Life of the Author – serie

Discover an invigorating new perspective on the life and work of William Shakespeare  The Life of the Author: William Shakespeare delivers a fresh and exciting new take on the life of William Shakespeare, offering readers a biography that brings to the foreground his working life as a poet, playwright, and actor. It also explores the nature of his relationships with his friends, colleagues, and family, and asks important questions about the stories we tell about Shakespeare based on the evidence we actually have about the man himself. The book is written using scholarly citations and references, but with an approachable style suitable for readers with little or no background knowledge of Shakespeare or the era in which he lived. The Life of the Author: William Shakespeare asks provocative questions about the playwright-poet’s preoccupation with gender roles and sexuality, and explores why it is so challenging to ascertain his political and religious allegiances. Conservative or radical? Misogynist or proto-feminist? A lover of men or women or both? Patriot or xenophobe? This introduction to Shakespeare’s life and works offers no simple answers, but recognizes a man intensely responsive to the world around him, a playwright willing and able to collaborate with others and able to collaborate with others, and, of course, his exceptional, perhaps unique, contribution to literature in English.  The book covers the entirety of William Shakespeare’s life (1564-1616), taking him from his childhood in Stratford-upon-Avon to his success in the theatre world of London and then back to his home town and comfortable retirement. The Life of the Author: William Shakespeare sets his achievement as a writer within the dangerous, vibrant cultural world that was Elizabethan and Jacobean England, revealing a writer’s life of frequent collaboration, occasional crisis, but always of profound creativity. Perfect for undergraduate students in Literature, Drama, Theatre Studies, History, and Cultural Studies courses, The Life of the Author: William Shakespeare will also earn a place in the libraries of students interested in Gender Studies and Creative Writing.

THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR An expansive biography of John Milton, including an assessment of his poetry and prose and an account of the ways in which he has been presented over the past three and a half centuries—written by a leading scholar in the fieldIt is hard to overstate the role that John Milton played in the historical, political and literary controversies of seventeenth century England; his writings and very life challenged the status quo. Living through one of the most tumultuous periods in British history, Milton was involved at every turn. Struggling to reconcile his private beliefs with his involvement with a radical political experiment, a republic which involved the killing of the monarch, his star rose and fell several times during his life. Married three times, struck blind at a cruelly early age, he was a famed pamphleteer and political activist whose revolutionary political credos placed him in mortal danger after the Restoration. Milton’s varied life makes for fascinating reading but it also produced some of the most important poetry in the English language. Paradise Lost, the only poem in English recognized as an epic, challenged conventional thinking on widespread topics from religion and gender equality to the fundamental question of why we behave as we do.This fascinating new biography is divided into two parts. The first separates the man from the myth, and elucidates the complicated details of Milton’s life from his early years as a literary artist uncertain of his destiny, through his work as a propagandist for the Cromwellian republic, to his rewriting of the Old Testament story of the Fall as a poetic allegory of more recent history. The second looks at how biographers and critics from the seventeenth century to the present day have distorted and manipulated the personality of Milton to suit their biases. Balancing accessibility with academic rigor, this volume:Examines the significant aspects of Milton’s life and work, including his poetry and prose, his government writings, his travels, and his final yearsExplores Milton’s Protestant and republican influences in Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and his other literary worksHighlights the differences and similarities between Milton’s poetry and political proseFollows the history of biographical and critical presentations of Milton from the seventeenth century onwards, including his adoption as a hero of Romanticism and his survival in the twentieth century as, allegedly, a sceptical humanistAddresses modern critiques of Milton in Marxism, Feminism, and other branches of TheoryThe Life of the Author: John Milton. Poet and Revolutionary is essential reading for undergraduate and graduate students, university lecturers, and academic researchers in relevant fields, particularly seventeenth century poetry and history, as well as literary biography and the history of criticism.

THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR MAYA ANGELOUDISCOVER THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF MAYA ANGELOU WITH A HIGHLY PERSONAL AND DETAILED ACCOUNT OF HER CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHSThe Life of the Author: Maya Angelou delivers an engaging and thorough retelling of the life and work of the celebrated and accomplished writer, director, and essayist. The book offers readers an engrossing retelling of Maya Angelou's entire life, from her time as a child in the segregated town of Stamps, Arkansas, to her death in 2014 in Winston-Salem.Written with an emphasis on accessibility, the author avoids critical theory and focuses on Maya Angelou's growth as a person and writer as well as the ways in which her life influenced her work. This new biography tells the story of a young black woman who overcomes poverty and endemic structural and personal obstacles to lead an accomplished life.Readers will also enjoy: A thorough retelling of the time Maya Angelou spent in Africa and how it shaped her views and workAn exploration of the screenplays written by Maya AngelouDiscussions of Maya Angelou's early life as a dancer, singer, and writerAccounts of Maya Angelou's writing and production of television showsA fulsome treatment of Maya Angelou's work, including her poems, autobiographies, films, music, and theatrePerfect for undergraduate students in Contemporary Literature courses as well as general readers who love Maya Angelou and her work, The Life of the Author: Maya Angelou will also earn a place in the libraries of biography and literature enthusiasts who seek to improve their understanding of the life and story of Maya Angelou with a highly personal and accessible new book.

THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR D. H. LAWRENCE Addresses the whole of D. H. Lawrence’s life and writing career—integrating biography, critical analysis, and recent scholarship in a single volume The Life of the Author: D. H. Lawrence is a focused exploration of the whole of the author’s life and writing career. Combining biographical detail and close readings of works in different genres, the book illuminates the complexities of Lawrence’s writing through a careful, questioning approach to biographical sources and recent scholarship. Andrew Harrison provides original insights into Lawrence’s relationship to working-class experience, his anti-suffragist feminist views, his reaction to the Great War, his responses to racial and cultural difference, his attitudes towards sex, sexuality, and sexual identity, and much more. Nine accessible chapters address important subjects in the author’s life and writing, including his treatment of taboo topics, his conflicted relationship with the literary marketplace, and the ways in which his writing challenged English middle-class values. Each chapter draws upon the biographical record to provide an interpretive context while highlighting aspects of Lawrence’s work that relate to present-day concerns, such as his critical responses to wartime propaganda and censorship, his critique of heteronormativity, and his lifelong concern with issues around mental health and wholeness of being. Designed to help readers develop a fresh understanding of Lawrence’s writing, The Life of the Author: D. H. Lawrence: Investigates Lawrence’s wartime experiences, tracing his transformation from an author who wished to change the attitudes of his readers into a radical anti-establishment figure Addresses Lawrence’s explorations of gender fluidity and non-normative sexual identities in his fictionDiscusses Lawrence’s concern with post-war social reconstruction and his risk-taking exploration of revolutionary political and religious movements in his novels of the 1920s Engages with psychoanalytic criticism on the attachment issues that shaped Lawrence’s life and writing, showing how he attempted to confront the psychic wounds of his childhoodBased on materials and approaches the author has developed teaching Lawrence for more than two decades, The Life of the Author: D. H. Lawrence is an excellent textbook for undergraduate students taking English and English Literature courses, as well as graduate students discussing Lawrence in the contexts of early twentieth-century literature, literary modernism, and sexualities in modern literature.

An accessible and reliable introduction to the life and works of Charles Dickens, offering a unique combination of academic biography and literary analysis The Life of the Author: Charles Dickens explores the relationship between Dickens’ lived experience and his works, discussing themes within and key influences on literary classics such as Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Nicholas Nickleby, and Great Expectations. An excellent introduction to the world of Dickens scholarship, this easily accessible volume provides the necessary background about the author’s life while encouraging readers to critically analyze Dickens’ works. Organized thematically by chapter, the book opens with a brief overview of Dickens’ life and a chronology of major works. Subsequent chapters focus on key aspects of Dickens’ life, concluding with case studies of selected texts that demonstrate the similarities between events in Dickens’ own life and the literature he was writing at the time. Throughout the book, readers are provided with an informative portrait of Dickens’ early family life, personal relationships, professional networks, social circles, travels abroad, charitable works, financial issues, dealings with publishers, and much more. Incorporates the latest discussions in Dickens research alongside documents and materials from Dickens’ timeDiscusses the afterlife of Dickens in film, theater, and television, including A Christmas Carol, Dickens’ most adapted storyFeatures archival material from the Charles Dickens Museum and discussion of Dickens’ roles as a journalist, editor, and professional readerIncludes short case studies at the end of each chapter to demonstrate the ways Dickens’ life informed his workThe Life of the Author: Charles Dickens is an ideal introductory textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in English Literature and Victorian Literature courses, as well as a valuable resource for Dickens scholars and enthusiasts.

Exploring the creative mind of Graham Greene, a metafictional study of a literary icon Graham Greene's novels offer more than gripping narratives—they are a window into the author's creative obsessions. The Life of the Author: Graham Greene presents a groundbreaking study that unveils the intimate connection between Greene's life and work, using metafictional analysis to reveal the evolution of his views on authorship and storytelling. Moving beyond conventional critical interpretations, literary scholar Andrew James invites readers to discover how Greene saw himself within his fiction and how his self-perception shaped his literary masterpieces. Written with both depth and accessibility, this illuminating book delves into Greene's disciplined creative process, his struggles with self-doubt, and his playful yet profound engagement with the craft of writing. Organized thematically, The Life of the Author focuses on Greene's post-1940 works, where his identity as a writer solidified, making his novels rich with autobiographical undertones. Throughout the text, James offers new insights into Greene's novels while connecting recurring themes to his personal and creative growth. An innovative exploration of one of the twentieth century's most enigmatic authors, The Life of the Author: Graham Greene: Examines Greene's novels through the lens of metafiction to offer a fresh perspective on his craftPresents detailed literary analyses that reveal the self-reflective nature of Greene's storytellingFocuses on Greene's authorial identity, tracing his growth as a writer from neutral observer to committed advocateConcentrates on Greene's major novels while avoiding exhaustive academic overviews to promote independent critical discoveryDiscusses the metafictional significance of Greene's novels and "entertainments"Enriching appreciation for Greene's artistry while exploring metafictional approaches in literary biography, The Life of the Author: Graham Greene is ideal for university courses in 20th-century British literature, biography, and literary theory, particularly at introductory and intermediate levels. Scholars, students, and avid readers of Greene will find it an invaluable resource for understanding the interplay between an author's life and their creative output.

The first major Hawthorne biography to be published in two decades, featuring original scholarship on both unpublished and published sourcesThe Life of the Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne presents a rich and nuanced portrait of one of America’s greatest writers, exploring the thoughts and ideas of a man whose profound insights about the human condition continue to resonate in the modern day. Accessible to those with little knowledge of Hawthorne, this unique volume uses a new biographical approach based on exhaustive primary research that provides readers with a better understanding of the artist and his work.Author Dale Salwak challenges the presumption that Hawthorne was a reclusive, eccentric, and alienated man whose relevance to modern times is diminishing. Drawing from his forty-five years' experience reading, studying, and teaching Hawthorne, the author reveals a more approachable Hawthorne. In-depth and reflective chapters explore topics such as the circumstances that led Hawthorne to become a writer, the influence of Sophia Hawthorne on her husband’s work, the theory of the unfulfilled homoerotic relationship between Hawthorne and Herman Melville, and more. Offers a fresh reading of Hawthorne’s life and work from birth to deathProvides new perspectives on Hawthorne and stories surrounding his workDraws from a wide variety of sources, including novels, tales, children’s books, notebooks, and personal letters to and from HawthorneSuggests new strategies for teaching Hawthorne to today’s studentsIncludes a detailed index and comprehensive introductory and concluding chaptersHighlighting Hawthorne's special contributions to American literature, The Life of the Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne is essential reading for scholars, lecturers, and college students taking courses including Literary History, American Literature, and History of the Novel as well as anyone interested in biography, literature, and creativity."Dale Salwak has assimilated vast amounts of scholarship on Hawthorne and his circle, and he's crafted a highly readable and brilliant biography. The lines in Hawthorne's astonishing life have never been more clearly drawn. A wonderful book, highly recommend."—Jay Parini, author of Robert Frost: A Life and Borges and Me

A fresh approach to building the life of Jane Austen through her letters, demonstrating that a well-known life can be reframed by being grounded in evidence of that lifeThe Life of the Author: Jane Austen takes readers on a literary-biographical journey through Austen's life in letters. Using a unique non-linear approach, author Catherine Delafield explores three frames for Austen's literary life—family, correspondents, and fiction—to suggest new pathways for the interpretation of life writing about one of the most popular and influential English novelists of all time. Delafield addresses multiple aspects of Austen's epistolary practice and the ways in which her letters, juvenile writings, and unpublished novels have been overlaid on both biography and fiction.Throughout the text, special attention is paid to the changing view of women’s correspondence as personal record and to Cassandra Austen's role as editor of her sister’s surviving letters. The book opens with selected readings from Austen's letters and a review of the family treatment of the life. Subsequent chapters discuss the female circle of correspondents in both extant and missing letters, the letter content and structure of Austen's novels, the use of letters as representations of places and spaces based on Austen's own lived experience of epistolary communication, and more. Discusses how the letters, correspondents, and novels supplement Jane Austen’s fiction and substantiate her lifeHighlights Austen's use of the letter as a conversation on paper, rather than as an autobiographical toolExplores the letters within Austen's fictional writing as well as recipes, accounts, and needlework with links to the lettersFeatures a select chronology using letters as landmarks, tables representing surviving letters by correspondent, and family trees tracing names and relationshipsThe Life of the Author: Jane Austen is an excellent text for undergraduate and graduate courses on the novel, women's writing, British writing, and life writing, as well as for general readers with interest in gaining new perspectives on Austen's chronological life and literary output.

An exploration of an essential but often overlooked figure in English literature In this innovative biography, Andrew Keanie explores one of the most enigmatic figures in English Romanticism. Known for his confessional prose and essays, De Quincey is more than the author of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater —he is the hidden thread connecting the great minds of the Romantic movement, including William Wordsworth, Dorothy Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Rather than a traditional cradle-to-grave account, The Life of the Author offers a thematic approach, focusing on key moments and works that defined De Quincey’s intellectual life. Through his personal struggles with addiction, loss, and identity, De Quincey forged a new style of life writing that intertwined personal experience with universal truths, influencing generations of writers to come. Throughout the book, Keanie invites readers to reconsider one of English literature’s most complex figures and the Romantic movement he helped define. Accessible to academic readers and literary enthusiasts alike, The Life of the Author: Thomas De Quincey is a must-read for anyone looking for a concise yet deeply insightful book that sheds new light on how De Quincey’s life shaped the enduring legacy of Romanticism.

A revealing and original discussion of John Donne's workJohn Donne's voice can seem deceptively modern, yet his work demands contextual reading within early modern culture. The Life of the Author: John Donne presents Donne’s life and work as closely integrated, offering searching analysis of poetry and prose without reducing them to autobiography. Written by Emeritus Professor Tom Cain, a distinguished editor of seventeenth-century texts, this study reinterprets neglected documents and biographical details to shed new light on John Donne’s body of work.This study recovers overlooked evidence including the ramifications of Donne's brother Henry's death and a reinterpretation of the marriage settlement from his father-in-law, which Cain argues was more generous than scholars have assumed. The book also provides a detailed description of Anne Donne's death in 1617, and traces her presence in Donne’s subsequent poetry.Readers will find: Close analysis situating Donne's poetry and prose within early modern culture, while avoiding reductive autobiographical readings of the workFresh perspectives on Donne's lifelong conflict with mortality, culminating in his preoccupation with bodily resurrection alongside the soulDetailed examination of Donne's emotional state surrounding his wife Anne's death and her continuing presence throughout his later poetryNew biographical details and reassessments of neglected archival information that reshape the understanding of Donne's personal and professional circumstancesDesigned for readers at all levels of engagement, from undergraduates encountering John Donne for the first time, to scholars seeking fresh perspectives, The Life of the Author: John Donne offers a distinctive integration of biography and literary analysis that illuminates both the man and his enduring poetry.

Explores how F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories reveal the full depth of his life and literary genius The Life of the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald presents a compelling case for reevaluating the writer's most overlooked body of work—his short fiction. While Fitzgerald is best known for The Great Gatsby, Thomas Fahy presents him as one of the most important and prolific short story writers in the twentieth century. Fitzgerald penned a staggering 183 stories in his lifetime, and these works provide a nuanced understanding of his life and artistry. They fill in important gaps between his novels, and they are essential for appreciating the scope and sophistication of Fitzgerald's artistic vision, the range of his cultural commentary, the vicissitudes of his troubled life, and his ability to inspire generations of readers. In addition to discussing Zelda's important contributions to her husband's work, this unique volume responds to a need in Fitzgerald studies for a more comprehensive examination of his short fiction. By placing these short works alongside Fitzgerald's celebrated novels, Fahy maps out the evolution of his ideas, characters, style, and social commentary. He also explores the way Fitzgerald translated his personal experiences into lasting art. An accessible yet rigorous resource for appreciating the subtlety and range of Fitzgerald's writing, The Life of the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald: Offers the first sustained biographical and critical analysis centered on Fitzgerald's short fictionProvides fresh interpretations of Fitzgerald's artistic development as a fiction and nonfiction writerConnects Fitzgerald's life experiences to specific short stories,novels, and nonfiction Situates Fitzgerald's work within the broader context of American literary modernism and the 1920sIntegrates cultural history to illuminate the historical relevance of Fitzgerald's workExamines Fitzgerald's relationship with and influence on popular cultureA timely addition to the body of Fitzgerald scholarship at the centennial of The Great Gatsby, The Life of the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in courses on twentieth-century American literature, American Modernism, the Roaring Twenties, and seminars on American modernists such as Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, T. S. Eliot, and Gertrude Stein. It supports degree programs in English, American Studies, and Cultural Studies, and it is a valuable resource for literary scholars, educators, and general readers alike.

