Conrad Aiken (1889–1973)
Auteur van Selected Poems
Over de Auteur
Conrad Potter Aiken was born on August 5, 1889 in Savannah, Georgia. He attended Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, where he edited the school newspaper, played baseball, and won a tennis doubles championship. In 1907, he entered Harvard University and became friends with T.S. Eliot. toon meer Knowing he was destined to be a poet from an early age, Aiken is paradoxically regarded by some critics as both a dazzling craftsman and by others as being long-winded and vague. However, many critics feel that he was central to American literature, a "literary period in himself." Aiken is perhaps best known for his 1930 Pulitzer Prize-winning book Selected Poems (1929), but he regarded the poem "Ushant" as his most satisfying work. In almost all of Aiken's works, his overriding concern has been to resolve what might be called a personal identity crisis in terms of the cosmic evolution of consciousness and one's relationship to the world at large. In the 1920s Aiken turned to short story writing to supplement his income. Overall, he published more than 50 titles, including 35 collections of poetry, five novels, one autobiographical essay, and several collections of short stories and criticism. Conrad Aiken died on August 17, 1973 at the age of 84. (Bowker Author Biography) toon minder
Fotografie: Courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery (image use requires permission from the New York Public Library)
Werken van Conrad Aiken
Three novels 6 exemplaren
Impulse 4 exemplaren
The pilgrimage of Festus 3 exemplaren
The Clerk's Journal, Being the Diary of a Queer Man : An Undergraduate Poem, Together with a Brief Memoir of Harvard,… (1971) 3 exemplaren
An Old Man Sees Himself 2 exemplaren
Mr. Arcularis {story} 2 exemplaren
John Deth : A Metaphysical Legend & Other Poems 2 exemplaren
Landscape west of Eden 2 exemplaren
Punch : The Immortal Liar - Documents in His History 2 exemplaren
Senlin : a biography 2 exemplaren
Impulso y otros cuentos 2 exemplaren
And in the Human Heart 2 exemplaren
Selected Poems 2 exemplaren
An Anthology of Modern American Poetry 1 exemplaar
Il Logos della Quinta Strada 1 exemplaar
The Collected Stories of Conrad Aiken 1 exemplaar
Yale series of recorded poets 1 exemplaar
Selected Poems of Emily Dickson 1 exemplaar
Senlin; a biography 1 exemplaar
The art of knowing 1 exemplaar
The Room [poem] 1 exemplaar
Tetélestai [poem] 1 exemplaar
Sea Holly [poem] 1 exemplaar
And in the Hanging Gardens [poem] 1 exemplaar
William Faulkner; The Novel as Form 1 exemplaar
Cambio de opinión 1 exemplaar
Tres Escritores Norteamericanos X 1 exemplaar
Gerelateerde werken
The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Robert Frost (2004) — Medewerker — 1,052 exemplaren
American Poetry: The Twentieth Century, Volume One: Henry Adams to Dorothy Parker (2000) — Medewerker — 438 exemplaren
The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson [Modern Library Classics] (1924) — Introductie, sommige edities — 400 exemplaren
American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps (2009) — Medewerker — 264 exemplaren
The Best Short Stories of 1922 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story (2017) — Medewerker — 6 exemplaren
Breakdown and Other Thrillers — Medewerker — 4 exemplaren
American poets, an anthology of contemporary verse — Medewerker — 4 exemplaren
Fear in the Blood: Tales from the Dark Lineages of the Weird: 48 (British Library Tales of the Weird) (2024) — Medewerker — 4 exemplaren
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 10, June 1978 — Medewerker — 2 exemplaren
Tagged
Algemene kennis
- Gangbare naam
- Aiken, Conrad
- Officiële naam
- Aiken, Conrad Potter
- Pseudoniemen en naamsvarianten
- Leake, Samuel, Jr.
- Geboortedatum
- 1889-08-05
- Overlijdensdatum
- 1973-08-17
- Graflocatie
- Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, USA
- Geslacht
- male
- Nationaliteit
- USA
- Land (voor op de kaart)
- USA
- Geboorteplaats
- Savannah, Georgia, USA
- Plaats van overlijden
- Savannah, Georgia, USA
- Woonplaatsen
- Savannah, Georgia, USA
New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
Concord, Massachusetts, USA
Washington, D.C., USA
Rye, New York, USA
West Brewster, Massachusetts, USA - Opleiding
- Middlesex School, Concord, Massachusetts
Harvard University (AB|1911) - Beroepen
- poet
novelist
literary critic
short-story writer - Relaties
- Lorenz, Clarissa (wife)
Aiken, Joan (daughter)
Hodge, Jane Aiken (daughter)
Aiken, John (son)
Eliot, T. S. (friend)
Pound, Ezra (friend) (toon alle 9)
Lowry, Malcolm (friend)
Davies, W. H. (friend)
Santayana, George (teacher) - Organisaties
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
Harvard Club - Prijzen en onderscheidingen
- Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (1950-52)
Gold Medal, National Institute of Arts and Letters
National Medal for Literature
Bollingen Prize (1956)
Poet Lauerate of Georgia
Shelley Memorial Award (first winner) (toon alle 13)
Gold Medal of Achievement, Brandeis University
St. Botolph Award
Huntington Hartford Foundation award
Academy of American Poets Fellowship
Guggenheim fellowship
Aiken Taylor Award
Georgia Writers Hall of Fame - Korte biografie
- Conrad Aiken was an American poet, short story writer, critic and novelist. Most of Aiken's work reflects his intense interest in psychoanalysis and the development of identity. As editor of Emily Dickinson's Selected Poems in 1924, he was largely responsible for establishing her posthumous literary reputation. From the 1920s Aiken divided his life between England and the United States, playing a significant role in introducing American poets to the British audience.
He was the father of two gifted writers, Joan Aiken and Jane Aiken Hodge.
Leden
Discussies
THE DEEP ONES: "Mr. Arcularis" by Conrad Aiken in The Weird Tradition (april 2016)
Besprekingen
A generous helping of Conrad Aiken's critical writings, from 1915 to 1955, this volume goes a long way toward understanding the man, the critic, the poet, the writer. His humble, yet profound understanding of the artists he reviews is a delight to read- especially the three self-effacing, harsh critiques he does of his own work early on. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants an accessible entryway into the world of literary criticism and the gifted artists it examines.
Though the least accessible memoir I have ever read, Aiken's epic-length essay pulls me back every so often as if to say, "Oh, come on. You can do it. Finish the book this time." And I try. And I fail. But one of these days... (Which is what I keep saying about Moby Dick and Don Quixote.)
The book's obtuse nature aside, though, it is full of prose that is by turns mysterious and beautiful, surreal and stark, tender and brutal. Like many of Aiken's stories, you are entering a world you won't soon forget, the events compelling, even more so if you study about Aiken's life before tackling Ushant. In the end, I believe it was very brave of Aiken to bare his life to the world- even if it's sometimes done by way of riddles, ciphers and symbolism. That's one of the reasons this book is so fascinating and rewarding.
To get a fuller picture of Aiken's style and talent, check out the novel Blue Voyage. Similar themes and style, but more straightforward... well, most of the time...… (meer)
The book's obtuse nature aside, though, it is full of prose that is by turns mysterious and beautiful, surreal and stark, tender and brutal. Like many of Aiken's stories, you are entering a world you won't soon forget, the events compelling, even more so if you study about Aiken's life before tackling Ushant. In the end, I believe it was very brave of Aiken to bare his life to the world- even if it's sometimes done by way of riddles, ciphers and symbolism. That's one of the reasons this book is so fascinating and rewarding.
To get a fuller picture of Aiken's style and talent, check out the novel Blue Voyage. Similar themes and style, but more straightforward... well, most of the time...… (meer)
Reading Aiken’s BLUE VOYAGE again, and it makes more sense this time. Not sure if it just took a while to get used to Aiken’s style, or if I’m paying closer attention now, or if it’s because I understand the story better. Regardless, it’s becoming one of those books I’ll return to every couple of years just because it’s so deep, atmospheric and puzzling. Sex, death, eternity, spirituality, religion- it’s all there in one form or another.
As for structure and tone, it moves forward in time, over a series of days, but the voyage is fraught with flashbacks, internal and external conversations, dreams, letters, multiple streams of dialogue vying simultaneously for the reader’s attention. To read this book is to walk into the middle of conversations, stories, relationships and voyages. There’s no beginning and no end; it feels like we’ve been on the ship forever. Though countries are mentioned, the world is this ship, an island isolated from everything in the past or future.
