Reissued with a new preface for the centennial.
Along with Pound, Eliot, and Joyce, Edward Estlin Cummings is one of the leading American poets who revolutionized literary expression in the twentieth century. He was also a Cubist painter, a champion of the little man, a brilliant conversationalist, a romantic idealist, a famous irrational curmudgeon, and husband to three of the most beautiful women of his time. This critical biography merges these various selves into one fascinating life story, many chapters of which could be mistaken for a great romantic novel. In following Cummings's development as a poet, it also includes a large number of previously unpublished poems and drawings.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Dreams" a thought provoking bio,
By A Customer
This review is from: Dreams in the Mirror: A Biography of E.E. Cummings (A Liveright Book) (Paperback)
Recently having completed DREAMS IN THE MIRROR, I can say that I haven't read a better biography in a long time. If you are a true E.E. Cummings fan (or e.e. cummings as he spelled it), the insights that Kennedy has into the man's life, as well as the interpretations of his poems, seems to make sense. I own a copy of his "Complete Poems 1904-1962", and having read many of them, I thought that the logical next step was to see how someone else thought of them. Kennedy's biography of Cummings is the only one that I know of in existance. Adding to that is Nancy Andrews, Cummings' daughter, who gave a lot of insight into her father, as well as previously unpublished poems and even drawings(!!). The book doesn't read like a novel, so don't expect to pace though it quickly. It is a well-written account of Cummings' life, so remember to pay attention. Being it as it may, and considering that information, I say go on and read it. It's worth the time.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reason Without Rhyme,
By Conan the Librarian (Incognito CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dreams in the Mirror: A Biography of E.E. Cummings (A Liveright Book) (Paperback)
'Dreams in the Mirror: A Biography of E.E. Cummings' is a precise account of a unique, creative poet. Richard S. Kennedy has made sense of the seemingly incoherent mind that made the literary world spin in a profoundly deconstructed orbit during the period following Cummings' graduation from the Harvard School of Arts and Sciences in 1916. Perhaps the most significant element of Kennedy's book is the previously unpublished Cummings' poem discovered in the dusty closet of a Tunisian Bed&Beakfast he'd occupied in 1931. Titled 'Insanity is Just a Mind of State', it is one of Cummings' most autobiographical works, revealing the poet's life-long regret that he'd never wrestled an alligator. The lament, on page 79, reads:'i'm mad; say they The human mind is a beautiful thing.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thorough biography of Cummings' life and writing,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Dreams in the Mirror: A Biography of E.E. Cummings (A Liveright Book) (Paperback)
*Dreams in the Mirror* is a well-written, thorough biography recounting E.E. Cummings' childhood, his early gifts with language, his changing relationship with his father, his war experiences, what he valued and how he reacted to the world around him. I love the fact this book gives the reader a glimpse into what motivated Cummings and how these relate to his poetry. This isn't a book limited to biographical information, though: Kennedy provides literary criticism and analysis, and even though I didn't always agree with Kennedy's assertions, I appreciated the scholastic look at the pieces. He provided me new insight into a few poems. I highly recommend this book for Cummings lovers.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
"He was the most entertaining man I ever met," recalled Slater Brown, E. E. Cummings' companion in the ambulance corps in World War I and later his roommate in New York. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
six nonlectures, festival poem, joe gould, enormous room Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Edward Cummings, Dos Passos, Patchin Place, Silver Lake, Santa Claus, New England, New Hampshire, Irving Street, Camp Devens, Scofield Thayer, Rebecca Cummings, Greenwich Village, Slater Brown, Washington Square, Estlin Cummings, Vanity Fair, Sibley Watson, Aunt Jane, Stewart Mitchell, Buffalo Bill, Marie Louise, Foster Damon, Amy Lowell, Harvard Monthly New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
"He was the most entertaining man I ever met," recalled Slater Brown, E. E. Cummings' companion in the ambulance corps in World War I and later his roommate in New York. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
six nonlectures, festival poem, joe gould, enormous room Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Edward Cummings, Dos Passos, Patchin Place, Silver Lake, Santa Claus, New England, New Hampshire, Irving Street, Camp Devens, Scofield Thayer, Rebecca Cummings, Greenwich Village, Slater Brown, Washington Square, Estlin Cummings, Vanity Fair, Sibley Watson, Aunt Jane, Stewart Mitchell, Buffalo Bill, Marie Louise, Foster Damon, Amy Lowell, Harvard Monthly New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
13
books
cite this book:
See all 13 books citing this book
- E.E. Cummings: A Biography by Christopher Sawyer-Laucanno on 21 pages
- Uneasy Alliance: Twentieth-Century American Literature, Culture and Biography (Costerus NS 150) by Hans Bak on page 143, page 145, and Back Matter
- Dragon Hunter: Roy Chapman Andrews and the Central Asiatic Expeditions by Charles Gallenkamp on page 336, and Back Matter
- Satire (Cambridge Contexts in Literature) by Jane Ogborn on page 84
- Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital by Alex Beam on page 102
See all 13 books citing this book
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