James merrill life and art

On the 20th anniversary of his death, this massive funerary stele of a book pays tribute to an american poet much inspired by. James merrill was recognized as one of the leading poets of his generation. Merrill was born to high privilege and high expectations as the son of charles merrill, the charismatic cofounder of the brokerage firm merrill lynch, and hellen ingram, a muse, ally, and antagonist throughout her sons life. It now feels weird that six months ago i had never heard of him. Langdon hammers biography of poet and writer james merrill is wholly definitive in scope, and threaded throughout with merrills brilliant. A site devoted to a biography, archives and photographs of and about poet james merrill, compiled and written by yale professor langdon hammer. The exhibition was designed to showcase the james merrill papers and the key role they played in the research and writing of langdon hammers biography, james merrill. To take but one example, there is the orchard, the merrill summer home in southampton, long island, where james s parents, the financier charles merrill and.

Langdon hammers extraordinary biography of the poet, james merrill. This book is the first biography of the poet james merrill 19261995. Ive been waiting for it since i first met hammer eight years ago he taught me in graduate school, and hes been working on it for well over a. Life and art is a fineline portrait of the awardwinning gay poet. Langdon hammer has given us the first biography of the poet james merrill 192695, whose life is surely one of the most fascinating in american literature. Life and art is a big, rich, thoroughly researched, highly entertaining, and at times deeply moving book, an exemplary biography that. Life and art, and explores the composition of the changing light at sandover. It was the perfect way to read it, too, because that way james merrill and his poetry seeped into my own life and enriched it.

Merrills life, merrills art, and the relationship between that life and art. He was born at a residence which would become the site of the greenwich village townhouse explosion, which merrill would lament in the. Life and art is a brilliantly marshaled biography of a surprisingly elusive subject. Merrills poetry falls into 2 distinct bodies of work. Langdon hammer has given us the first biography of the poet james mer. Merrill wrote to his mother that the story makes me so homesick for not southampton but for being a child again, being in a position to experience the. Knopf, 2015, langdon hammer records merrill at 18 reacting to a letter from a nephew who describes being left alone in a rowboat drifting toward some swans. The opening sentence of langdon hammers fine, wholly definitive. We celebrate the great twentieth century american poet james merrill with readings from the celebrated new biography james merrill. Steve donoghue, open letters monthly langdon hammers richly textured biography of james merrill s life and art, which are so inextricably intertwined, is a work of great candor, insight, and sympathetic imagination. Merrill was born to high privilege and high expectations as the son of charles merrill, the charismatic cofounder of the brokerage firm merrill lynch, and hellen ingram, a muse, ally, and antagonist throughout her son. Praised for his stylish elegance, moral sensibilities, and transformation of autobiographical moments into deep and complex meditations, merrills work spans genresincluding plays and prosebut the bulk of his artistic expression can be found in his poetry.

Hammer is professor of english and american studies at yale university and in its scope and intimacy, his portrait of merrill is a masterful performance of the biographers art. James merrill life and art epub langdon hammer achat. These details are related in langdon hammers very fine if punishingly long james merrill. In beginning these comments with merrill s art, i dont mean in any way to suggest that hammer has been less than comprehensive in his sensitive narration of the poets life. James ingram merrill was born in new york city to hellen.

Merrill was born to high privilege and high expectations as the son of charles merrill. Notes and background on the black swan james merrills. Since his death in 1995, from a heart attack related to aids, merrills reputation has been hobbled by his respectabilitythe. Life and art for the first time is like reading it again. James ingram merrill was born in new york city, to charles e. What james merrill thought of the jews the forward. Langdon hammer the first biography of one of the most important poets in the second half of the twentieth century, whose life story is unparalleled in its narrative interest. Langdon hammer was insightful, sprinkling his book with readings of james merrill s poetry and giving the authors work context within his life. The genius and generosity of jimmy merrill by edward mendelson.

Life and art by langdon hammer langdon hammer has given us the first biography of the poet james merrill 192695, whose life is surely one of the most fascinating in american literature. When wallace stevens met james merrill for the first time in october 1954, the 75yearold master recognized something of his younger self in. Life and art, makes clear that from the start, long before he began taking. James merrill biography by langdon hammer life and art us. Life and art is a big, rich, thoroughly researched, highly entertaining, and at times deeply moving book, an exemplary biography that is both a wonderful read and a worthy tribute to its subject. Life and art knopf, 2015 is a critical biography of the intertwined life and work of james merrill 192695. Life and art, which opens with a quotation from its irritated subject, who, in response to a friends snide complaint, some of us have to work for a living, replied, i merely live to work. The ephraim volume, along with langdon hammers substantial and substantially eloquent biography james merrill. Mlinko finds much to admire in hammers biography, particularly in the way it serves to. Merrill 18851956, the founding partner of the merrill lynch investment firm, and hellen ingram merrill 18982000, a society reporter and publisher from jacksonville, florida. A biography of james merrill looks at the work that grew from his life, and at his literary collaboration with a longtime partner. For those familiar with james merrills poetry, reading langdon hammers james merrill. Life and art is a big, rich, thoroughly researched, highly entertaining, and at times deeply moving book, an exemplary biography. The biography chronicles the life of the renowned poet and in the words of dan chiasson in the new yorker, it is as vivid and artful.

Life and art by literary critic langdon hammer, chair of the yale english department and poetry editor at the american scholar. Download pdf james merrill life and art free usakochan. Life and art, james merrill, langdon hammer, knopf. I first encountered his poems in love speaks its name, and something about his poems made me get both sandover, his collected poems and this biography. Add to this list langdon hammers new book, james merrill. Which is crucial with this poet, since most of his work is autobiographical to a point where it is difficult to understand many of his poems without some knowledge of his life. Over the long course of his career, merrill won nearly. The symposium included an exhibition titled james merrill. Merrill was born to high privilege and high expectations as the son of charles merrill, the charismatic cofounder of the brokerage firm merrill lynch, and hellen ingram, a muse, ally. James ingram merrill was an american poet whose awards include the pulitzer prize for poetry 1977 for divine comedies.

Wounded by his parents divorce, he was the child of a broken. Life and art, the first biography of this important and complicated american poet. To take but one example, there is the orchard, the merrill summer home in southampton, long island, where jamess parents, the financier charles merrill and. Merrill was born to high privilege and high expectations as the son of charles merrill, the charismatic cofounder of merrill lynch, and hellen. Merrill was one of americas greatest poets of the twentieth century, and this book has been a long time in the writing. The james merrill house is maintained by the stonington village improvement association in stonington borough in order to preserve an important literary landmark and to further the legacy of one of americas great poets. Langdon hammers lucid, sympathetic biography, james merrill. In beginning these comments with merrills art, i dont mean in any way to suggest that hammer has been less than comprehensive in his sensitive narration of the poets life. Steve donoghue, open letters monthly langdon hammers richly textured biography of james merrills life and art, which are so inextricably intertwined, is a work of great candor, insight, and sympathetic imagination. Merrill was born to privilege and high expectations as the son of charles merrill, the cofounder of the brokerage firm merrill lynch, and hellen ingram, a muse, ally, and antagonist throughout her sons life. A poet who believed in nothing as in love the nation. Merrill was born to high privilege and high expectations as the son of charles merrill, the charismatic. Life and art knopf, suggests that life and art were for merrill a feedback loop, not at all yeatss. Life and archive, in the olin librarys ginkgo room and grand staircase foyer.