Lorna Sage (13 January 1943 – 11 January 2001) was an English academic, literary critic and author, remembered especially for contributing to consideration of women's writing and for a memoir of her early life, Bad Blood (2000).[1] She taught English literature at the University of East Anglia.
Lorna Sage
Born
Lorna Stockton (1943-01-13)13 January 1943 Dodington, Whitchurch, England
Died
11 January 2001(2001-01-11) (aged 57) Norwich, England
Sage was born in Hanmer, a village on the Anglo-Welsh border, as the eldest child of Valma (née Meredith-Morris) and Eric Stockton, a haulage contractor, then serving as a second lieutenant in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.[1] She was named after the title character of R. D. Blackmore's novel Lorna Doone. As her father was away serving in the war, she was initially raised in her grandparents' home in Flintshire, North Wales, where her grandfather was at once an Anglican clergyman and a ladies' man and drinker disliked by his wife. She attended a nearby Flintshire village school, then the Girls' High School in Whitchurch, Shropshire.[2][3][4]
Lorna Stockton became pregnant by Victor Sage and they married in 1959 when she was 16. Their daughter Sharon was born in 1960, after which the couple managed to continue their education. Lorna Sage won a scholarship to read English at Durham University, after the university's St Aidan's College changed its admission rules to admit married students. They both graduated in 1964 with first class honours, an event reported on the front page of the Daily Mail at the time.[3] Although the couple divorced in 1974, they remained friends. Sage later received an MA from the University of Birmingham for her thesis entitled "Poems on Poetry in the 17th Century".[1][5]
Academic life
Sage's spent her entire academic career at the University of East Anglia, where she became Professor of English Literature in 1994. She was twice Dean of the School of English and American Studies (in 1985–1988 and 1993–1996).[4] She edited The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English in 1999, which has become a standard work. As she wrote in the Preface: "In concentrating on women's writing... you stress the extent and pace of change, for the scale of women's access to literary life has reflected and accelerated democratic, diasporic pressures in the modern world."[6]
Sage married Rupert Hodson in 1979 after meeting him in Florence on a sabbatical.[4][2] The couple rented a house near Florence from Harry Brewster, where Sage wrote outside academic terms.[3]
Autobiography
Sage's childhood is recounted in her memoir Bad Blood (2000), which traces her disappointment in a family where warped behaviour passed down from generation to generation. The book won the Whitbread Biography Award on 3 January 2001.[7][8]
A week later Sage died in London as a result of emphysema, from which she had suffered for some years.[9][3] She left behind the draft of the first part of a work on Plato and Platonism in literature, which, according to her former husband[who?] in 2001, she had been working on intermittently for many years.[5] The posthumous collection Moments of Truth partly consists of reprinted introductions to classic works.[3]
Publications
Peacock: The Satirical Novels (1976)
Doris Lessing (1983)
Last Edwardians: An Illustrated History of Violet Trefusis & Alice Keppel (1985)
Angela Carter (1990)
Women in the House of Fiction (1992)
Flesh and the Mirror; Essays on the Art of Angela Carter (1994)
The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English (1999)
Moments of Truth: Twelve Twentieth Century Women Writers (2001): a collection of literary essays
Good as her word: Selected Journalism (2004)
References
^ abcODNB entry by Maureen Duffy, "Sage , Lorna (1943–2001)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 22 January 2013. Pay-walled.
^ abCook, Jon (13 January 2001). "Lorna Sage". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
^ abcdeFenton, James (13 June 2002). "The Woman Who Did". Retrieved 21 October 2019. (subscription required)
^ abc"Lorna Sage". The Daily Telegraph. 13 January 2001. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
^ abSage, Victor (7 June 2001). "Diary". London Review of Books. Vol. 23, no. 11. p. 37. Retrieved 21 October 2019. (subscription required)
^Sage, Lorna, ed. (1999). The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. v.
^Ezard, John (4 January 2001). "Double first for novel newcomer Zadie Smith". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2019..
^"Tributes to 'brilliant' Sage". BBC News. 12 January 2001. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
^Saner, Emine (9 October 2010). "Lorna Sage, my mum". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
External links
List of Lorna Sage articles, London Review of Books archive
Lorna Sage, "Past Imperfect", The Guardian, 12 January 2001 (her last article)
"Tributes to 'brilliant' Sage", BBC News, 12 January 2001
Lorna Sage Archive, University of East Anglia
Lorna Sage: Bad Blood An Exhibition, Sharon Tolaini-Sage (curator) with University of East Anglia
January 07, 2023
lorna, sage, january, 1943, january, 2001, english, academic, literary, critic, author, remembered, especially, contributing, consideration, women, writing, memoir, early, life, blood, 2000, taught, english, literature, university, east, anglia, bornlorna, sto. Lorna Sage 13 January 1943 11 January 2001 was an English academic literary critic and author remembered especially for contributing to consideration of women s writing and for a memoir of her early life Bad Blood 2000 1 She taught English literature at the University of East Anglia Lorna SageBornLorna Stockton 1943 01 13 13 January 1943Dodington Whitchurch EnglandDied11 January 2001 2001 01 11 aged 57 Norwich EnglandOccupationauthorliterary criticacademicNationalityEnglishEducationWhitchurch High SchoolAlma materDurham UniversityUniversity of BirminghamNotable worksBad Blood Sage book Notable awardsWhitbread Biography of the Year award 2001 Contents 1 Biography 2 Academic life 3 Autobiography 4 Publications 5 References 6 External linksBiography EditSage was born in Hanmer a village on the Anglo Welsh border as the eldest child of Valma nee Meredith Morris and Eric Stockton a haulage contractor then serving as a second lieutenant in the Royal Welch Fusiliers 1 She was named after the title character of R D Blackmore s novel Lorna Doone As her father was away serving in the war she was initially raised in her grandparents home in Flintshire North Wales where her grandfather was at once an Anglican clergyman and a ladies man and drinker disliked by his wife She attended a nearby Flintshire village school then the Girls High School in Whitchurch Shropshire 2 3 4 Lorna Stockton became pregnant by Victor Sage and they married in 1959 when she was 16 Their daughter Sharon was born in 1960 after which the couple managed to continue their education Lorna Sage won a scholarship to read English at Durham University after the university s St Aidan s College changed its admission rules to admit married students They both graduated in 1964 with first class honours an event reported on the front page of the Daily Mail at the time 3 Although the couple divorced in 1974 they remained friends Sage later received an MA from the University of Birmingham for her thesis entitled Poems on Poetry in the 17th Century 1 5 Academic life EditSage s spent her entire academic career at the University of East Anglia where she became Professor of English Literature in 1994 She was twice Dean of the School of English and American Studies in 1985 1988 and 1993 1996 4 She edited The Cambridge Guide to Women s Writing in English in 1999 which has become a standard work As she wrote in the Preface In concentrating on women s writing you stress the extent and pace of change for the scale of women s access to literary life has reflected and accelerated democratic diasporic pressures in the modern world 6 Sage s book reviews appeared in the London Review of Books The Times Literary Supplement The New York Times Book Review and The Observer mentioning the works of Angela Carter and covering studies of works of authors who included Christina Stead Doris Lessing Thomas Love Peacock John Milton and Thomas Hardy Sage married Rupert Hodson in 1979 after meeting him in Florence on a sabbatical 4 2 The couple rented a house near Florence from Harry Brewster where Sage wrote outside academic terms 3 Autobiography EditSage s childhood is recounted in her memoir Bad Blood 2000 which traces her disappointment in a family where warped behaviour passed down from generation to generation The book won the Whitbread Biography Award on 3 January 2001 7 8 A week later Sage died in London as a result of emphysema from which she had suffered for some years 9 3 She left behind the draft of the first part of a work on Plato and Platonism in literature which according to her former husband who in 2001 she had been working on intermittently for many years 5 The posthumous collection Moments of Truth partly consists of reprinted introductions to classic works 3 Publications EditPeacock The Satirical Novels 1976 Doris Lessing 1983 Last Edwardians An Illustrated History of Violet Trefusis amp Alice Keppel 1985 Angela Carter 1990 Women in the House of Fiction 1992 Flesh and the Mirror Essays on the Art of Angela Carter 1994 The Cambridge Guide to Women s Writing in English 1999 Bad Blood 2000 Moments of Truth Twelve Twentieth Century Women Writers 2001 a collection of literary essays Good as her word Selected Journalism 2004 References Edit a b c ODNB entry by Maureen Duffy Sage Lorna 1943 2001 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Retrieved 22 January 2013 Pay walled a b Cook Jon 13 January 2001 Lorna Sage The Guardian Retrieved 21 October 2019 a b c d e Fenton James 13 June 2002 The Woman Who Did Retrieved 21 October 2019 subscription required a b c Lorna Sage The Daily Telegraph 13 January 2001 Retrieved 21 October 2019 a b Sage Victor 7 June 2001 Diary London Review of Books Vol 23 no 11 p 37 Retrieved 21 October 2019 subscription required Sage Lorna ed 1999 The Cambridge Guide to Women s Writing in English Cambridge UK Cambridge University Press p v Ezard John 4 January 2001 Double first for novel newcomer Zadie Smith The Guardian Retrieved 21 October 2019 Tributes to brilliant Sage BBC News 12 January 2001 Retrieved 21 October 2019 Saner Emine 9 October 2010 Lorna Sage my mum The Guardian Retrieved 21 October 2019 External links EditBio at West Midlands Literary Heritage List of Lorna Sage articles London Review of Books archive Lorna Sage Past Imperfect The Guardian 12 January 2001 her last article Tributes to brilliant Sage BBC News 12 January 2001 Lorna Sage Archive University of East Anglia Lorna Sage Bad Blood An Exhibition Sharon Tolaini Sage curator with University of East Anglia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lorna Sage amp oldid 1072453615, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
