Although Robert Lowell was born in 1917, Kay Redfield Jamison opens her new biography of the poet seventy-two years before his birth, in 1845, with a Lowell being committed to … Twitter. I hardly knew anything about Robert Lowell before reading this biography, having only read a handful of his poems and merely glanced through his famous "Life Studies." Lowell was manic-depressive, and it was incredible to me how he managed to work, a prolific poet and teacher, despite having to be hospitalized almost every year with mania and delusion. I found myself alternately pitying and hating Lowell. One of those books was The Letters of Robert Lowell edited by Sascha Hamilton in 2005. He attended Harvard College for two years before transferring to Kenyon College, where he studied poetry under John Crowe Ransom and received an undergraduate degree in 1940. National Book Awards Winner I enjoy this genre a lot, the literary biography, and this one seemed to do a good job of describing the life, times and poetry of Robert Lowell. The book follows the evolution of his poetry, his friendships with other well-known poets, his acquaintance with the Kennedys, his three marriages, especially his long marriage to the critic and essayist Elizabeth Hardwick, who stayed with him (until their breakup) through his many, many manic episodes, which always included colossal, out-in-the-open obsessions and affairs with other women, and his many hospitalizations. This was one such case. Although I wanted some more detail in places (I seem to always feel this way after reading a biography and perhaps it is an unfair critique), I think Hamilton has done a fine job of informing readers about the tumultuous life of Lowell ('Cal'). Well-written and comprehensive document of his life, but I'm glad to be putting it back on a shelf. In his poem, "Unwanted", he somewhat regretfully admits, "Alas, I can only tell my own story." Since Robert Lowell’s sudden death in 1977 his critical reputation has suffered from the usual post-mortem slump. Lowell was manic-depressive, and it was incredible to me how he managed to work, a prolific poet and teacher, despite having to be hospitalized almost every year with mania and delusion. by Vintage. More: Robert Lowell Poets Books Letters Collections Books & Fiction Get book recommendations, fiction, poetry, and dispatches from the world of literature in your in-box. Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV (March 1, 1917 – September 12, 1977) was an American poet, considered the founder of the confessional poetry movement. For me there are two difficulties with this book: RL suffered from bipolar disorder and thus, was not terribly kind to some of those whom he loved (and he loved many) and the fact that I am not a poet, and find his poetry difficult to understand. He was educated at a preparatory school in Massachusetts, two years at Harvard and then Kenyon College in Ohio, where he studied classics, graduating in 1940. Fresh Hearts That Failed Three Thousand Years Ago; With Other Things. Welcome back. Robert Lowell He is generally considered to be among the greatest American poets of the twentieth century. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. Robert Lowell: A Reading (sound recording of reading at Poetry Center of the 92nd Street "Y" in New York City, December 8, 1976), Caedmon, 1978. Robert Lowell at 100: why his poetry has never been more relevant Read more In the free-ish verse of Epilogue, Lowell solves the problem, as he saw it, of “flattening.” Minstrelsey of Edmund the Wanderer: Collected by His Early Companion, and Intimate Friend, Lieutenant Spence, of the United States' Navy. - The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. This settled it. Refresh and try again. If you enjoy the sensation of high speed, sudden drops and vaults to giddy heights, this is the book to read about the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Lowell (1917-77). A few other books containing Robert Lowell’s poetry were also released after his death in 1977. Original artwork for the front panel of the dust Jacket for Day by Day by Robert Lowell, winner of the 1977 National Book Critic Award for Poetry. Steven Axelrod proposes that the key to our understanding of Lowell's poetic achievement lies precisely in this interpenetration of his life and his art. Looking for books by Robert Lowell? Pinterest. Originally published in 1978. Hamilton is somewhat notorious for his People Magazine approach to his various biographical subjects. His first and second books, Land of Unlikeness (1944) and Lord Weary’s Castle (for which he received a Pulitzer Prize in 1947, at the age of thirty), were influenced by his conversion from Episcopalianism to Catholicism and explored the dark side of America’s Puritan legacy. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Gets the basic facts right, but nothing to write home about. Robert Lowell Reading His Own Poems (sound recording of Twentieth-Century Poetry in English series), Library of Congress, 1978. Hamilton has written a very interesting biography of a very complex poet. Last edited by Alan Millar. We’d love your help. FSG also published his Collected Prose in 1987. Be the first to ask a question about Robert Lowell. Mine eyes hurt. Still, if you are looking for a story about a tormented genius, this is it. I read this because Nick Hornby liked it. Book is in Near Fine Condition, with Near Fine Condition clear heavy glassine dustjacket. Robert Lowell's poetry collection Life Studies is considered by many to have changed the landscape of modern poetry. In this condensed edition of Selected Poems, Robert Lowell’s poems are brought together from all of his books of verse. Edit. Like Kay Redfield Jamison's "An Unquiet Mind", a must-read for anyone interested in manic-depression and creative genius. He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948. A belter of a biography even to a layman about a poet I’d never heard of, and, on finishing the book, was glad I hadn’t. The Collected Poems of Robert Lowell brings together, for the first time, the work of America's pre-eminent post-war poet. What a fascinating life! Bruce Bawer.The Middle Generation: The Lives and Poetry of Delmore Schwartz, Randall Jarell, John Berryman and Robert Lowell.North Haven, CT: Archon Books. A short, brilliant, and very often sad life, with a legacy of some of the 20th century's most remarkable poetry. On March 1, 1917, Robert Lowell was born into one of Boston's oldest and most prominent families. A superb biography and great starting point for anyone interested in Lowell's life and work. An edition of Robert Lowell (1976) Robert Lowell ... Robert Lowell This edition was published in 1976 by Open University Press in Milton Keynes. Hamilton's biography is a myopic ad hominem against a poet he could never hope to understand. This is not much different than his usual m.o. Robert Lowell (1917-1977) packed a huge amount into his sixty years: a rollercoaster of triumphs and disasters that informed his writing and pushed back the boundaries of what was deemed suitable subject matter for poetry. Although I wanted some more detail in places (I seem to always feel this way after reading a biography and perhaps it is an unfair critique), I think Hamilton has done a fine job of informing readers about the tumultuous life of Lowell ('Cal'). He was also proud, spiteful, conceited, and egotistical. In some ways, it was very interesting: Lowell lead an interesting life at an interesting time. in 1940 from Kenyon College, where he had studied underJohn Crowe Ransom and came to know Allen Tate. I believe that what Nick may have liked about it was how intimate a biography this is. Lowell’s confessional work of the 1960s marked a sea change in American letters – then he fell out of favour. Facebook. In 1940, he also converted to Catholicism. His manic illness caused him to act in unbelievably cruel ways at times and I mostly felt immense admiration for his second wife of 23 years, Elizabeth Hardwick, for helping her troubled husband through these times (despite his many infidelities). I believe that what Nick may have liked about it was how intimate a biography this is. Born in 1917 into an aristocratic Boston family Robert Lowell was not yet thirty when his first major collection of poems, Lord Weary's Castle, won the Pulitzer Prize.With Life Studies, his third book, he found the intense, highly personal voice that made him the foremost American poet of his generation.He held strong, complex and very public political views. He received his B.A. Robert Lowell (1917–1977) was the renowned and controversial author of many books of poetry, including Day by Day (FSG, 1977), For the Union Dead (FSG, 1964), and Life Studies (FSG, 1959). I hardly knew anything about Robert Lowell before reading this biography, having only read a handful of his poems and merely glanced through his famous "Life Studies." RL's life is very well documented in his abundant letters. Lowell was born to United States Navy Cmdr. The Old Glory: Endecott and the Red Cross; My Kinsman, Major Molineux; and Benito Cereno. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Robert Lowell 1917-1977. Limited to 200 copies of which this copy is numbered 197. The documentation of Robert Lowell’s life has followed this pattern. Synopsis Edmund Wilson wrote of Robert Lowell that he was the "only recent American poet - if you don't count Eliot - who writes successfully in the language and cadence and rhyme of the resounding English tradition". Saskia Hamilton is the author of several books of poetry, including Corridor , named one of the best poetry books of 2014 by The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review . I enjoy this genre a lot, the literary biography, and this one seemed to do a good job of describing the life, times and poetry of Robert Lowell. Discover Book Depository's huge selection of Robert Lowell books online. