ashthomas//blog: Lyndall Gordon at Writers' Week

ashthomas//blog

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Lyndall Gordon at Writers' Week

Lyndall Gordon is the author of T.S. Eliot: An Imperfect Life, which is one of the books that I have drawn on extensively for my dissertation. It was, therefore, a huge honour to meet her at Writers' Week. Gordon, besides being the author of the Eliot biography, has also written on Charlotte Bronte, Henry James and Mary Wollstonecraft.

Gordon had some interesting comments about the nature of biography. Despite (or perhaps because of) being one of the premier artists of the genre, she still believes that there is room for the art of the biography to grow. Gordon described the challenge of biography to be able to incorporate the intensity of poetry, the drive of drama and the narrative structure of fiction.

At her book-signing table after the session, Gordon seemed genuinely interested in my project of looking more closely at Eliot's politics, and wrote a lovely inscription of encouragement in my copy of her book.

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