The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas - Softcover

Dylan Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753812967 ISBN 13: 9780753812969

Publisher: Phoenix Paperbacks, 2003

Synopsis

Dylan Thomas's letters to the many women in his life are among the most beautiful and lyrical he wrote. Provoked mostly by separations, they are cajoling, apologetic, uninhibited, tactical and loving. This collection includes letters to Pamela, his first love, to Caitlin, his equally flamboyant wife, and to later loves like Elizabeth Reitel, the woman who was with him on the night he died in New York. Like most great letter writers, Thomas had the gift of writing as if his correspondent stood in front of him. He could also use his letters to accomplish a number of tasks - to secure forgiveness, to make excuses, to amuse or deflect, to give an impression of confidence and ease. Sensual and earthy, like so much of his poetry, they were all designed to secure Thomas's place in his lover's heart and memory - the purpose of all true love letters.

About this title

About the Author:

Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in 1914. He began to write poetry while still at school, his first volume appearing in 1934. He maried Caitlin Macnamara in 1937, finally settling with her in Laugharne in Wales. He died in New York at the age of 39. One of the works he had been reading from on that fateful night was to become perhaps his most famous - Under Milk Wood.

From Library Journal:

A collector and dealer in letters and autographs, Lowenherz presents 50 of his favorite letters, chosen out of many hundreds. The letters span four centuries, including those from Henry VIII as well as numerous 20th-century figures, such as Harry Truman, Virginia Woolf, James Thurber, and an avid Elvis Presley fan. The letters are reproduced with spelling and grammatical errors intact. Most are by English speakers, and most are from the 20th century. Each letter is prefaced by a brief biographical introduction describing the context in which the letter was written. The letters represent love in its many varieties lover to lover, friend to friend, fan to idolized star and are grouped by type, such as tender, forbidden, passionate, or painful. They all provide an intimate glimpse into the lives of well-known men and women. Recommended for pubic libraries. The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas has greater literary significance and will be useful to students of this Welsh poet. In his letters, Thomas comments on his writing, works by other people, and his feelings about events in his life as they affect his writing. Lynch presents a variety of letters written to the various women Thomas loved, including his first love, the women he developed relationships with during his marriage, and his most enduring and passionate love his wife, Caitlin. Brief prefaces sketch Thomas's relationship with the letters' recipients. Thomas's Letters to Vernon Watkins is also available but is more specialized. Recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those that do not own the out-of-print Collected Letters or Selected Letters. Shana C. Fair, Ohio Univ. Lib., Zanesville
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Phoenix Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0753812967
• ISBN 13: 9780753812969
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96