David Gervais – författare

In our time 'Englishness' has become a theme for speculation rather than dogma: twentieth-century writers have found it an elusive and ambiguous concept, a cue for nostalgia or for a sense of exile and loss. Literary Englands meditates on the contemporary meanings of 'Englishness' and explores some of the ways in which a sense of nationality has informed and shaped the work of a range of writers including Edward Thomas, Forster and Lawrence, Leavis and George Sturt, Orwell and Evelyn Waugh, Betjeman, Larkin and Geoffrey Hill. Through close engagement with the language and thought of these writers David Gervais shows the extent to which they have been influenced by the consciousness of working within a long-established, complex and sophisticated literary tradition. In the process he elucidates a nostalgia which lies at the heart of our culture.

In our time 'Englishness' has become a theme for speculation rather than dogma: twentieth-century writers have found it an elusive and ambiguous concept, a cue for nostalgia or for a sense of exile and loss. Literary Englands meditates on the contemporary meanings of 'Englishness' and explores some of the ways in which a sense of nationality has informed and shaped the work of a range of writers including Edward Thomas, Forster and Lawrence, Leavis and George Sturt, Orwell and Evelyn Waugh, Betjeman, Larkin and Geoffrey Hill. Through close engagement with the language and thought of these writers David Gervais shows the extent to which they have been influenced by the consciousness of working within a long-established, complex and sophisticated literary tradition. In the process he elucidates a nostalgia which lies at the heart of our culture.

The year is 1972, the age of hippies screaming for peace sweeps the land! Long-haired boys and young girls wearing mini skirts, were trying to `find themselves'' ! The news reported on demonstrations at campuses across the country, where peace protests were carried out with violence. But a shy, seventeen year old boy in the Deep South is fascinated by a different movement spreading throughout the land. They called themselves `Jesus People'' and were speaking of a personal relationship with the Lord. He hungered and searched for a deeper walk with Christ. His search eventually led him to a group of people in a nearby town. So enthralled with the apparent sincerity of these folks, he left the traditional church he had been raised in. Thinking that he''d finally found the answer to the disappointments of his life, he was drawn toward the lifestyle of these `Believers''. But slowly that idyllic dream began to turn into a horrifying nightmare as their teachings soon formed chains of bondage around his spirit, which seemed impossible to escape! However, the Lord reveals Himself to all who seek after Him! The help from heaven came to this boy through unexpected sources, But Jesus often uses the simple to confound the wise, creating a humble heart within us, and enabling us to see the truth.