Frances Margaret Hooker (who adopted and wrote under the surname of her first husband, Michael Horovitz) was born in Walthamstow, London, in 1938 but moved with her family to Nottingham in 1942 when her father was appointed manager of a munitions factory there. In 1947 they returned to London and Frances attended Walthamstow School for Girls. She went on to Bristol University to study English and Drama and then to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. As a reader and presenter for the BBC, she acquired a reputation for care of preparation and quality of delivery. Her poetry has been described as "not that of the 'age' but of the earth" by Anne Stevenson.[2] However, according to Peter Levi, such is her economy of means in the poems "that one runs the risk of not noticing how effective they are"; the effect of her writing is cumulative and "adds up to a shadow of something more vast and powerful than any individual work".[3] Her writing gives voice principally to perceptions of the natural world, but also ancient history and human relationships within its framework.
Frances married two poets: Michael Horovitz in 1964 and Roger Garfitt just before her death in 1983. Her only child Adam Horovitz, also a poet, was born in 1971. She herself did not really start writing poetry until shortly after marrying Michael. Much of her paid work was in teaching part-time in schools and reading or performing the work of others on stage, radio and television. In the broadcasting world she started as the protégée of George MacBeth. In 1970 she and Michael bought the cottage of Mullions in the Slad Valley, where she remained based until the end of 1980. After that she and Adam moved to join Roger Garfitt in Sunderland, where she was eventually diagnosed with skin cancer in her left ear. Operations and other treatments failed to stop its spread and she died in the Royal Marsden hospital at the age of 45.[4]
Publicationsedit
Poems (St. Albert’s, 1967)
Dream: A Poem (Sceptre, 1969)
The High Tower (New Departures, 1970)
Letter to Be Sent by Air (Sceptre, 1974)
Elegy (Sceptre, 1976)
Water Over Stone (Enitharmon, 1980)
Wall (a collaboration (L.Y.C.) 1981)
Rowlstone Haiku (with Roger Garfitt, Five Seasons, 1982); the poems are reprinted in Oswald Jones, Winterreise: An Exhibition of Landscape Photographs (Canterbury, 1982)
Snow Light, Water Light (Bloodaxe, 1983)
Collected Poems (Bloodaxe/Enitharmon, 1984, edited by Roger Garfitt; 2nd edition, 2011, includes CD-ROM of readings by, and an interview with, Frances Horovitz)
Publications about Frances Horovitzedit
Horovitz, Michael (ed. 1984), A Celebration of and for Frances Horovitz (1938–1983) (New Departures; 2nd edn, 1984, issued as New Departures, vol. 16)
Sewell, Brocard (ed. 1987), Frances Horovitz—Poet: A Symposium (Aylesford Press)
Referencesedit
^"Michael Horovitz obituary". The Times. 10 July 2021.
^Frances Horovitz: Collected Poems, Bloodaxe Books: Title Page
^Peter Levi, "A Swan's Song", Sewell 1987, pp. 81–83
^Most biographical details are from Brocard Sewell's "Frances Horovitz: A Memoir", Sewell, 1987, pp. 19–63.
January 01, 1970
frances, horovitz, frances, margaret, horovitz, née, hooker, february, 1938, october, 1983, english, poet, broadcaster, bornfrances, margaret, hooker, 1938, february, 1938london, englanddied2, october, 1983, 1983, aged, occupationpoet, broadcasterspousemichael. Frances Margaret Horovitz nee Hooker 13 February 1938 2 October 1983 was an English poet and broadcaster Frances HorovitzBornFrances Margaret Hooker 1938 02 13 13 February 1938London EnglandDied2 October 1983 1983 10 02 aged 45 Occupationpoet broadcasterSpouseMichael Horovitz m 1964 div 1980 wbr 1 Roger GarfittChildrenAdam Horovitz Contents 1 Life and work 2 Publications 3 Publications about Frances Horovitz 4 ReferencesLife and work editFrances Margaret Hooker who adopted and wrote under the surname of her first husband Michael Horovitz was born in Walthamstow London in 1938 but moved with her family to Nottingham in 1942 when her father was appointed manager of a munitions factory there In 1947 they returned to London and Frances attended Walthamstow School for Girls She went on to Bristol University to study English and Drama and then to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London As a reader and presenter for the BBC she acquired a reputation for care of preparation and quality of delivery Her poetry has been described as not that of the age but of the earth by Anne Stevenson 2 However according to Peter Levi such is her economy of means in the poems that one runs the risk of not noticing how effective they are the effect of her writing is cumulative and adds up to a shadow of something more vast and powerful than any individual work 3 Her writing gives voice principally to perceptions of the natural world but also ancient history and human relationships within its framework Frances married two poets Michael Horovitz in 1964 and Roger Garfitt just before her death in 1983 Her only child Adam Horovitz also a poet was born in 1971 She herself did not really start writing poetry until shortly after marrying Michael Much of her paid work was in teaching part time in schools and reading or performing the work of others on stage radio and television In the broadcasting world she started as the protegee of George MacBeth In 1970 she and Michael bought the cottage of Mullions in the Slad Valley where she remained based until the end of 1980 After that she and Adam moved to join Roger Garfitt in Sunderland where she was eventually diagnosed with skin cancer in her left ear Operations and other treatments failed to stop its spread and she died in the Royal Marsden hospital at the age of 45 4 Publications editPoems St Albert s 1967 Dream A Poem Sceptre 1969 The High Tower New Departures 1970 Letter to Be Sent by Air Sceptre 1974 Elegy Sceptre 1976 Water Over Stone Enitharmon 1980 Wall a collaboration L Y C 1981 Rowlstone Haiku with Roger Garfitt Five Seasons 1982 the poems are reprinted in Oswald Jones Winterreise An Exhibition of Landscape Photographs Canterbury 1982 Snow Light Water Light Bloodaxe 1983 Collected Poems Bloodaxe Enitharmon 1984 edited by Roger Garfitt 2nd edition 2011 includes CD ROM of readings by and an interview with Frances Horovitz Publications about Frances Horovitz editHorovitz Michael ed 1984 A Celebration of and for Frances Horovitz 1938 1983 New Departures 2nd edn 1984 issued as New Departures vol 16 Sewell Brocard ed 1987 Frances Horovitz Poet A Symposium Aylesford Press References edit Michael Horovitz obituary The Times 10 July 2021 Frances Horovitz Collected Poems Bloodaxe Books Title Page Peter Levi A Swan s Song Sewell 1987 pp 81 83 Most biographical details are from Brocard Sewell s Frances Horovitz A Memoir Sewell 1987 pp 19 63 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frances Horovitz amp oldid 1044941682, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
