Stephen Spender

A Literary Life

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Poetry History & Criticism, British, Biography & Memoir, Literary
Cover of the book Stephen Spender by John Sutherland, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Sutherland ISBN: 9780190292355
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: January 6, 2005
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: John Sutherland
ISBN: 9780190292355
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: January 6, 2005
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

One of the leading poets and cultural icons of the 20th century, Stephen Spender was a prominent writer, literary critic, and social commentator--and close friend of some of the best-know creative talents of his day. Now, in this penetrating biography, John Sutherland paints a vivid portrait of Spender and of the glittering literary world of which he was a part, drawing on exclusive access to Spender's private papers. This briskly paced, compelling narrative illuminates the vast range of Spender's literary, political, and artistic interests. We follow Spender from childhood to his days at Oxford (where he first became friends with W.H. Auden, Christopher Isherwood, and Isaiah Berlin); to his meteoric rise as poet in the 1930s, while still in his twenties; to his later years as cultural statesman, at home in both Britain and America. We witness many of the century's defining moments through Spender's eyes: the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Cold War, the 1960s sexual revolution, and the rise of America as a cultural force. And along the way, we are introduced to many of Spender's accomplished friends, including Dylan Thomas, Sylvia Plath, Cecil Day-Lewis, Joseph Brodsky, Lucian Freud, George Orwell, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot. Perhaps most important, Sutherland has been granted exclusive access to Spender's private papers by his wife Natasha Spender. Thus he is able to provide a far more intimate look at the poet's personal life than has appeared in previous biographies. Featuring 36 unpublished photographs, Stephen Spender: A Literary Life throws light not only on this supremely gifted writer, but also on the literary and social history of the twentieth century.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

One of the leading poets and cultural icons of the 20th century, Stephen Spender was a prominent writer, literary critic, and social commentator--and close friend of some of the best-know creative talents of his day. Now, in this penetrating biography, John Sutherland paints a vivid portrait of Spender and of the glittering literary world of which he was a part, drawing on exclusive access to Spender's private papers. This briskly paced, compelling narrative illuminates the vast range of Spender's literary, political, and artistic interests. We follow Spender from childhood to his days at Oxford (where he first became friends with W.H. Auden, Christopher Isherwood, and Isaiah Berlin); to his meteoric rise as poet in the 1930s, while still in his twenties; to his later years as cultural statesman, at home in both Britain and America. We witness many of the century's defining moments through Spender's eyes: the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Cold War, the 1960s sexual revolution, and the rise of America as a cultural force. And along the way, we are introduced to many of Spender's accomplished friends, including Dylan Thomas, Sylvia Plath, Cecil Day-Lewis, Joseph Brodsky, Lucian Freud, George Orwell, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot. Perhaps most important, Sutherland has been granted exclusive access to Spender's private papers by his wife Natasha Spender. Thus he is able to provide a far more intimate look at the poet's personal life than has appeared in previous biographies. Featuring 36 unpublished photographs, Stephen Spender: A Literary Life throws light not only on this supremely gifted writer, but also on the literary and social history of the twentieth century.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book China In World History by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Writing through Music by John Sutherland
Cover of the book 50 Studies Every Neurologist Should Know by John Sutherland
Cover of the book The Black Prince of Florence by John Sutherland
Cover of the book How the Brain Evolved Language by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Pocahontas - With Audio Level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library by John Sutherland
Cover of the book The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Progressivism in America by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Fair Resource Allocation and Rationing at the Bedside by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Advancing Evidence-Based Practice Through Program Evaluation by John Sutherland
Cover of the book The City of the End of Things by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Hermeneutics of Holiness by John Sutherland
Cover of the book The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Equality and Tradition by John Sutherland
Cover of the book Faith in Nation by John Sutherland
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy