SKU: 58119343971

"Brian Howard: Portrait Of A Failure" 1968 LANCASTER, Marie-Jaqueline

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"Brian Howard: Portrait Of A Failure" 1968 LANCASTER, Marie-Jaqueline[639] pp. LANCASTER, Marie Jaqueline [edited by] Anthony Blond Ltd 1968 9 1 4" x 6 1 2" The jacket illustration is from a portrait by John Banting Fine Fine Scroll Down for (19) Additional Scans: Brian Christian de Claiborne Howard (13 March 1905 15 January 1958) was an English poet and later a writer for the New Statesman. Biography Howard was born to American parents in Hascombe, Surrey, of Protestant descent, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin, and

[639] pp.

LANCASTER, Marie-Jaqueline [edited by]

Anthony Blond Ltd

1968

9 1/4" x 6 1/2"

The jacket illustration is from a portrait by John Banting

Fine/ Fine

Scroll Down for (19) Additional Scans:

Brian Christian de Claiborne Howard (13 March 1905 – 15 January 1958) was an English poet and later a writer for the New Statesman.

Biography
Howard was born to American parents in Hascombe, Surrey, of Protestant descent, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin, and brought up in London; his father Francis Gassaway Howard - son of the writer Frank Gassaway, known as 'Derrick Dodd' - was an associate of James Whistler.

He was educated at Eton College, where he was one of the Eton Arts Society group including Robert Byron, Harold Acton, Oliver Messel, Anthony Powell and Henry Yorke. He entered Christ Church, Oxford in 1923, not without difficulty. He was prominent in the group later known as the Oxford Wits. He was part of the Hypocrites' Club that included Harold Acton, Lord David Cecil, L.P. Hartley and Evelyn Waugh.


Railway Club at Oxford, conceived by John Sutro, dominated by Harold Acton. Left to right, back: Henry Yorke, Roy Harrod, Henry Weymouth, David Plunket Greene, Harry Stavordale, Brian Howard. Middle row: Michael Rosse, John Sutro, Hugh Lygon, Harold Acton, Bryan Guinness, Patrick Balfour, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, Johnny Drury-Lowe; front: porters.
At Oxford Howard was part of the Railway Club, which included: Henry Yorke, Roy Harrod, Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath, David Plunket Greene, Edward Henry Charles James Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester, Brian Howard, Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse, John Sutro, Hugh Lygon, Harold Acton, Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, Patrick Balfour, 3rd Baron Kinross, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, John Drury-Lowe.

It has been suggested that Howard was Waugh's model for Anthony Blanche in Brideshead Revisited. But Waugh wrote, to Lord Baldwin, "There is an aesthetic bugger who sometimes turns up in my novels under various names—that was 2/3 Brian [Howard] and 1/3 Harold Acton. People think it was all Harold, who is a much sweeter and saner man [than Howard]."

At this time he had already been published as a poet, in A. R. Orage's The New Age, and the final Sitwell Wheels anthology. He used the pseudonyms "Jasper Proude" and "Charles Orange." His verse also was in Oxford Poetry 1924. His poetry was admired and promoted by Edith Sitwell in the late 1920s.

In the late 1920s, he was a key figure among London's "Bright Young Things"—a privileged, fashionable and bohemian set of relentless party-goers, satirised in such novels as Evelyn Waugh's 1930 Vile Bodies where the character of Miles Malpractice owes something to Howard. Apart from Waugh, Howard knew all this circle, including Nancy Mitford, Henry Yorke, Harold Acton, and especially Allanah Harper and Nancy Cunard. He maintained contact with both throughout his life.

In 1929 he was famously involved in the "Bruno Hat" hoax when the fashionable Hon Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Guinness promoted a spoof London art exhibition by an apparently unknown German painter Bruno Hat (impersonated by the German-speaking Tom Mitford, brother of Nancy and Diana Mitford—the latter at the time Mrs. Guinness, a socialite, arts' patron and friend of Howard, Lytton Strachey, Evelyn Waugh, Boris Anrep, Dora Carrington, John Betjeman and other artistic and literary figures, before her second marriage to British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley). Bruno Hat's paintings were the work of Brian Howard.

Howard is credited with coining the phrase, "Anybody over the age of 30 seen in a bus has been a failure in life", often wrongly attributed to Margaret Thatcher. According to Daily Telegraph correspondent and historian, Hugo Vickers, (writing in November 2006), the author was Brian Howard. The phrase came into wider use when used by Loelia, Duchess of Westminster, in her memoir Grace and Favour (1961).

Subsequently he led a very active social life, tried to come to terms with his homosexuality, and published only one substantial poetry collection God Save the King (1930, Hours Press). He was active as a poet during the Spanish Civil War, but did not ultimately invest in his work with seriousness. He drank heavily and used drugs.

He had a long affair with Sandy Baird, whom he knew from Eton. Baird was killed in action in 1943 at 33 years old.

During World War II Howard took part in the Dunkirk evacuation and later worked for MI5 but was dismissed from the War Office in June 1942, after which he was conscripted to the Royal Air Force and given a low-level clerk's job at Bomber Command, High Wycombe. An Air Ministry note on his file says he should never be given a commission. Transferred to another posting, where he referred to his commanding officer as "Colonel Cutie" (an appellation Evelyn Waugh gave his rebellious rogue Basil Seal in the novel Put Out More Flags), Howard was dismissed in December 1944, by which time he had formed a longstanding open relationship with Sam Langford, an Irishman serving in the Air Sea Rescue.

After the war, Howard drifted around Europe with Sam, continuing to write occasional articles and reviews for the New Statesman, the BBC and others, fitfully working on an uncompleted biography of the gay English writer Norman Douglas (author of the novel South Wind) and doing no substantial work. Indiscreetly promiscuous, drinking heavily, taking drugs and behaving outrageously, they were expelled in turn from Monaco, France, Italy and Spain, the French authorities noting their "moralité douteuse" (dubious morality).

Not surprisingly, he suffered from bad health in the 1950s, and committed suicide by taking an overdose of sedatives after the accidental death of his lover, Sam Langford (1926–1958), who died suddenly but naturally in Howard's bath. They were buried alongside each other at Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Nice.

Evelyn Waugh wrote: "I used to know Brian Howard well—a dazzling young man to my innocent eyes. In later life he became very dangerous—constantly attacking people with his fists in public places—so I kept clear of him. He was consumptive but the immediate cause of his death was a broken heart."

Marie-Jaqueline Lancaster wrote a biography of Howard. His long time friend Allanah Harper contributed useful anecdotes, but she objected to his being called a "failure" and to the emphasis on his homosexuality.

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SKU: 58119343971

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Raquel Wilbon
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 2
Imagery and diction
Format: Paperback
This book was very challenging to read because everything was written in quotations however, it was intriguing as a different way of writing poetry.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020
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amber a
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
I tend to leave most books in this genre disappointed. I miss the classics
Format: Hardcover
I bought this book after hearing Stacey Lee speak about narrative tension at a lecture for YA writers - the talk was specifically entitled, "How to keep them up all night." The lecture (alongside Anna Shinoda) bit off a rather large amount of material. Neither woman mentioned vampires. The methods they discussed were smart, creative, and delivered with just enough humor to leave me wondering whether I'd be able to put their debut novels down. I devoured GONE WITH THE WIND at least six times cover to cover between my sophomore and senior year. While I am more susceptible to the Historical Fiction page turner than the average girl, I tend to leave most books in this genre disappointed. I miss the classics. I opened this book determined to not judge it by its gorgeous pastel cover. I started slowly. I enjoyed the first four or five chapters - leaving each fully appreciative of Lee's craft. I particularly enjoyed her ability to pepper humor though tragedy. I often complain about writers who miss the mark here. Stacey Lee nailed that important believable balance for me. I liked her characters quickly. I left each chapter satisfied, but thoroughly able to get up and go on with my life. Like a jaded Thumper in Walt Disney's BAMBI, this book was more than nice, but I wasn't susceptible to any kind of teen-aged Twitterpation over it. After the sixth or seventh chapter - four or five days after I first picked it up, I quietly closed my copy, placed it on my nightstand, switched off my lamp, fluffed my pillow and turned over. I turned over again. I flipped on the light - OK, just one more chapter... I zombie sleepwalked to work the next day. That night I retired early, making some completely convincing excuse about being exhausted. I was certainly too tired to read. Flash forward to 6AM when I woke up with this novel on my face. I turned it's last page this afternoon, fully satisfied. I am truly sad it's over. This book transported me. It's one I'll want to have in my collection forever, alongside the beautiful books that mattered to me as a teen; JANE EYRE, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, UNDER A PAINTED SKY. Classic in feel, subject matter, and voice - but modern in approach, I'd be as comfortable recommending it to my book club as I would handing it to any teen. Readers of all ages and walks of life will surely find something that resonates with their own stories too. As for me, I am sure I'll be back on the trail with these girls-- I mean boys, before long. Now I'm off to try my hand at Anna Shinoda's LEARNING NOT TO DROWN. Well, maybe tomorrow. I need a good night's sleep and it's clear these authors know how to keep those pages turning.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2015
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Ruth Franklin
Houston, US
★★★★★ 4
Good, Fun, Important Topics
Format: Paperback
Good, solid, read for ages 12+. Somewhat unrealistic and yet believable story of two strong young female characters traveling west disguised as boys. Couldn't stop reading it until I was finished with the book, and now my granddaughter is doing the same. This book has many relevant themes about race, gender, class, religion, and other stereotypes and is an excellent choice for a classroom or family read aloud. Get it.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2017
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K. Hamil
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Wonderful story, great for book club though written by a young adult author.
Format: Kindle
Such a “cliffhanger” for me, a just could not put it down. I read this Wild West historical novel three times, that is how good it was. Such great fun for me, while got the ladies in our book club talking about growing up, being brave.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2024
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Mainer
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
My pick for Best YA from 2015
Format: Kindle
I don't usually like Westerns, but this historical novel reads like a racially diverse Little House on the Prairie. There's a touch of romance, but the most important relationship is the friendship between these two resourceful girls. The writing is superb with well developed characters, a fast pace and a fine sense of place and period (1849). Despite dealing with tough issues like murder, slavery and racism, it still manages to be a feel good story, appropriate for tweens as well as teens. The girl protagonists are 15 and 16 and the boys are a bit older. This debut tops my list of best YA from 2015 that I've read to date: http://blog.sarahlaurence.com/2015/12/best-ya-books-of-2015.html
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Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2015

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