John Cowper Powys
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John Cowper Powys (October 8, 1872 - June 17, 1963) was a British (English-Welsh) writer, lecturer, and philosopher.
He was born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar. His mother was descended from the poet William Cowper, hence his middle name. His two younger brothers, Llewelyn Powys and Theodore Francis Powys, also became well-known writers. Other brothers and sisters also became prominent in the arts. John studied at Sherborne School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and became a teacher and lecturer; as lecturer, he worked first in England, then in continental Europe and finally in the USA, where he lived in the years 1904-1934. While in the United States, his work was championed by author Theodore Dreiser. He also debated philosopher and historian Will Durant. He made his name as a poet and essayist, moving on to produce a series of acclaimed novels, mostly historical romances, distinguished by their uniquely detailed and intensely sensual recreation of time, place and character. The best known of these are "A Glastonbury Romance" and "Wolf Solent." He also wrote some works of philosophy. Having returned to Britain, he lived first in England and then in Wales, where he stayed until his death. His works retain a loyal following and have influenced talents as diverse as novelists Henry Miller and Robertson Davies, classical pianist Glenn Gould and film director John Boorman.
Novels
- Wood and Stone (1915)
- Ducdame (1925)
- Wolf Solent (1929)
- A Glastonbury Romance (1933)
- Weymouth Sands (1934)
- Maiden Castle (1936)
- Owen Glendower (1940)
- Porius (1951)
- The Inmates (1952)
- The Brazen Head (1956)
Philosophy
- The Meaning of Culture (1929)
- In Defense of Sensuality (1930)
- A Philosophy of Solitude (1933)
- The Art of Happiness (1935)
- The Pleasures of Literature (1938)
- The Art of Growing Old (1944)
- In Spite of: A Philosophy for Everyone (1953)
Short stories
- Three Fantasies (collection published 1985)
- Abertackle
- Cataclysm
- Topsy-Turvy
Other
- Odes and Other Poems (1896)
- Suspended Judgements (1916)
- Autobiography (1934)
- Rabelais (1948)
- Visions and Revisions (1955)
External links
- British Powys Society (http://www.powys-society.org)
- US Powys Society (http://members.aol.com/nicbirns.powys.html)
- French Powys Society (http://www.powys-lannion.net/indes.htm)sv:John Cowper Powys