry died.
1880- Marian married John Cross on 16 May.
1880- She died on 22 December.
Famous as Author and Novelist
Born on 22 Novomber 1819
Born in Warwickshire, England
Died on 22 December 1880
Nationality United Kingdom
Works & Achievements Scenes of Clerical Life and Adam Bede
Mary Ann (Marian) Evans, more popular by her pen name George Eliot, was one of the most acclaimed English novelists of the Victorian era. Her popularity lies in the fact that she was among a few female writers of her time to experiment with the subject of 'realism' and 'psychological wisdom'. The author remained in constant controversies for her denial of Christian Faith and doubts about the Biblical stories. However the most significant controversy spur when her relationships with the married George Henry Lewes, an author, came in light. She was shunned from the society for living openly with the author and the humiliation and castigation would plague her until her death. The great author wrote her first fiction Adam Bede which was published under an anonymous identity in 1859 and became her ticket to fame.
Childhood & Early Life
Mary Anne Evans was born on 22 November 1819 in Arbury, Warwickshire in England in a farmer family. She was the third child of her parents Robert Evans, a local farmer, and Christina Evans and had two surviving full siblings Chrissey and Issac. Mary Anne, better known as Marian, was a brilliant student and an avid reader and took a keen interest in literature as a child. She received her primary education from boarding schools in Attleborough, Nuneaton and Coventry, where she met her lifelong mentor Maria Lewis. One of the significant influences on her early life is religion and her early religious beliefs are marked by confusion and doubts about the Christianity which will plague her throughout her life. As a child, she wrote poetry and fictions and was admired for her skills at writing.
After the death of her mother in 1839, she left the school and returned home to take care of her father. Meanwhile, she continued her education with the help of a private tutor and Maria Lewis. After her brother Issac married and took over the house they were living in, Marian and her father moved to Foleshill in Coventry in 1841. The new place widened her social circle and she formed strong friendship with people that will last forever. One of the most influential associations he formed there was with the Brays; Charles bray and Cara Bray. Charles Bray was a wealthy businessman and a philanthropic, who shared the same religious views with Marian.
In a society of liberal theology, she began to form atheistic beliefs and deeply doubted the Biblical stories. Such thoughts were corroborated by the people she met there and in 1942, she stopping going to church only to her father’s dismay. However, she began to attend church with respect when her father stopped talking to her, the relationship between the father and daughter remained restrained after that. Her father died after an extended illness in 1849. Meanwhile she had started working on her first major work that was the translation of David Strauss’ Life of Jesus, which she completed in 1846.
Initial Career
After her father’s death, Marian went on a tour to Switzerland with the Bray couple and decided to live alone in Geneva instead of returning home. However, she returned to England in 1850 and made up her mind to move to London with the hope to become a writer. There she came in contact with John Chapman, a London publisher and bookseller. Impressed with her translation of Strauss, he asked her to contribute articles and essays for the Westminster Review. She became the assistant editor of the magazine in 1858. For the next few years, Marian took up lodgings in Chapman’s house where he lived with his wife and mistress.
Relationship with Henry Lewes
Marian met the philosopher and critic George Henry Lewes in 1851. He was unattractive like Marian, but had an impressive personality and wit to win people. It was for the first time that Marian extended her relationship with anyone and her affection was reciprocated. Marian and Henry grew extremely close to each other and by 1854, they decided to live together.
A marriage was not possible though as Henry was legally married to Agnes Jervis, who, on the other hand, had illicit relationships with other men too and had several illegitimate children by them. Under the agreement of 'Free Love' with his wife, Henry had claimed all of them to be his own and hence he could not divorce Agnes.
Legal difficulties made their marriage impossible but it could not prevent them from living together despite being shunned from the literary society of London for their scandalous act. By the end of that year, Evans had begun to call herself Mrs. Lewes and their marriage had officially begun which had consummated in all sense but the legal one.
The Road to Success
While working with the Westminster Review, she had become increasingly popular in a male dominating literary world of London, where it was not conventional and usual to mix with the male dominated society of London. By that time, Marian Evans had begun to use ‘George Eliot’ as her pen name. George Henry proved to be a very supportive person and became her pillar of strength until his death. He encouraged Eliot- who was still contributing pieces to the Westminster Review- to try her hand at fictions writing. With his unwavering support and faith in her ability, she completed the first Scenes of Clerical Life in 1858, which was first published in Blackwood’s Magazine around that year. The book was a huge success and became her most acclaimed work.
In 1859, she completed her first novel Adam Bede which was published under an anonymous identity in 1859. The novel raised much curiosity among the people as to who the author is. Finally, when the secret could not be kept any longer, George Eliot admitted to the authorship of the book. The book, which revealed many stunning facts about her private life, came as a shock to her readers, though it did not affect her popularity among her admirers. She continued to work upon her next bestselling novel The Mill on the Floss which was published in the following year. It was much before the Couple’s relationship was accepted in the society.
She began to work another novel Middlemarch in 1869, which was finally printed in 1871. The record-breaking sell of this novel made her much famous and richer that she was often called ‘the greatest living English novelist’. The huge success made people forget about her private affairs and so-called 'unlawful' relationship with Henry. She continued working and wrote her last novel Daniel Deronda which was published in 1876 and the Lewes’ moved to Witley Surrey. Here she met her tragic fate in 1878, when her lifelong partner and support George Henry died after a long illness living her alone and depressed.
Marriage
His death badly affected her both physically and mentally and she stopped meeting people or even answering telephone calls. She exempted only one person from her social abstain- their business manager John Cross. He had been a regular visitor of the couple for years now. She finally came to terms with her new life and with the help of John began to edit Henry’s final work Life and mind.
Controversies once again spur when a twenty years younger John Cross proposed marriage to her which she refused at least three times. She finally gave in and they married on 16 May 1880. Marian’s legal marriage delighted many, including her brother Issac, who had disowned her after she began living with Lewes.
Death
Now sixty, Marian was old and ill and had been suffering from kidney disease for years. It was less than one year after her marriage that she fell ill with a serious throat infection. Fate once again made a cruel decision and she died just after seven months of her marriage on 22 December 1880. She was buried next her spiritual husband George Lewes in High gate Cemetery in London.
Timeline:
1819- Mary Anne Evans was born on 22 November.
1839- Her mother died.
1841- Marian and her father moved to Foleshill in Coventry.
1942- She stopping going to church.
1846- She completed her first major work, translation of David Strauss’s Life of Jesus.
1849- Her father died after an extended illness.
1851- Marian met the philosopher and critic George Henry Lewes.
1854- The couple decided to live together and Marian Evans became Mrs. Lewes.
1858- She became the assistant editor of the Westminster Review.
1858- She completed the first Scenes of Clerical Life.
1859- She completed her first novel Adam Bede which was published under an anonymous identity.
1869- She began to work another novel Middlemarch in 1869.
1871- The book was finally printed in 1871.
1876- Marian’s last novel Daniel Deronda was published in.
1878- Her lifelong partner and support George Henry died.
1880- Marian married John Cross on 16 May.
1880- She died on 22 December.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Famous as Poet and Mystic Rosicrucian
Born in Johnstown, Wisconsin
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements Member of the first Supreme Council of the American Rosicrucian movement' wrote a number of poems & her autobiography - 'The Worlds and I'
Ella Wheeler Wilcox's prolific excellence lay in her positive approach and optimistic nature. She had started penning down poetry from an early age and continued to do so till her death. Her poems reflected her optimism - her belief that hope would triumph over despair and good would overcome evil. For Wilcox, the severity and roughness of life did not exist. Wilcox also was a strong believer of reincarnation. She believed that the negativity that life presented was just an opportunity for man to turn into a blessing. Wilcox played part in the establishment of the American Rosicrucian movement and was also appointed as its first Supreme Council officer. Her term as the Supreme Council officer lasted until her death.
Childhood
Born in the year 1850, on a farm in rural Johnstown, Wisconsin, Ella Wheeler Wilcox was the youngest amongst four siblings. Her mother, Ms. Wilcox, believed in pre-natal influences. According to her, parents could influence the soul personality of their would-be child by their thoughts and ideals and the kid, in his/her later years, would reflect them. When Ella was in her womb, Ms. Wilcox wanted a girl child, who would go on to become a writer. She did not had to wait too long to fulfill her dreams.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox, right from a very tender age, reflected a knack for creative writing. When she was only 8 years old, she wrote her first poem and rhyme. Six years later, at the age of 14, a piece of her prose was published in the New York Mercury. She became the pride of her parents and neighbors. However, the feeling of pride was soon swayed away, when Wilcox scored extremely low in mathematics. Though Wilcox came from a not-so-sound financial background, she was enrolled in Madison University.
Eventually, Wilcox left her studies and started pursuing her passion for writing. Just like other writers, she also struggled at the start of her writing career. Though Wilcox would pen down poems, only a few of them would get published, as there were not many potential buyers for her poetry. However, she was not the one to be disheartened by the struggle. She remained optimistic and continued sending her poems to one publisher after the other, with the hope that at least one of them would publish them.
Writing Themes
Gradually, Wilcox started living her mother's dream - her poems were being published and she was being recognized. She started making a living out of her work. Her poetry was focused on humanity's spirit and on themes of reincarnation. Her poems had a positive approach. For Wilcox, her poetry was a medium by which she could raise someone’s spirit, after his/her death. Her poems gave strength to those who were bereaving for the dead. Wilcox was a strong believer of reincarnation and said that every good thing that one does would get repaid, if not in this life, then in the next. She gave hope in despair and echoed the triumph of the human spirit in every poem she wrote.
Death
Diagnosed with cancer, Ella Wheeler Wilcox died in the year 1919. At the time of her death, she was just a week short of celebrating her 69th birthday.
Personal Life
At the age of 28, Ella Wheeler Wilcox married Robert Wilcox. He possessed a fine sense of humor and was an inspiration to her. More than anything, he loved her and her work. The couple was blessed with a son, but he died as an infant. After about 30 years of successful marriage, Robert Wilcox died in 1916. The couple had promised each other that whoever went first through death would return and communicate with the other. Sad and heartbroken, Wilcox waited for a long time to receive any communication from her beloved and got even more depressed when she heard nothing from him.
Works
Autobiography Book
• The Worlds and I
Poetry
• The Invisible Helpers in Cosmopolitan 57 (October 1914)
• The Voice of the Voiceless
• Disarmament
• Roads to God
• To An Astrologer
• Secret Thoughts
• An Ambitious Man
• An Englishman and Other Poems
• Hello, Boys!
• The Kingdom of Love
• Maurine and other Poems
• New Thought Pastels
• Poems of Cheer
• Poems of Experience
• Poems of Optimism
• Poems of Passion
• Poems of Power
• Poems of Progress
• Poems of Purpose
• Poems of Sentiment
• A Woman of the World
• Yesterday
• Poems of Reflection
Timeline:
1850 - Ella Wheeler Wilcox was born
1858 - Wrote her first poem
1864 - Got her writing published for the first time
1878 - Married Robert Wilcox
1916 - Robert Wilcox died
1919 - Left for the heavenly abode
Famous as Poet and Mystic Rosicrucian
Born in Johnstown, Wisconsin
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements Member of the first Supreme Council of the American Rosicrucian movement' wrote a number of poems & her autobiography - 'The Worlds and I'
Ella Wheeler Wilcox's prolific excellence lay in her positive approach and optimistic nature. She had started penning down poetry from an early age and continued to do so till her death. Her poems reflected her optimism - her belief that hope would triumph over despair and good would overcome evil. For Wilcox, the severity and roughness of life did not exist. Wilcox also was a strong believer of reincarnation. She believed that the negativity that life presented was just an opportunity for man to turn into a blessing. Wilcox played part in the establishment of the American Rosicrucian movement and was also appointed as its first Supreme Council officer. Her term as the Supreme Council officer lasted until her death.
Childhood
Born in the year 1850, on a farm in rural Johnstown, Wisconsin, Ella Wheeler Wilcox was the youngest amongst four siblings. Her mother, Ms. Wilcox, believed in pre-natal influences. According to her, parents could influence the soul personality of their would-be child by their thoughts and ideals and the kid, in his/her later years, would reflect them. When Ella was in her womb, Ms. Wilcox wanted a girl child, who would go on to become a writer. She did not had to wait too long to fulfill her dreams.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox, right from a very tender age, reflected a knack for creative writing. When she was only 8 years old, she wrote her first poem and rhyme. Six years later, at the age of 14, a piece of her prose was published in the New York Mercury. She became the pride of her parents and neighbors. However, the feeling of pride was soon swayed away, when Wilcox scored extremely low in mathematics. Though Wilcox came from a not-so-sound financial background, she was enrolled in Madison University.
Eventually, Wilcox left her studies and started pursuing her passion for writing. Just like other writers, she also struggled at the start of her writing career. Though Wilcox would pen down poems, only a few of them would get published, as there were not many potential buyers for her poetry. However, she was not the one to be disheartened by the struggle. She remained optimistic and continued sending her poems to one publisher after the other, with the hope that at least one of them would publish them.
Writing Themes
Gradually, Wilcox started living her mother's dream - her poems were being published and she was being recognized. She started making a living out of her work. Her poetry was focused on humanity's spirit and on themes of reincarnation. Her poems had a positive approach. For Wilcox, her poetry was a medium by which she could raise someone’s spirit, after his/her death. Her poems gave strength to those who were bereaving for the dead. Wilcox was a strong believer of reincarnation and said that every good thing that one does would get repaid, if not in this life, then in the next. She gave hope in despair and echoed the triumph of the human spirit in every poem she wrote.
Death
Diagnosed with cancer, Ella Wheeler Wilcox died in the year 1919. At the time of her death, she was just a week short of celebrating her 69th birthday.
Personal Life
At the age of 28, Ella Wheeler Wilcox married Robert Wilcox. He possessed a fine sense of humor and was an inspiration to her. More than anything, he loved her and her work. The couple was blessed with a son, but he died as an infant. After about 30 years of successful marriage, Robert Wilcox died in 1916. The couple had promised each other that whoever went first through death would return and communicate with the other. Sad and heartbroken, Wilcox waited for a long time to receive any communication from her beloved and got even more depressed when she heard nothing from him.
Works
Autobiography Book
• The Worlds and I
Poetry
• The Invisible Helpers in Cosmopolitan 57 (October 1914)
• The Voice of the Voiceless
• Disarmament
• Roads to God
• To An Astrologer
• Secret Thoughts
• An Ambitious Man
• An Englishman and Other Poems
• Hello, Boys!
• The Kingdom of Love
• Maurine and other Poems
• New Thought Pastels
• Poems of Cheer
• Poems of Experience
• Poems of Optimism
• Poems of Passion
• Poems of Power
• Poems of Progress
• Poems of Purpose
• Poems of Sentiment
• A Woman of the World
• Yesterday
• Poems of Reflection
Timeline:
1850 - Ella Wheeler Wilcox was born
1858 - Wrote her first poem
1864 - Got her writing published for the first time
1878 - Married Robert Wilcox
1916 - Robert Wilcox died
1919 - Left for the heavenly abode
Derek Walcott
Derek Walcott
Famous as Poet, Playwright, Writer, Visual Artist
Born in Castries, Saint Lucia
Nationality Saint Lucia
Works & Achievements Best known for his epic poem 'Omeros', 'Nobel Prize for Literature' (1992), honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
A Nobel laureate and an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Derek Walcott is one of the creative geniuses born in West Indies. He is only the third black to receive the ($1.2 million) Nobel Prize. A poet, playwright, writer and visual artist by profession, Walcott has to his credit some of the best poetries and plays known to the world. He is also the founder of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop (in Trinidad) and the Boston Playwrights' Theatre (at Boston University).
Childhood & Early Life
Derek Walcott was born in the town of Castries, in Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, on January 23, 1930. His father, Warwick, a Bohemian artist, died when he was young. As such, Walcott was raised by his mother, Alix, the head of the local Methodist School, who was very well read and also instilled the love of poetry in her children. Walcott completed his education from St. Mary's College in Castries. His first published poem was '1944', a 44 lines of blank verse, which appeared in 'The Voice of St. Lucia'.
In the year 1948, Walcott self published '25 Poems'. The following year, the 'Epitaph for the Young: XII Cantos' was released. Both the volumes reflected the influence he had gained from the creative masterminds, such as William Shakespeare, T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. A bright student, Walcott received a Colonial Development and Welfare scholarship and moved to the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, where he learned different languages, such as French, Latin and Spanish.
Walcott's first play, Henri Christopher, was performed in 1950. The same year, he founded the St Lucia Arts Guild. Two years later, he published the volume 'Poems'. The next year, i.e. in 1953, Walcott was off to Trinidad, to work as theatre and art critic. From 1953 to 1957, he worked as a teacher in the schools on several Caribbean islands. It was during this time that he started his profession as a journalist, writing features for both Public Opinion (in Kingston) and Trinidad Guardian. He also wrote drama critics for the latter.
Walcott was also recruited as a professor of poetry in the University of Boston and hence, had to arrange his schedule in a manner that allowed him to give equal time to both Trinidad and USA. In 1957, Walcott received a fellowship by the Rockefeller Foundation, to study the American theater, in New York. Two years later, in 1959, he founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, which produced the plays he had written earlier (Most of the plays written by Walcott are produced by the Trinidad Theatre Workshop only).
Though Walcott has received much success and admiration for his work, he was still missing his masterpiece. It was with the publication of 'In a Green Night', in 1962, that Walcott reached the pinnacle of success. Walcott founded the Boston Playwrights' Theatre, at Boston University, in the year 1981, with a vision to create a home for the plays in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1998, Walcott explored the genre of essays, with his first collection 'What the Twilight Says'. In 2007, he retired from his post in the Creative Writing Department at Boston University, where he taught poetry and drama.
The Present
Since the foundation of Trinidad Theatre Workshop, Walcott has been an active member of its Board of Directors. An industrious traveler, Walcott has explored many cities and countries since his first venture, but has his heart still remains the Caribbean society. The cultural fusion of African, Asiatic and European elements, which he finds out there, has attracted this creative poet and playwright. Although Walcott has retired, he continues to give readings and lectures in various colleges, throughout the world.
Writing Themes & Style
Walcott's hometown has had a steep influence on him, which is evidently reflected in his works as well. The experience of growing up on the isolated volcanic island is seen in many of his works, be it poetry, plays or essays. Walcott's plays have a fusion of elements which are seen in folktales, morality plays, allegory, fable and ritualistic and mythical ones. Epistemological, ontological, economical, political and social themes are some of the most explored subjects seen in his plays.
Personal Life
Derek Walcott tied the nuptial knot with Fay Moston, a secretary. However, the marriage did not last long and the couple got divorced after a few years. Walcott got married for the second time, to Margaret Maillard, who worked an almoner in a hospital. However, the couple soon broke up. Later, in 1976, the wedding bells rang again, as Walcott married Norline Metivier. Much like his previous attempts, his third marriage also failed and the duo parted ways.
