What do you think?
Rate this book
Gucci Bag
Books
- GenresPoetry
143 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
5 people want to read
About the author
Irving Layton
85 books40 followersPoet, Teacher.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 2, 2020
Neurotic.
November 11, 2010
As great of a poet as Layton is, I've found it damn near impossible to finish this book due to the nauseating amount of sexism involved in just about every part in The Gucci BURR. While it starts off somewhat neutrally, Layton waits around ten pages before he begins his diatribes on "a woman's malice" and wishes death upon lovers (and just about anyone without a y-chromosome) that happened to have slighted him in the past. And not nice death, either - I'm talking "I want you to be eaten by wolves in the middle of a bee attack and the bees make you burst into flames, also you're on the sun so your skin starts to melt" vindictive bullshit. At first I thought he was simply writing in character, but the amount of times he makes use of yet another poem to vent his more-sexual-than-romantic frustrations (coupled with the fact that apparently this is an issue with all his books) leads me to believe that this is just Layton-as-poet speaking his mind to me. On the one hand, it's sort of fascinating how polarized Layton's romantic outlook is (flip-flopping every few poems between romantic drunkenness and wrath), but on the other, I can think of numerous other poets that write on the same topics - much better - and without the reprehensible opinions on sex. NOPE.
March 24, 2017
So many of these poems are Layton's whining about his recent bitter divorce and custody hearings. Meanwhile he's already living with yet another student. Personal lives of authors should not influence the reader's opinion of the work. But when the work deeply reflects that life the reader has little choice. And so many lines are simply spiteful swipes, not well-writ alludes. But I do not want to miscolor my review with Layton's brush. Of course, there are interesting poems here, a few good ones, but I think he is coasting on his laurels and reputation. Feminists will not enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews