James Fenton Books

Exploring a diverse range of settings, this collection features three libretti that transport readers from ancient Jerusalem to a pre-apocalyptic London. The acclaimed poet weaves intricate narratives that delve into themes of time, place, and the human experience, showcasing a unique blend of historical and imaginative elements. Each piece invites reflection on the connections between past and present, offering a thought-provoking journey through lyrical storytelling.

In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past.

This text examines some of the most intriguing questions behind the making of poetry - issues of creativity and the earning of success, of judgement, tutorage, rivalry, and ambition. It goes on to discuss issues within the field through the work of various poets. schovat popis

What plants would you choose to grow, given an empty patch, and given the stipulation that you don't want to spend six months first designing it on a piece of graph paper and that everything you grow in this garden must be raised by you from seed? What would you like to eat next year, which flowers would give you most pleasure? With this simple premise, James Fenton sets out his happy vision of a garden, and devises the perfect starter kit for gardens as modest as a face flannel on a windowsill, or as grand as Versailles.

Out of Danger (1994) was Fenton's first collection of poems in ten years, and the poems in it renew and amplify the qualities of unflinching observation and freewheeling verbal play that made his earlier Children in Exile so distinctive and distinguished. The poems in this book's title sequence address the dangers of love, and the love of danger; Fenton proposes that in love, politics, and poetry alike the truth is "something you say at your peril" and yet "something you shouldn't contain." Part II of the book, "Out of the East," is a series of ironical fight songs about political violence-- in Manila, the Middle East, Tiananmen Square, and elsewhere. Part III, "Maski Paps," reveals again Fenton's celebrated talents for light-verse nonsense. And in "The Manila Manifesto" he turns his gifts loose upon the world of poetry itself in ways that will both enrage and delight. Out of Danger is refined and daring, jocular and deeply challenging.

'The New Faber Book of Love Poems' presents some of the most emotive and memorable lyric poems produced in the English language from the Renaissance to the present.

Sometimes referred to as the Chinese Hamlet and tracing its origins to the 4th century BC, The Orphan of Zhao was the first Chinese play to be translated in the West. James Fenton's adaptation of The Orphan of Zhao premiered with the RSC at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2012.

Reportage resists easy definition and comes in many forms - travel essay, narrative history, autobiography - but at its finest it reveals hidden truths about people and events that have shaped the world we know. This new series, hailed as 'a wonderful idea' by Don DeLillo, both restores to print and introduces for the first time some of the greatest works of the genre. A visceral, on-the-spot, and unforgettable account of the fall of Saigon, war-ravaged Cambodia, and the Philippines in the midst of revolution from James Fenton, the right man in the wrong place in dangerous times.

The narrative delves into the consequences of actions taken by individuals, exploring themes of accountability and morality. It invites readers to reflect on the impact of choices made and the ripple effects they create in the lives of others. Through compelling storytelling, the book examines complex characters and their motivations, prompting a deeper understanding of human behavior and ethics. As the plot unfolds, it challenges perceptions and encourages critical thinking about right and wrong in various situations.

Covers different varieties of poetic practice in English. This book discusses the work of poets as wide ranging as W H Auden, Dylan Thomas, Tennyson, Kipling, Milton and Blake. schovat popis