The first comprehensive biography of this undervalued writer, who was considered 'far and away the best living woman poet' in her day. Andrew Motion's Spectator Book of the Year. 'One of the many achievements of This Rare Spirit is its rejection of that tired view of the poet as mouse that barely roared in favour of a true sense of a spikily modern woman, bound by various obligations but resilient, headstrong, and poetically inventive . . . Copus's diligent, scholarly, sensitive work should help Mew's pipe play on for years ...
Read More
The first comprehensive biography of this undervalued writer, who was considered 'far and away the best living woman poet' in her day. Andrew Motion's Spectator Book of the Year. 'One of the many achievements of This Rare Spirit is its rejection of that tired view of the poet as mouse that barely roared in favour of a true sense of a spikily modern woman, bound by various obligations but resilient, headstrong, and poetically inventive . . . Copus's diligent, scholarly, sensitive work should help Mew's pipe play on for years to come.' Declan Ryan, Los Angeles Review of Books '[A] supreme biography . . . It is hard to do justice to the breadth of research Copus has done here, or the compassionate, detailed conjuring of Mew and her milieu . . . An essential book, a classic work of literary biography.' Se???n Hewitt, Irish Times '[K]eenly intelligent, fascinating and nuanced biography . . . Save Charlotte Mew! And read this book.' Joanna Kavenna, Literary Review 'An exquisitely told account of the life of a half-forgotten London poet whose work was admired by Hardy, Sassoon and Virginia Woolf. Julia Copus does her justice at last.' Claire Tomalin 'This Rare Spirit is a classic - the biography of Mew we have all been waiting for.' Fiona Benson The British poet Charlotte Mew (1869-1928) was regarded as one of the best poets of her age by fellow writers, including Virginia Woolf, Siegfried Sasson, Walter de la Mare and Marianne Moore. She has since been neglected, but her star is beginning to rise again, all the more since her 150th anniversary in 2019. This is the first comprehensive biography, from cradle to grave, and is written by fellow poet Julia Copus, who recently unveiled a blue plaque on Mew's childhood house in Doughty Street and was the editor of the Selected Poetry and Prose (2019). Mew was a curious mix of New Woman and stalwart Victorian. Her poems speak to us strongly today, in these strangely mixed times of exposure and seclusion: they reveal the private agony of an isolated being who was forced to keep secret the tragedies of her personal life while being at the same time propelled by her work into the public arena. Her poetry transfigures that very private suffering into art that has a universal resonance.
Read Less
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit: a Life of Charlotte Mew (Faber Poetry to cart. $9.25, good condition, Sold by Books-FYI rated 1.0 out of 5 stars, ships from cadiz, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit: a Life of Charlotte Mew (Faber Poetry to cart. $15.28, like new condition, Sold by Aardvark Books Ltd rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bucknell, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit: a Life of Charlotte Mew to cart. $17.08, new condition, Sold by Prominent Trading Company rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hereford, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2022 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit: a Life of Charlotte Mew (Faber Poetry to cart. $19.00, new condition, Sold by Pearlydewdrops rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Haywards Heath, WEST SUSSEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit to cart. $19.54, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2022 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit: a Life of Charlotte Mew to cart. $19.87, new condition, Sold by Pumpkin Wholesale Ltd rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Abingdon, Oxon, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit: a Life of Charlotte Mew to cart. $22.80, new condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2022 by Faber & Faber.
Add this copy of This Rare Spirit to cart. $27.95, new condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2022 by Faber & Faber.
