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Old Negatives
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
- GenresPoetry
67 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1989
40 people want to read
About the author
Alasdair Gray
97 books903 followersAlasdair James Gray was a Scottish writer and artist. His first novel, Lanark (1981), is seen as a landmark of Scottish fiction. He published novels, short stories, plays, poetry and translations, and wrote on politics and the history of English and Scots literature. His works of fiction combine realism, fantasy, and science fiction with the use of his own typography and illustrations, and won several awards.
He studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1952 to 1957. As well as his book illustrations, he painted portraits and murals. His artwork has been widely exhibited and is in several important collections. Before Lanark, he had plays performed on radio and TV.
His writing style is postmodern and has been compared with those of Franz Kafka, George Orwell, Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino. It often contains extensive footnotes explaining the works that influenced it. His books inspired many younger Scottish writers, including Irvine Welsh, Alan Warner, A.L. Kennedy, Janice Galloway, Chris Kelso and Iain Banks. He was writer-in-residence at the University of Glasgow from 1977 to 1979, and professor of Creative Writing at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities from 2001 to 2003.
Gray was a civic nationalist and a republican, and wrote supporting socialism and Scottish independence. He popularised the epigram "Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation" (taken from a poem by Canadian poet Dennis Leigh) which was engraved in the Canongate Wall of the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh when it opened in 2004. He lived almost all his life in Glasgow, married twice, and had one son. On his death The Guardian referred to him as "the father figure of the renaissance in Scottish literature and art".
He studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1952 to 1957. As well as his book illustrations, he painted portraits and murals. His artwork has been widely exhibited and is in several important collections. Before Lanark, he had plays performed on radio and TV.
His writing style is postmodern and has been compared with those of Franz Kafka, George Orwell, Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino. It often contains extensive footnotes explaining the works that influenced it. His books inspired many younger Scottish writers, including Irvine Welsh, Alan Warner, A.L. Kennedy, Janice Galloway, Chris Kelso and Iain Banks. He was writer-in-residence at the University of Glasgow from 1977 to 1979, and professor of Creative Writing at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities from 2001 to 2003.
Gray was a civic nationalist and a republican, and wrote supporting socialism and Scottish independence. He popularised the epigram "Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation" (taken from a poem by Canadian poet Dennis Leigh) which was engraved in the Canongate Wall of the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh when it opened in 2004. He lived almost all his life in Glasgow, married twice, and had one son. On his death The Guardian referred to him as "the father figure of the renaissance in Scottish literature and art".
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 23, 2024
This is something personal as I’m sure Gray’s poetical work is just as great as his paintings and novels. I just can’t appreciate this kind of experimental poetry as much as I should. I’m a great admirer of Gray’s work in general, though, and we should by no means forget the importance of his art for the cause of Scottish independence.
April 15, 2022
Mr Alasdair Gray is going to have to sell me on the greatness of his verse. Though I have no doubt they’ll all be good at the least. ’Predicting’s imagery from “untwist her soft hair from her lover’s beard,” becomes exactly like an Alasdair Gray picture. By the way, the opening liner pages, let’s say, are beautifully laid out, with greyscale Gray illustrations.
It’s true, those opening two are subdued and quaint, and growth becomes disastrous soon after. But after ‘Lanark’ is out into the world things change. The last section of 1977-83 is the best, and unfortunately shortest. But there is value throughout. Things like ‘Vacancy’ are totally bizarre while still having an interesting character. And if one was to sit on ‘Statements by an Unceilinged Blood’ they may be quite intrigued. Where in recent New Zealand memory, Emma Barnes’ publishes prose poems are bizarre like a weird empty dream.
I got a kick out of reading a poem he is filmed delivering for the ‘A Life in Progress’ documentary.
‘Something Leather’ would’ve been an easy superior piece, but the last section of ‘Old Negatives’ wrecks some of that ease.
It’s true, those opening two are subdued and quaint, and growth becomes disastrous soon after. But after ‘Lanark’ is out into the world things change. The last section of 1977-83 is the best, and unfortunately shortest. But there is value throughout. Things like ‘Vacancy’ are totally bizarre while still having an interesting character. And if one was to sit on ‘Statements by an Unceilinged Blood’ they may be quite intrigued. Where in recent New Zealand memory, Emma Barnes’ publishes prose poems are bizarre like a weird empty dream.
I got a kick out of reading a poem he is filmed delivering for the ‘A Life in Progress’ documentary.
‘Something Leather’ would’ve been an easy superior piece, but the last section of ‘Old Negatives’ wrecks some of that ease.
June 10, 2009
Not big on anyone's poetry, even Gray's. Was thrilled to find that mine is a signed copy, though. . .
March 14, 2016
physically so beautiful and so ugly with its lavish illumination, careful typesetting. the poems are dark, self effacing, highly formed pieces. wholly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews