Rosemary Tonks was a feted poet, trenchant reviewer and literary socialite. And then she 'disappeared'. Following her death last month, Neil Astley traces her extraordinary storyThe "disappearance" of the poet Rosemary Tonks in the 1970s was one of the literary world's most tantalising mysteries. Bizarre theories abounded as to her whereabouts if she was still alive. As the poet Brian Patten put it in a BBC radio feature about her in 2009, she "evaporated into air like the Cheshire cat". One contributor imagined her living in Cuba, "smoking cigars in a doorway". Other commentators over the years have made her into a nun; consigned her to a sect; had her communing with the ghost of Charles Baudelaire; or put her in a shed at the bottom of someone's garden. For some reason, these mythmakers always required her to be living in poverty.Having tried to visit her myself, 10 years ago, I knew all these theories to be far from the truth. But out of respect for her declared wish, maintained by her family, that she should be left in peace, I kept her address and situation secret. Tonks died last month at the age of 85 (all the existing records had her as four years younger). She had indeed been living as a near-recluse but out of choice, quite comfortable in her circumstances. Even so, she remained restless in spirit, defiantly independent and quite alone in her continuing search for God, for she was ever alert to the "brainwashing", manipulative tendencies in the religious... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The celebrated American poet and winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature died on October 13 at her home in Cambridge, Mass. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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It’s 40 years since The Colour of Magic hit the shelves. As newly unearthed short stories are published, fans and friends celebrate the late author’s enduring legacy“Of all the dead authors in the world, Terry Pratchett is the most alive,” said John Lloyd at the author’s memorial in 2015. This... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-07 10:00:09 UTC ]
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Verity Laughton’s stage adaptation of Pip Williams’ best-selling book is a a very clever realisation. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2023-09-28 05:05:12 UTC ]
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The former US poet laureate, Rita Dove is the National Book Foundation's 2023 Distinguished Contribution medal winner. The post US National Book Foundation Honors Poet Rita Dove appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-08 18:57:16 UTC ]
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After aimlessly walking about Bloomsbury on an intermittently rainy afternoon, I unsuccessfully decided to search for the grave of John Milton while nursing a wicked hangover, or as is probably more likely, while still being drunk from the previous evening. Only my second week in London, I was... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-15 10:00:18 UTC ]
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He won the National Book Award for poetry in 2009, having first been nominated 40 years earlier. He taught at Brown University for four decades. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-08-12 19:10:36 UTC ]
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John Lovell, the self-styled Warrior Poet, shoots to the top of nonfiction listings with a Christian living title for men and Sarah Young's Jesus Calling still rings up sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Indigenous-Minority Poets from China: 15 Recordings for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, by Ming Di Audio Poetry [email protected] Tue, 08/08/2023 - 14:48 Photo by Nicolas Winkler / Flickr To celebrate the International Day of... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-08-08 19:48:59 UTC ]
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A memoir by Tahir Hamut Izgil, a Uyghur intellectual who escaped China, explores the corrosive effect of repression and surveillance on his community. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-08-01 12:36:10 UTC ]
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Maldonado, the first Latinx appointee to helm the Academy, was previously codirector of 92NY’s Unterberg Poetry Center. He will begin his new role on July 17. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Mary Norbert Korte, a beatnik nun who left the Dominican Order to join San Francisco’s poetry scene and an off-grid eco-warrior who preserved more than 400 acres of old-growth redwood forest, died last November at age 88. Indie publishing is keeping her work alive. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A 57-year-old “self-styled poet” (aren’t they all?) has spent $116,000 of his own money to build a bookstore in a mountaintop village. Oh, and it’s shaped like the number 7 and contains 7,000 books. No, this is not a parable. As Jiang Libo told the South China Morning Post: Before my bookshop... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 15:04:22 UTC ]
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Comics artist and novelist MariNaomi tackles a puzzle in the memoir 'I Thought You Loved Me': Why did a best friend dump them? Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-05-05 13:00:54 UTC ]
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In “Stalking Shakespeare,” Lee Durkee describes his quest to find a true, authentic image of the famous playwright, a search that becomes a tragicomic tale in its own right. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-04-15 09:00:13 UTC ]
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Many readers are back to meeting in person after being forced to embrace Zoom book clubs during the pandemic. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2023-03-16 09:45:02 UTC ]
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The California Independent Booksellers Alliance has released 'This Wander State: Poems from Alta,' the first volume in a series of poetry collections, which will be focused on a region of the vast state. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In her memoir 'I Am Debra Lee,' BET's former CEO gets candid about her tenure at the cable network and shares advice for women in corporate America. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-03-07 19:04:58 UTC ]
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Poets are expert wordsmiths, so it's no surprise these prose books by poets are meticulously crafted, making for unforgettable reads. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-12-08 11:33:00 UTC ]
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Contemporary global crises affected the writing and production of Katherine Marsh's newest middle-grade novel, inspired by her Ukrainian family history, in unexpected ways. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive: Key Murdoch editor was at Wall Street Journal Tech Live event at Laguna Beach last month along with top News Corp executivesFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastChristopher Dore lost his job... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-11-18 07:59:05 UTC ]
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