Explores how generations of biographers shaped, reinvented, and fabricated the life of Geoffrey Chaucer Very little is known with certainty about Geoffrey Chaucer’s life, yet he has long been enshrined as the “Father of English Poetry.” Over six centuries, biographers have sought to craft a version of Chaucer that meets the needs of their own time, culture, and readers. In doing so, they have often blurred the boundaries between evidence and invention. In Life of the Author: Geoffrey Chaucer, Simone Celine Marshall takes a distinctive approach that examines not just Chaucer himself, but the ways in which his life story has been repeatedly fabricated and reshaped to reflect broader social, cultural, and literary currents. By analyzing over two dozen biographies, Marshall demonstrates that each one is less a faithful record of Chaucer’s life than a mirror of its own era’s priorities and prejudices. Marshall situates Chaucer within a 625-year tradition of biography-making, showing how the image of the poet has been reframed over time—from Renaissance humanist, to national literary figure, to contested cultural symbol. Structured both chronologically and thematically, the book traces episodes that have particularly exercised biographers, including Chaucer’s travels, his alleged authorship of The Testament of Love, his English identity, his entanglement with accusations of rape, and even his role in colonial contexts such as New Zealand. Throughout the text, Marshall highlights how each retelling of Chaucer’s life is also a response to shifting societal concerns—about authorship, nationhood, morality, and cultural authority. A fascinating study of how lives are written, rewritten, and continually reimagined to serve evolving generations of readers, The Life of the Author: Geoffrey Chaucer: Draws from more than two dozen biographies of Geoffrey Chaucer, spanning from 1532 to 2019Examines how biography functions not just as historical record, but as cultural and societal reflectionOffers fresh insights into Chaucer’s international reception, with particular attention to colonial and postcolonial contextsInvestigates how issues of authorship, nationalism, morality, and gender shape portrayals of Chaucer over centuriesProvides a timeline of Chaucer’s known life events alongside contemporary historical and literary milestonesThe Life of the Author: Geoffrey Chaucer is ideal for undergraduates and postgraduates in English literature, medieval studies, and cultural history, particularly courses such as Medieval Literature, Author and Authorship Studies, and Histories of Biography within BA and MA degree programs. It is also suitable for general readers interested in Chaucer, medieval poetry, or the broader study of how literary figures are remembered and reimagined.

Offers a reader-friendly guide to reading, understanding, and appreciating Pope today Alexander Pope’s words echo across centuries, woven into the fabric of everyday English. Phrases such as “to err is human” and “hope springs eternal” have long since left the pages of his poetry to become part of common speech. But behind these familiar lines was a writer whose sharp wit, mastery of form, and satirical brilliance secured his fame while also earning him powerful enemies. The Life of the Author: Alexander Pope provides an accessible yet rigorous introduction to one of the most quoted poets in the English language. By situating Pope within the cultural and political turbulence of the eighteenth century, author Glynis Ridley illuminates the ways Pope's life and writings continually intersected, shaping both his reputation and his enduring influence. Drawing upon Pope’s poetry, prose, and correspondence, this concise volume reveals a man who was both celebrated and scorned, independent and embattled. Assuming no prior expertise in eighteenth-century literature, Ridley guides readers through the intellectual climate of Pope’s age, showing how satire became its defining form and how Pope elevated it into enduring art. Each chapter pairs biographical insight with close attention to the events that informed his work, providing a framework for understanding both his artistry and his historical significance. Opening the door to a deeper appreciation of this singular writer, The Life of the Author: Alexander Pope: Presents a compact overview of Pope’s life and works, ideal for classroom adoptionPlaces Pope’s writings in dialogue with the political and cultural contexts of his timeHighlights Pope’s role in shaping satire as the dominant literary form of his ageExplains how to approach eighteenth-century poetry with reference to Pope’s Essay on Criticism Frames Pope’s influence on language and culture, from everyday phrases to modern mediaServing as both an introduction to Pope and a springboard for further reading and research into his extensive corpus, The Life of the Author: Alexander Pope is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students exploring eighteenth-century literature, satire, or cultural history. It is well-suited for courses on English literature, poetry, and cultural studies across English, history, and humanities programs.