Constellation of Genius by Kevin Jackson
Ezra Pound referred to 1922 as Year One of a new era. It was the year in which a skinny, shabby Irishman and a natty, quietly sinister American entered cultural landscape, hell-bent on exploding everything that realistic fiction and Georgian poetry held dear.
Constellation of Genius is an insanely readable book about modernismIndeed, I think it no disservice to Jackson to say that this is the primer the subject has been looking for: a way into its symbolic labyrinth for even the most literal-minded -- Will Self * Guardian *
Drawing on diaries, letters and other snippets, Jackson composes a day-by-day account of his chosen year . . . Popular and high culture are equally celebrated in this Barnum’s Circus of a book. The volume is beautifully produced. * Sunday Telegraph *
Open this marvellous diary of a single year at any page and you will be struck by some startling moment of import in a life of genius or an epoch-making event. * Sunday Herald *
It’s not easy for us today to share the intense excitement generated by a handful of highbrow authors among their cultivated readership ninety years ago; for those keen to learn more Kevin Jackson’s lively guide to modernism's heyday comes as a welcome introduction. His book, pace Beckett, neatly identifies important episodes in a pivotal year, combining brief sketches of the talented protagonists with some shrewd evaluations . . . When the factual whirlwind subsides, Jackson (a serious film buff) reflects briefly on the careers of Buster Keaton, Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang and Charlie Chaplin. These and many other digressions are deft, elegant and illuminating. * Literary Review *
Jackson writes well, with a good sense of detail, and when he gets going he provides nuggets of tasty trivia even for those who know something about the subject already. * Sunday Times *
Drawing on diaries, letters and other snippets, Jackson composes a day-by-day account of his chosen year . . . Popular and high culture are equally celebrated in this Barnum’s Circus of a book. The volume is beautifully produced. * Sunday Telegraph *
Open this marvellous diary of a single year at any page and you will be struck by some startling moment of import in a life of genius or an epoch-making event. * Sunday Herald *
It’s not easy for us today to share the intense excitement generated by a handful of highbrow authors among their cultivated readership ninety years ago; for those keen to learn more Kevin Jackson’s lively guide to modernism's heyday comes as a welcome introduction. His book, pace Beckett, neatly identifies important episodes in a pivotal year, combining brief sketches of the talented protagonists with some shrewd evaluations . . . When the factual whirlwind subsides, Jackson (a serious film buff) reflects briefly on the careers of Buster Keaton, Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang and Charlie Chaplin. These and many other digressions are deft, elegant and illuminating. * Literary Review *
Jackson writes well, with a good sense of detail, and when he gets going he provides nuggets of tasty trivia even for those who know something about the subject already. * Sunday Times *
Kevin Jackson has written thousands of articles, primarily on film, photography, modern art, literature and cultural history for, among others, The New Yorker, Granta, Prospect, Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, Guardian, Evening Standard and Vogue. He has been a script editor and script consultant, lectured and taught at the National Film Theatre, the Royal College of Art and the Victoria and Albert Musuem, presented documentaries for Radio 3 and Radio 4, directed and produced films for television, written the book and lyrics for a rock opera, curated film seasons and a photography exhibition as well as authored and edited more than twenty books.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780091930974 |
| ISBN 10 | 0091930979 |
| Title | Constellation of Genius |
| Author | Kevin Jackson |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Cornerstone |
| Year published | 2012-10-04 |
| Number of pages | 544 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |