Oct. 1-Dec. 19: 'Dylan Thomas at 100'
University Library hosts exhibition 'Dylan Thomas at 100'
8:41 a.m., Sept. 29, 2014--The University of Delaware Library has announced the exhibition “Dylan Thomas at 100,” which will be on view in the Morris Library Information Room from Wednesday, Oct. 1, through Friday, Dec. 19.
October 2014 marks the centenary of the birth of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-53), one of the 20th century’s most celebrated young poets.
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His poignant works about death, lost innocence, and memory such as “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” (1951) engaged a huge variety of readers and listeners alike — from Beatle John Lennon, who placed Thomas’ portrait on the iconic cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, to modernist poet T.S. Elliot.
During World War II, Thomas worked for the BBC writing scripts and broadcasting. His elegant yet powerful delivery put him in high demand for performing in radio plays, reciting poetry and discussing literary topics.
Thomas’ first volume, 18 Poems, was published in 1934, after gaining the attention of Elliot.
Thomas earned a reputation as l’enfant terrible in 1930s literary circles while living off of small publication fees and loans. Begging and borrowing were preferable to holding down a job, and even became a literary exercise.
During World War II, he solicited wealthy benefactors including Peggy Guggenheim for his unsuccessful “Five Bob Fund,” and later began writing to other literary figures at random for cash. He wrote to a friend, “I’d rather be a poet any day and live on guile and beer.”
In 1937, Thomas married Caitlin Macnamara (1913-94). His tumultuous relationship with Macnamara, later characterized by rounds of vindictive infidelities, along with his penchant for drink, contributed to the legend of the bad boy poet which Thomas perpetuated and encouraged.
Thomas enjoyed significant bursts of unparalleled creativity when living in Wales. Although known as a Welsh poet, he drew more on nostalgia for the bucolic setting of his childhood than any sort of national consciousness or patriotism.
During his lifetime, Thomas published several collections of poetry, including the popular Death and Entrances (1946); The Beloved A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1955); and Under Milk Wood (1953), a “play for voices.”
In 1949, John Malcolm Brinnin (1916-98) invited Thomas to the 92nd St. Y Poetry Center and sponsored an American reading tour. Brinnin also became Thomas’ agent during the tour, handling his booking, travel and finances.
Thomas’ readings at the Poetry Center and at college campuses across the United States gained him the acceptance and attention of a young and enthusiastic audience, and the American press was just as eager to provide documentation of the sensational bard.
Thomas died unexpectedly in New York on Nov. 9, 1953, during his second American tour. A memorial plaque in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey was dedicated to him in 1982.
The Dylan Thomas Boat House at Laugharne, Wales, was restored and opened to visitors, and in Swansea, Wales, the Dylan Thomas Centre opened in 1996.
This exhibition was curated by Maureen Cech, senior assistant librarian, Manuscripts and Archives Department.
It will feature imprints from Special Collections and material from the John Malcolm Brinnin papers. An online version of “Dylan Thomas at 100” will be available at this website.