William Palmer
Manunkind
It is something of a surprise to see the name of the subject of this book printed in a conventional way: for most of his appearances in print it was resolutely ‘e e cummings’, all of a piece with the lack of capitalisation, the experimental layout and the visual idiosyncrasy of his writings.
Despite the seemingly avant-garde nature of his work, Cummings was, at the end of his life, famous and widely read, probably because he was a relatively simple poet whose meaning is usually plain once his manner and methods are understood. The man revealed by the work is impulsive, obsessed by beauty, disgusted by cruelty, and not afraid to be sentimental occasionally. The man in Christopher Sawyer-Lauçanno’s book, written with the aid of Cummings’s own papers and journals, is more complex and rather less attractive.
Edward Estlin Cummings was born in 1894. Both parents came from solid, deep-rooted New England stock. His father was an Instructor at Harvard, and the family lived in a large house opposite that of William James. His first recorded spoken word was ‘Hurrah’ – a suitable beginning for one whose
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
*Offer ends in TWO days*
Take advantage of our February offer: a six-month subscription for only £19.99.
https://www.mymagazinesub.co.uk/literary-review/promo/literaryfebruary/
'Nourished on a diet of exceptionalism and meritocracy, millennials internalised the harmful falsehood that hard work necessarily yields success. The very least they should settle for is a "cool job", one that ... is the focus of their "passion".'
https://literaryreview.co.uk/workers-twerkers
'There is a difference between a doctor who writes medical treatises and a doctor who writes absurdist fiction. Do we want our heart surgeon to be an anti-realist?'
Joanna Kavenna peruses Iain Bamforth's 'Scattered Limbs: A Medical Dreambook'.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/trust-me-philosopher