Awards
• MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Award
• Royal Society of Literature Award
• Queen's Medal for Poetry (1988)
• Nobel Prize in Literature (1992)
His Works
Poetry
1948 - 25 Poems
1949 - Epitaph for the Young: Xll Cantos
1951 - Poems
1962 - In a Green Night: Poems 1948-60
1964 - Selected Poems
1965 - The Castaway and Other Poems
1969 - The Gulf and Other Poems
1973 - Another Life
1976 - Sea Grapes
1979 - The Star-Apple Kingdom
1981 - Selected Poetry, The Fortunate Traveller
1983 - The Caribbean Poetry of Derek Walcott and the Art of Romare Bearden
1984 - Midsummer
1986 - Collected Poems, 1948-1984
1987 - The Arkansas Testament
1990 - Omeros
1997 - The Bounty
2000 - Tiepolo's Hound
2004 - The Prodigal
2007 - Selected Poems (Edited, selected, and with an introduction by Edward Baugh)
Plays
1950 - Henri Christophe: A Chronicle in Seven Scenes
1951 - Harry Dernier: A Play for Radio Production
1953 - Wine of the Country
1954 - The Sea at Dauphin: A Play in One Act
1957 - Ione
1958 - Drums and Colours: An Epic Drama, Ti-Jean and His Brothers
1966 - Malcochon: or, Six in the Rain
1967 - Dream on Monkey Mountain
1970 - In a Fine Castle
1974 - The Joker of Seville, The Charlatan
1976 - O Babylon!
1977 - Remembrance
1978 - Pantomime
1980 - The Joker of Seville and O Babylon!: Two Plays
1982 - The Isle Is Full of Noises
1986 - Three Plays (The Last Carnival, Beef, No Chicken, and A Branch of the Blue Nile)
1991 - Steel
1993 - Odyssey: A Stage Version
1997 - The Capeman (lyrics, in collaboration with Paul Simon)
2002 - Walker and The Ghost Dance
Essays
1998 - What The Twilight Says
Timeline:
1930 - Derek Walcott was born
1944 - Gothis first poem '1944' published
1948 - Self published '25 Poems'
1949 - Self published 'Epitaph for the Young: XII Cantos'
1950 - Walcott's first play, Henri Christopher, was performed, Founded the St. Lucia Arts Guild
1952 - Published the volume 'Poems'
1953 - Went to Trinidad, to work as theatre and art critic
1953 to 57 - Worked as a teacher at schools, on several Caribbean islands
1957 - Received a fellowship by Rockefeller Foundation, to study the American theater
1959 - Founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop
1962 - Published 'In a Green Night'
1981 - Founded the Boston Playwrights' Theatre at Boston University
1998 - Gothis first collection of essay 'What the Twilight Says' published
2007 - Retired from the Creative Writing Department at Boston University
Famous as Poet, Playwright, Writer, Visual Artist
Born in Castries, Saint Lucia
Nationality Saint Lucia
Works & Achievements Best known for his epic poem 'Omeros', 'Nobel Prize for Literature' (1992), honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
A Nobel laureate and an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Derek Walcott is one of the creative geniuses born in West Indies. He is only the third black to receive the ($1.2 million) Nobel Prize. A poet, playwright, writer and visual artist by profession, Walcott has to his credit some of the best poetries and plays known to the world. He is also the founder of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop (in Trinidad) and the Boston Playwrights' Theatre (at Boston University).
Childhood & Early Life
Derek Walcott was born in the town of Castries, in Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, on January 23, 1930. His father, Warwick, a Bohemian artist, died when he was young. As such, Walcott was raised by his mother, Alix, the head of the local Methodist School, who was very well read and also instilled the love of poetry in her children. Walcott completed his education from St. Mary's College in Castries. His first published poem was '1944', a 44 lines of blank verse, which appeared in 'The Voice of St. Lucia'.
In the year 1948, Walcott self published '25 Poems'. The following year, the 'Epitaph for the Young: XII Cantos' was released. Both the volumes reflected the influence he had gained from the creative masterminds, such as William Shakespeare, T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. A bright student, Walcott received a Colonial Development and Welfare scholarship and moved to the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, where he learned different languages, such as French, Latin and Spanish.
Walcott's first play, Henri Christopher, was performed in 1950. The same year, he founded the St Lucia Arts Guild. Two years later, he published the volume 'Poems'. The next year, i.e. in 1953, Walcott was off to Trinidad, to work as theatre and art critic. From 1953 to 1957, he worked as a teacher in the schools on several Caribbean islands. It was during this time that he started his profession as a journalist, writing features for both Public Opinion (in Kingston) and Trinidad Guardian. He also wrote drama critics for the latter.
Walcott was also recruited as a professor of poetry in the University of Boston and hence, had to arrange his schedule in a manner that allowed him to give equal time to both Trinidad and USA. In 1957, Walcott received a fellowship by the Rockefeller Foundation, to study the American theater, in New York. Two years later, in 1959, he founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, which produced the plays he had written earlier (Most of the plays written by Walcott are produced by the Trinidad Theatre Workshop only).
Though Walcott has received much success and admiration for his work, he was still missing his masterpiece. It was with the publication of 'In a Green Night', in 1962, that Walcott reached the pinnacle of success. Walcott founded the Boston Playwrights' Theatre, at Boston University, in the year 1981, with a vision to create a home for the plays in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1998, Walcott explored the genre of essays, with his first collection 'What the Twilight Says'. In 2007, he retired from his post in the Creative Writing Department at Boston University, where he taught poetry and drama.
The Present
Since the foundation of Trinidad Theatre Workshop, Walcott has been an active member of its Board of Directors. An industrious traveler, Walcott has explored many cities and countries since his first venture, but has his heart still remains the Caribbean society. The cultural fusion of African, Asiatic and European elements, which he finds out there, has attracted this creative poet and playwright. Although Walcott has retired, he continues to give readings and lectures in various colleges, throughout the world.
Writing Themes & Style
Walcott's hometown has had a steep influence on him, which is evidently reflected in his works as well. The experience of growing up on the isolated volcanic island is seen in many of his works, be it poetry, plays or essays. Walcott's plays have a fusion of elements which are seen in folktales, morality plays, allegory, fable and ritualistic and mythical ones. Epistemological, ontological, economical, political and social themes are some of the most explored subjects seen in his plays.
Personal Life
Derek Walcott tied the nuptial knot with Fay Moston, a secretary. However, the marriage did not last long and the couple got divorced after a few years. Walcott got married for the second time, to Margaret Maillard, who worked an almoner in a hospital. However, the couple soon broke up. Later, in 1976, the wedding bells rang again, as Walcott married Norline Metivier. Much like his previous attempts, his third marriage also failed and the duo parted ways.
Awards
• MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Award
• Royal Society of Literature Award
• Queen's Medal for Poetry (1988)
• Nobel Prize in Literature (1992)
His Works
Poetry
1948 - 25 Poems
1949 - Epitaph for the Young: Xll Cantos
1951 - Poems
1962 - In a Green Night: Poems 1948-60
1964 - Selected Poems
1965 - The Castaway and Other Poems
1969 - The Gulf and Other Poems
1973 - Another Life
1976 - Sea Grapes
1979 - The Star-Apple Kingdom
1981 - Selected Poetry, The Fortunate Traveller
1983 - The Caribbean Poetry of Derek Walcott and the Art of Romare Bearden
1984 - Midsummer
1986 - Collected Poems, 1948-1984
1987 - The Arkansas Testament
1990 - Omeros
1997 - The Bounty
2000 - Tiepolo's Hound
2004 - The Prodigal
2007 - Selected Poems (Edited, selected, and with an introduction by Edward Baugh)
Plays
1950 - Henri Christophe: A Chronicle in Seven Scenes
1951 - Harry Dernier: A Play for Radio Production
1953 - Wine of the Country
1954 - The Sea at Dauphin: A Play in One Act
1957 - Ione
1958 - Drums and Colours: An Epic Drama, Ti-Jean and His Brothers
1966 - Malcochon: or, Six in the Rain
1967 - Dream on Monkey Mountain
1970 - In a Fine Castle
1974 - The Joker of Seville, The Charlatan
1976 - O Babylon!
1977 - Remembrance
1978 - Pantomime
1980 - The Joker of Seville and O Babylon!: Two Plays
1982 - The Isle Is Full of Noises
1986 - Three Plays (The Last Carnival, Beef, No Chicken, and A Branch of the Blue Nile)
1991 - Steel
1993 - Odyssey: A Stage Version
1997 - The Capeman (lyrics, in collaboration with Paul Simon)
2002 - Walker and The Ghost Dance
Essays
1998 - What The Twilight Says
Timeline:
1930 - Derek Walcott was born
1944 - Gothis first poem '1944' published
1948 - Self published '25 Poems'
1949 - Self published 'Epitaph for the Young: XII Cantos'
1950 - Walcott's first play, Henri Christopher, was performed, Founded the St. Lucia Arts Guild
1952 - Published the volume 'Poems'
1953 - Went to Trinidad, to work as theatre and art critic
1953 to 57 - Worked as a teacher at schools, on several Caribbean islands
1957 - Received a fellowship by Rockefeller Foundation, to study the American theater
1959 - Founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop
1962 - Published 'In a Green Night'
1981 - Founded the Boston Playwrights' Theatre at Boston University
1998 - Gothis first collection of essay 'What the Twilight Says' published
2007 - Retired from the Creative Writing Department at Boston University
David Wagoner
David Wagoner
Famous as Poet, Novelist, Professor
Born on 05 June 1926
Born in Massillon, Ohio
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Recipient of many prestigious literary awards, Professor at the University of Washington
David Wagoner is one of the prolific writers amongst the list of modern American literary scholars. Though media glare and attention has always eluded the writer, in comparison to his contemporaries, his work has been received with much appreciation and respect. He has also been a recipient of many prestigious literary awards. In 1978, Wagoner was selected to serve as the Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. He also served as the editor of Poetry Northwest, until its last issue, in 2002. Even today, Wagoner enjoys great repute both as a writer and as a professor. Currently, he is residing in Washington and teaches at the University of Washington, as a professor of poetry, fiction, and playwriting.
Childhood & Early Life
David Wagoner was born in the city of Massillon, Ohio, on June 5, 1926. He stayed there until seven years, after which his family shifted base to Whiting, Indiana. From 1944 to 1946, he served in the United States Navy. Around this time, Wagoner enrolled himself in the Pennsylvania State University and graduated three years later. Thereafter, he earned an M.A. in English from the same university, in 1949.
Later Life
By the time David Wagoner earned his PG degree, his love for poetry had taken shape. The industrial town of Indiana served as the base of his poetry. Not just the setting of his poems, but also the mood in the verses reflected the place. In 1953, Wagoner published the first one of his many collections of poetry, 'Dry Sun, Dry Wind'. The next year, in 1954, Wagoner shifted to the Pacific Northwest, as a teacher at the University of Washington, following the suggestion of his teacher and friend Theodore Roethke.
Initially influenced by family ties, ethnic neighborhoods, industrial production and pollution, Wagoner's outlook as well as his poetry changed from the years he spent at the University of Washington. The publication of his second collection of poems, titled 'A Place to Stand' (1958), helped the young poet define his individual voice and style of writing. Subsequently, Wagoner served as the editor of 'Poetry Northwest' for thirty six years i.e. from 1966 until its last issue, in 2002.
In 1968 Wagoner served as the Elliston Professor of Poetry, in the University of Cincinnati and from 1977-81, he was in the editorial seat at the Princeton University Press Contemporary Poetry Series. In 1973, Wagoner's play 'An Eye For An Eye For An Eye' was produced. Five years thence, in 1978, he was elected as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. Since 1983, he has been serving as the poetry editor at the University of Missouri Press, Columbia.
Writing Theme
Environment has had a deep influence on David Wagoner's poetry, right from the very beginning of his career. His initial works reflected his observation of the nature around him. However, the change from the industrial town of Indiana, to the lush setting of the Pacific, changed Wagoner's outlook and theme of writing completely. His second collection, 'A Place to Stand' reflected the development of his individual voice and style.
Apart from writing poetry, David Wagoner has also earned a name as a novelist. With his novels, he had explored almost all the genres of writing. However, most of his novels are based either on mainstream fiction or regional (Western) fiction, with some essence of drama and comedy. Another significant characteristic of Wagoner's novels is the portrayal of a naïve protagonist, who encounters human failing and social corruption, accepting it in the end.
Awards, Nominations & Honors
• Nominated for the National Book Award for 'Collected Poems', Won the Pushcart Prize (1977)
• Nominated for a National Book Award for 'In Broken Country' (1979)
• Pushcart Prize (1983)
• Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (1991)
• American Academy of Arts and Letters Award
• Sherwood Anderson Foundation Fiction Award
• Eunice Tjetjens Memorial and English-Speaking Union prizes from Poetry magazine
• Fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts
Works
Poetry
1953 - Dry Sun, Dry Wind
1958 - A Place to Stand
1959 - Poems
1963 - The Nesting Ground
1966 - Staying Alive
1969 - New and Selected Poems
1970 - Working Against Time
1972 - Riverbed
1974 - Sleeping in the Woods
1975 - A Guide to Dungeness Spit
1956–1976 - Collected Poems
1978 - Who Shall Be the Sun?
1979 - In Broken Country
1980 - The Hanging Garden
1981 - One for the Rose,Landfall
1983 - First Light
1987 - Through the Forest
1996 - Walt Whitman Bathing
1999 - Traveling Light
2002 - The House of Song
2005 - Good Morning and Good Night
2008 - A Map of the Night
Novels
1954 - The Man in the Middle
1955 - Money, Money, Money
1958 - Rock
1965 - The Escape Artist
1968 - Baby, Come On Inside
1970 - Where is My Wandering Boy Tonight?
1974 - The Road to Many a Wonder
1975 - Tracker
1976 - Whole Hog
1980 - The Hanging Garden
Other Works
1972 - Straw for the Fire: From the Notebooks of Theodore Roethke, 1943-1963, Doubleday
1973 - An Eye for an Eye (play)
Timeline:
1926 - David Wagoner was born
1933 - Shifted base to Whiting, Indiana
1944-46 - Served in the United States Navy
1949 - Earned an M.A. in English, from the Pennsylvania State University
1953 - Published his first of many collections of poetry, 'Dry Sun, Dry Wind'
1954 - Shifted to Pacific Northwest, as a teacher at the University of Washington
1958 - Published his second collection of poems, titled 'A Place to Stand'
1966-2002 - Served as the editor of 'Poetry Northwest'
1968 - Served as the Elliston Professor of Poetry in the University of Cincinnati
1973 - Play 'An Eye For An Eye For An Eye' was produced
1977-81 - Served as the Editor of the Princeton University Press Contemporary Poetry Series
1978 - Elected as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets
1983 - Became Poetry editor at the University of Missouri Press, Columbia
Famous as Poet, Novelist, Professor
Born on 05 June 1926
Born in Massillon, Ohio
Nationality United States
Works & Achievements Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Recipient of many prestigious literary awards, Professor at the University of Washington
David Wagoner is one of the prolific writers amongst the list of modern American literary scholars. Though media glare and attention has always eluded the writer, in comparison to his contemporaries, his work has been received with much appreciation and respect. He has also been a recipient of many prestigious literary awards. In 1978, Wagoner was selected to serve as the Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. He also served as the editor of Poetry Northwest, until its last issue, in 2002. Even today, Wagoner enjoys great repute both as a writer and as a professor. Currently, he is residing in Washington and teaches at the University of Washington, as a professor of poetry, fiction, and playwriting.