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These are human flaws and ones he easily recognized and often admitted shamefully to friends. For me there are two difficulties with this book: RL suffered from bipolar disorder and thus, was not terribly kind to some of those whom he loved (and he loved many) and the fact that I am not a poet, and find his po. Start by marking “Robert Lowell: A Biography” as Want to Read: Error rating book. It has become clear to me that Lowell was a man of immense genius. Robert Lowell (1917-1977) was the renowned and controversial author of many books of poetry, including Day by Day, The Dolphin, and History. October 12th 1983 He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948. Signed by Robert Lowell and Sidney Nolan on limitation page. Embed. Originally published in 1978. 5 5/8Ó by 8 1/2Ópainted onto paper which is wrapped around and taped to a thin piece of cardboard with ÒDay by Day / Robert LowellÓ printed on a 4 3/16Ó x 2 1/8Ó paper label affixed at 13/16Ó below the top edge. Robert Lowell was born in 1917 into a wealthy Boston Protestant family, the son of a naval commander. This all provides pretty good copy, as they like to say, for Jeffrey Meyers’s new book, Robert Lowell in Love, a detailed accounting of the women Lowell pursued and lived and conversed with. Words in Air: The Complete Correspondence Between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell, The Dolphin Letters, 1970-1979: Elizabeth Hardwick, Robert Lowell, and Their Circle, Lord Weary's Castle: The Mills of the Kavanaughs (Harvest/Hbj Book), The New Priest in Conception Bay (Notable American Authors), The Missouri Review: Confessional (Spring/summer 2005). Share this book. Collected Poems book. Read 34 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Known as one of the fathers of 'confessional poetry' he has been both admired and berated for his use of autobiography in his work. Free delivery worldwide on over 20 million titles. We are made by history.” So, this January, as we celebrate Martin Luther King... Born in 1917 into an aristocratic Boston family Robert Lowell was not yet thirty when his first major collection of poems. Even his relationship with Elizabeth Bishop was immortalized in print in the form of a play in 2012. See all books authored by Robert Lowell, including Life Studies & For the Union Dead, and Eight American Poets: An Anthology, and more on ThriftBooks.com. Ian Hamilton’s 1982 biography approached Lowell without a sufficient understanding of the poet’s mental illness, so it is unsurprising that we now have a revisionist account by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, a professor of psychiatry and winner of a MacArthur Fellowship. The book follows the evolution of his poetry, his friendships with other well-known poets, his acquaintance with the Kennedys, his three marriages, especially his long. He took graduate courses at Louisiana State University where he studied with Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks. In some ways, it was very interesting: Lowell lead an interesting life at an interesting time. Books blog Robert Lowell at 100: why his poetry has never been more relevant. To see what your friends thought of this book, Hamilton has written a very interesting biography of a very complex poet. The Lowells were a Boston Brahmin family that included poets Amy Lowell and James Russell Lowell; clergymen Charles Russell Lowell Sr. and Robert Traill Spence Lowell; Civil War general and war hero Charles Russell Lowell III (about whom Lowell wrote his poem "Charles Russell Lowell: 1835-1864"); and the Federal Judge John Lowell. I read this because Nick Hornby liked it. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Books mentioned in Nick Hornby's Polysyllabic Spree, New African American Histories and Biographies to Read Now. It’s important to read about something you know absolutely bugger all about. Chosen and introduced by Katie Peterson on the occasion of Robert Lowell’s one hundredth birthday, New Selected Poems offers a perfectly chosen and illuminating representation of one of the great careers in twentieth-century poetry. Born in Boston, Robert Lowell, great-grandnephew of James Russell Lowell and distant cousin of Amy Lowell, was a brilliant and rebellious member of that distinguished family. Robert Lowell was an American poet, best known for winning the ‘National Book Award’ for his book of poetry titled ‘Life Studies.’ Born to a military commander father in Massachusetts, he was a violent kid who bullied other children. July 19, 2012 | History. RL's life is very well documented in his abundant letters. This was a pretty big investment--500 pages on a poet I cannot stand, but I've wondered since my teens if I was missing something. 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