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Laurence Lerner

January 01, 1970

Laurence Lerner (12 December 1925 – 19 January 2016), often called Larry, was a South African-born British literary critic, poet, novelist, and lecturer, recognized for his achievement with his election to The Royal Society of Literature.[1]

Biography edit

Laurence Lerner was born in Cape Town, South Africa; his Jewish father Israel was from Zhitomir, Ukraine and his mother May from Abinger Hammer, England. He was educated at St George's Grammar School, Cape Town, the University of Cape Town and Pembroke College, Cambridge.

He was lecturer in English, from 1949 to 1953 at the University College of the Gold Coast in West Africa, from 1953 to 1962 tutor then lecturer in English at Queen's University Belfast (where one of his students was Seamus Heaney),[2][3] lecturer then reader then professor of English at the University of Sussex (1962–84),[4] and Edwin Mims Professor of English at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee (1985–95). He won the 1991 Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Professor Award.[5]

Lerner taught in many universities around the world in addition to those where he held positions jobs, including Munich, Dijon, various places in the US and Canada, Kashmir, Wurzburg, and Vienna. On British Council lecture tours he traveled to France, Germany, Spain, South America, Turkey and India. These experiences led to his most personal book, Wandering Professor.[6]

Although he described himself as a follower who was surprised to be accepted, Lerner was an active member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), attending Brighton, Nashville and then Lewes meetings. For many years, he taught a Shakespeare summer school at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre. He gave the Swarthmore Lecture in 1984 (The Two Cinnas – Quakerism, Revolution and Poetry). He was Clerk to the Lewes meeting for several years. He was also a Governor of Leighton Park School, a Quaker school in England.

He published nine collections of poetry, three novels, ten books of literary criticism, reflections on English language usage and life as a professor, and lectures, essays and poems. He edited two anthologies of modern literary criticism of Shakespeare's plays for Penguin Books, which were widely used by A-level students in the UK.

Personal life edit

He married Natalie Winch in 1948, whom he met in South Africa. Their marriage lasted until her death in 2014. They had four sons, David and Edwin, born in Accra, Ghana, and Martin and Richard, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[7]

He died on 19 January 2016 at the age of 90.[6]

Works edit

Poetry edit

  • Domestic Interior, Hutchinson, 1959
  • The Directions of Memory, Chatto & Windus, 1964
  • Selves, Routledge, 1969 ISBN 978-0710064080.
  • A.R.T.H.U.R.: the life and opinions of a digital computer. University of Massachusetts Press. 1975. ISBN 978-0-87023-181-0.
  • A.R.T.H.U.R & M.A.R.T.H.A. The loves of the computers, Secker & Warburg, 1980 ISBN 978-0436244407
  • The Man I Killed, Secker & Warburg, 1980 ISBN 978-0-436245503
  • Chapter & Verse: Bible Poems, Secker & Warburg, 1984 ISBN 0-436-24441-1
  • Selected Poems, Secker & Warburg, 1984
  • Rembrandt's Mirror, Secker & Warburg, 1987 ISBN 0-436-24444-6

Fiction edit

Criticism edit

  • The Truest Poetry: An essay on the Question, What is Literature? Hamish Hamilton, 1960
  • The Art of George Eliot. A selection of contemporary reviews (including Henry James, George Saintsbury, Geraldine Jewsbury and Sidney Colvin), with John Holstrom, Bodley Head, 1966
  • The Truthtellers: Jane Austen, George Eliot, D H Lawrence, Chatto & Windus, 1967
  • The Uses of Nostalgia: Studies in Pastoral, Chatto & Windus, 1972 ISBN 0-7011-1826-1
  • An introduction to English poetry: fifteen poems discussed by Laurence Lerner, Edward Arnold, 1975 ISBN 978-0-7131-5789-5.
  • The Victorians, Methuen, 1978, ISBN 978-0-416-56210-1
  • Love & Marriage: Literature in its Social Context, Edward Arnold, 1979
  • The Literary Imagination: Essays on Literature & Society, Harvester, 1982
  • The Frontiers of Literature, Blackwell, 1988
  • Angels and Absences: child deaths in the nineteenth century, Vanderbilt University Press, 1997, ISBN 978-0-8265-1287-1
  • Reading Women's Poetry. Sussex Academic Press. 2009. ISBN 978-1-84519-337-9.

Other works edit

  • Shakespeare's Tragedies; An Anthology of Modern Criticism, Penguin, 1963, ASIN B000GR3A7W
  • Shakespeare's Comedies; An Anthology of Modern Criticism, Penguin, 1967, ASIN B002R84WZC
  • "The History of a Poem", The Dark Horse, Summer 1997
  • You Can't Say That! English Usage Today. Cambridge University Press. 2010. ISBN 978-0-521-14097-3.
  • Wandering Professor, Caliban, 1999, ISBN 0-9536307-0-6.

Poem edit

Here is a poem by Laurence Lerner (not infringing copyright, since submitted by the author, who holds the copyright!)

Kaspar Hauser

All that long time there was the place I was,
All that long same, the dark and constant same.
I came to being and it bit my eyes.

I want to be a rider like my father.
A soldier was my father was a horseman.
I want to be a rider and I want

Out of that same he carried me upstairs,
Out of that dark and then I stood to lean;
The soft ground stood and hit me where I fell.

When it was hunger time they put soft life
Into my mouth. It moved. The warm flesh tore
Under my teeth. This could be me I'm eating.

I spat and called: I loved that time, those horses,
The brittle bread, the water, the soft dark,
The stiff floor always there, the always steady

Till I was carried to the bumpy world:
The air threw needles at my eyes. I fell.
Where were my walls, my horse to push, and where –

I want my floor my bread my dark my always –
I want the same the only same the only –
I want to be a rider like my father

Readings edit

Readings by Laurence Lerner of several of his poems appear on YouTube

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Laurence Lerner" (Fellows Remembered), The Royal Society of Literature accessed 20 April 2022
  2. ^ "Laurence Lerner" (Fellows Remembered), The Royal Society of Literature
  3. ^ Edwin Lerner, "Laurence Lerner obituary", The Guardian, 10 February 2016.
  4. ^ [1][permanent dead link]
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  6. ^ a b English, School of English. . The University of Sussex. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  7. ^ Edwin Lerner, Obituary of Natalie Lerner, [2], The Guardian, 15 December 2014, accessed 20 April 2022.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
laurence, lerner, december, 1925, january, 2016, often, called, larry, south, african, born, british, literary, critic, poet, novelist, lecturer, recognized, achievement, with, election, royal, society, literature, contents, biography, personal, life, works, p. Laurence Lerner 12 December 1925 19 January 2016 often called Larry was a South African born British literary critic poet novelist and lecturer recognized for his achievement with his election to The Royal Society of Literature 1 Contents 1 Biography 2 Personal life 3 Works 3 1 Poetry 3 2 Fiction 3 3 Criticism 3 4 Other works 4 Poem 5 Readings 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksBiography editLaurence Lerner was born in Cape Town South Africa his Jewish father Israel was from Zhitomir Ukraine and his mother May from Abinger Hammer England He was educated at St George s Grammar School Cape Town the University of Cape Town and Pembroke College Cambridge He was lecturer in English from 1949 to 1953 at the University College of the Gold Coast in West Africa from 1953 to 1962 tutor then lecturer in English at Queen s University Belfast where one of his students was Seamus Heaney 2 3 lecturer then reader then professor of English at the University of Sussex 1962 84 4 and Edwin Mims Professor of English at Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee 1985 95 He won the 1991 Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Professor Award 5 Lerner taught in many universities around the world in addition to those where he held positions jobs including Munich Dijon various places in the US and Canada Kashmir Wurzburg and Vienna On British Council lecture tours he traveled to France Germany Spain South America Turkey and India These experiences led to his most personal book Wandering Professor 6 Although he described himself as a follower who was surprised to be accepted Lerner was an active member of the Society of Friends Quakers attending Brighton Nashville and then Lewes meetings For many years he taught a Shakespeare summer school at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre He gave the Swarthmore Lecture in 1984 The Two Cinnas Quakerism Revolution and Poetry He was Clerk to the Lewes meeting for several years He was also a Governor of Leighton Park School a Quaker school in England He published nine collections of poetry three novels ten books of literary criticism reflections on English language usage and life as a professor and lectures essays and poems He edited two anthologies of modern literary criticism of Shakespeare s plays for Penguin Books which were widely used by A level students in the UK Personal life editHe married Natalie Winch in 1948 whom he met in South Africa Their marriage lasted until her death in 2014 They had four sons David and Edwin born in Accra Ghana and Martin and Richard born in Belfast Northern Ireland 7 He died on 19 January 2016 at the age of 90 6 Works editPoetry edit Domestic Interior Hutchinson 1959 The Directions of Memory Chatto amp Windus 1964 Selves Routledge 1969 ISBN 978 0710064080 A R T H U R the life and opinions of a digital computer University of Massachusetts Press 1975 ISBN 978 0 87023 181 0 A R T H U R amp M A R T H A The loves of the computers Secker amp Warburg 1980 ISBN 978 0436244407 The Man I Killed Secker amp Warburg 1980 ISBN 978 0 436245503 Chapter amp Verse Bible Poems Secker amp Warburg 1984 ISBN 0 436 24441 1 Selected Poems Secker amp Warburg 1984 Rembrandt s Mirror Secker amp Warburg 1987 ISBN 0 436 24444 6 Fiction edit The Englishman Hamish Hamilton 1959 A Free Man Chatto amp Windus 1968 ISBN 978 0701112677 My Grandfather s Grandfather Secker amp Warburg 1985 ISBN 0 436 24443 8 Criticism edit The Truest Poetry An essay on the Question What is Literature Hamish Hamilton 1960 The Art of George Eliot A selection of contemporary reviews including Henry James George Saintsbury Geraldine Jewsbury and Sidney Colvin with John Holstrom Bodley Head 1966 The Truthtellers Jane Austen George Eliot D H Lawrence Chatto amp Windus 1967 The Uses of Nostalgia Studies in Pastoral Chatto amp Windus 1972 ISBN 0 7011 1826 1 An introduction to English poetry fifteen poems discussed by Laurence Lerner Edward Arnold 1975 ISBN 978 0 7131 5789 5 The Victorians Methuen 1978 ISBN 978 0 416 56210 1 Love amp Marriage Literature in its Social Context Edward Arnold 1979 The Literary Imagination Essays on Literature amp Society Harvester 1982 The Frontiers of Literature Blackwell 1988 Angels and Absences child deaths in the nineteenth century Vanderbilt University Press 1997 ISBN 978 0 8265 1287 1 Reading Women s Poetry Sussex Academic Press 2009 ISBN 978 1 84519 337 9 Other works edit Shakespeare s Tragedies An Anthology of Modern Criticism Penguin 1963 ASIN B000GR3A7W Shakespeare s Comedies An Anthology of Modern Criticism Penguin 1967 ASIN B002R84WZC The History of a Poem The Dark Horse Summer 1997 You Can t Say That English Usage Today Cambridge University Press 2010 ISBN 978 0 521 14097 3 Wandering Professor Caliban 1999 ISBN 0 9536307 0 6 Poem editHere is a poem by Laurence Lerner not infringing copyright since submitted by the author who holds the copyright Kaspar HauserAll that long time there was the place I was All that long same the dark and constant same I came to being and it bit my eyes I want to be a rider like my father A soldier was my father was a horseman I want to be a rider and I wantOut of that same he carried me upstairs Out of that dark and then I stood to lean The soft ground stood and hit me where I fell When it was hunger time they put soft life Into my mouth It moved The warm flesh tore Under my teeth This could be me I m eating I spat and called I loved that time those horses The brittle bread the water the soft dark The stiff floor always there the always steadyTill I was carried to the bumpy world The air threw needles at my eyes I fell Where were my walls my horse to push and where I want my floor my bread my dark my always I want the same the only same the only I want to be a rider like my fatherReadings editReadings by Laurence Lerner of several of his poems appear on YouTubeSee also edit nbsp Poetry portal List of South AfricansReferences edit Laurence Lerner Fellows Remembered The Royal Society of Literature accessed 20 April 2022 Laurence Lerner Fellows Remembered The Royal Society of Literature Edwin Lerner Laurence Lerner obituary The Guardian 10 February 2016 1 permanent dead link Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Professor Award Public Affairs Vanderbilt University Archived from the original on 12 June 2010 Retrieved 28 August 2010 a b English School of English Obituary Professor Laurence Lerner The University of Sussex Archived from the original on 11 February 2016 Retrieved 8 January 2018 Edwin Lerner Obituary of Natalie Lerner 2 The Guardian 15 December 2014 accessed 20 April 2022 External links edit Laurence Lerner Fellows Remembered The Royal Society of Literature Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Laurence Lerner amp oldid 1222206614, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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