What doesn’t make sense yet are the recurring images/thoughts of crucifixion. Why didn’t Aiken instead speak of self-sacrifice in terms of martyrdom or masochism? To be crucified is not necessarily something that one submits to willingly, like a martyr, but ending up on the cross has never been something one couldn’t avoid, if they put their mind to it. Maybe Aiken is simply implying that a commitment to something like marriage- matrimony or avoidance of the same figure prominently in this tale- is only worthwhile if someone is willing to give up freedom and comfort.
Marriage doesn’t fare well, as an institution, in the book. Smith’s marriage- Smith being a secondary character- failed years before; Demarest (the main character) is a confirmed but unfulfilled, bachelor; Cynthia, his ex-fiancé, is about to be married; one of the ship’s staff is married, but ready to cheat on his wife; the Major stays away from his wife for months at a time; the alluring Faubion is married, but on the cusp of a divorce due to her infidelity. None of the characters in Blue Voyage appear with their spouses- and of all of them, Demarest seems the closest to desiring a meaningful relationship. Yet he seems unable, due to fear or a lack of confidence, to effect the relationship he desires.
As for the characters, one of the most annoying is the geriatric Smith; more pathetic than lecherous, he is the personification of regret. Allegedly on the prowl for women, he is more talk than action. He flirts when he should be charming, charming when he should be genuine, friendly when he should instead be a friend. He seems to be the future that Demarest sees himself destined to become- unless this protagonist can overcome a fear of failure enabled by narcissism. Smith is the closest thing to a friend that Demarest has on board the ship, yet the elderly man is more of a co-conspirator in the quest for sex. To say that Smith is past his prime would be understatement; he is on death’s door, or might as well be, so unable is he to connect with the opposite sex.
I could go on and on, for BLUE VOYAGE is one of those books of which another book could be written, there is so much going on- the author’s psyche embedded everywhere one looks. His affairs, wordplay, poetry career, musings on religion, witnessed deaths in his family, and father-son dysfunction. It’s all there, and put together in such a way that I’ll never get to the bottom of it- not as long as his other puzzler, USHANT, is around.… (meer)
As for structure and tone, it moves forward in time, over a series of days, but the voyage is fraught with flashbacks, internal and external conversations, dreams, letters, multiple streams of dialogue vying simultaneously for the reader’s attention. To read this book is to walk into the middle of conversations, stories, relationships and voyages. There’s no beginning and no end; it feels like we’ve been on the ship forever. Though countries are mentioned, the world is this ship, an island isolated from everything in the past or future.
What doesn’t make sense yet are the recurring images/thoughts of crucifixion. Why didn’t Aiken instead speak of self-sacrifice in terms of martyrdom or masochism? To be crucified is not necessarily something that one submits to willingly, like a martyr, but ending up on the cross has never been something one couldn’t avoid, if they put their mind to it. Maybe Aiken is simply implying that a commitment to something like marriage- matrimony or avoidance of the same figure prominently in this tale- is only worthwhile if someone is willing to give up freedom and comfort.
Marriage doesn’t fare well, as an institution, in the book. Smith’s marriage- Smith being a secondary character- failed years before; Demarest (the main character) is a confirmed but unfulfilled, bachelor; Cynthia, his ex-fiancé, is about to be married; one of the ship’s staff is married, but ready to cheat on his wife; the Major stays away from his wife for months at a time; the alluring Faubion is married, but on the cusp of a divorce due to her infidelity. None of the characters in Blue Voyage appear with their spouses- and of all of them, Demarest seems the closest to desiring a meaningful relationship. Yet he seems unable, due to fear or a lack of confidence, to effect the relationship he desires.
As for the characters, one of the most annoying is the geriatric Smith; more pathetic than lecherous, he is the personification of regret. Allegedly on the prowl for women, he is more talk than action. He flirts when he should be charming, charming when he should be genuine, friendly when he should instead be a friend. He seems to be the future that Demarest sees himself destined to become- unless this protagonist can overcome a fear of failure enabled by narcissism. Smith is the closest thing to a friend that Demarest has on board the ship, yet the elderly man is more of a co-conspirator in the quest for sex. To say that Smith is past his prime would be understatement; he is on death’s door, or might as well be, so unable is he to connect with the opposite sex.
I could go on and on, for BLUE VOYAGE is one of those books of which another book could be written, there is so much going on- the author’s psyche embedded everywhere one looks. His affairs, wordplay, poetry career, musings on religion, witnessed deaths in his family, and father-son dysfunction. It’s all there, and put together in such a way that I’ll never get to the bottom of it- not as long as his other puzzler, USHANT, is around.… (meer)
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