Childhood & Early Life
David Wagoner was born in the city of Massillon, Ohio, on June 5, 1926. He stayed there until seven years, after which his family shifted base to Whiting, Indiana. From 1944 to 1946, he served in the United States Navy. Around this time, Wagoner enrolled himself in the Pennsylvania State University and graduated three years later. Thereafter, he earned an M.A. in English from the same university, in 1949.
Later Life
By the time David Wagoner earned his PG degree, his love for poetry had taken shape. The industrial town of Indiana served as the base of his poetry. Not just the setting of his poems, but also the mood in the verses reflected the place. In 1953, Wagoner published the first one of his many collections of poetry, 'Dry Sun, Dry Wind'. The next year, in 1954, Wagoner shifted to the Pacific Northwest, as a teacher at the University of Washington, following the suggestion of his teacher and friend Theodore Roethke.
Initially influenced by family ties, ethnic neighborhoods, industrial production and pollution, Wagoner's outlook as well as his poetry changed from the years he spent at the University of Washington. The publication of his second collection of poems, titled 'A Place to Stand' (1958), helped the young poet define his individual voice and style of writing. Subsequently, Wagoner served as the editor of 'Poetry Northwest' for thirty six years i.e. from 1966 until its last issue, in 2002.
In 1968 Wagoner served as the Elliston Professor of Poetry, in the University of Cincinnati and from 1977-81, he was in the editorial seat at the Princeton University Press Contemporary Poetry Series. In 1973, Wagoner's play 'An Eye For An Eye For An Eye' was produced. Five years thence, in 1978, he was elected as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. Since 1983, he has been serving as the poetry editor at the University of Missouri Press, Columbia.
Writing Theme
Environment has had a deep influence on David Wagoner's poetry, right from the very beginning of his career. His initial works reflected his observation of the nature around him. However, the change from the industrial town of Indiana, to the lush setting of the Pacific, changed Wagoner's outlook and theme of writing completely. His second collection, 'A Place to Stand' reflected the development of his individual voice and style.
Apart from writing poetry, David Wagoner has also earned a name as a novelist. With his novels, he had explored almost all the genres of writing. However, most of his novels are based either on mainstream fiction or regional (Western) fiction, with some essence of drama and comedy. Another significant characteristic of Wagoner's novels is the portrayal of a naïve protagonist, who encounters human failing and social corruption, accepting it in the end.
Awards, Nominations & Honors
• Nominated for the National Book Award for 'Collected Poems', Won the Pushcart Prize (1977)
• Nominated for a National Book Award for 'In Broken Country' (1979)
• Pushcart Prize (1983)
• Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (1991)
• American Academy of Arts and Letters Award
• Sherwood Anderson Foundation Fiction Award
• Eunice Tjetjens Memorial and English-Speaking Union prizes from Poetry magazine
• Fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts
Works
Poetry
1953 - Dry Sun, Dry Wind
1958 - A Place to Stand
1959 - Poems
1963 - The Nesting Ground
1966 - Staying Alive
1969 - New and Selected Poems
1970 - Working Against Time
1972 - Riverbed
1974 - Sleeping in the Woods
1975 - A Guide to Dungeness Spit
1956–1976 - Collected Poems
1978 - Who Shall Be the Sun?
1979 - In Broken Country
1980 - The Hanging Garden
1981 - One for the Rose,Landfall
1983 - First Light
1987 - Through the Forest
1996 - Walt Whitman Bathing
1999 - Traveling Light
2002 - The House of Song
2005 - Good Morning and Good Night
2008 - A Map of the Night
Novels
1954 - The Man in the Middle
1955 - Money, Money, Money
1958 - Rock
1965 - The Escape Artist
1968 - Baby, Come On Inside
1970 - Where is My Wandering Boy Tonight?
1974 - The Road to Many a Wonder
1975 - Tracker
1976 - Whole Hog
1980 - The Hanging Garden
Other Works
1972 - Straw for the Fire: From the Notebooks of Theodore Roethke, 1943-1963, Doubleday
1973 - An Eye for an Eye (play)
Timeline:
1926 - David Wagoner was born
1933 - Shifted base to Whiting, Indiana
1944-46 - Served in the United States Navy
1949 - Earned an M.A. in English, from the Pennsylvania State University
1953 - Published his first of many collections of poetry, 'Dry Sun, Dry Wind'
1954 - Shifted to Pacific Northwest, as a teacher at the University of Washington
1958 - Published his second collection of poems, titled 'A Place to Stand'
1966-2002 - Served as the editor of 'Poetry Northwest'
1968 - Served as the Elliston Professor of Poetry in the University of Cincinnati
1973 - Play 'An Eye For An Eye For An Eye' was produced
1977-81 - Served as the Editor of the Princeton University Press Contemporary Poetry Series
1978 - Elected as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets
1983 - Became Poetry editor at the University of Missouri Press, Columbia
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