Alfred Alvarez (5 August 1929 – 23 September 2019) was an English poet, novelist, essayist and critic who published under the name A. Alvarez and Al Alvarez.

Background

Alfred Alvarez was born in London, to an

Ashkenazic Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

mother and a father from a

Sephardic Jewish Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

family. He was educated at The Hall School in Hampstead, London, and then

Oundle School Oundle School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire, England. The school has been governed by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the ...

and

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 1 ...

, where he took a First in English. He was subsequently elected as a Jane Eliza Procter Visiting Fellow at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...

. After teaching briefly in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

and the United States, he became a full-time writer in his late twenties. From 1956 to 1966, he was the poetry editor and critic for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...

'', where he introduced British readers to John Berryman,

Robert Lowell Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV (; March 1, 1917 – September 12, 1977) was an American poet. He was born into a Boston Brahmin family that could trace its origins back to the '' Mayflower''. His family, past and present, were important subjects ...

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, '' Th ...

Zbigniew Herbert Zbigniew Herbert (; 29 October 1924 – 28 July 1998) was a Polish poet, essayist, drama writer and moralist. He is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers. While he was first published in the 1950s (a volume titled ...

, and Miroslav Holub. Alvarez was the author of many non-fiction books. His renowned study of suicide, '' The Savage God'', gained added resonance from his friendship with Plath. He also wrote on divorce (''Life After Marriage''), dreams (''Night''), and the oil industry (''Offshore''), as well as his hobbies of poker ('' The Biggest Game In Town'') and mountaineering (''

Feeding the Rat ''Feeding the Rat'' Is a book authored by Al Alvarez, the text explores a central theme of the psychological drive to climb mountains. In this book, Al Alvarez frequently relates the philosophy and biographical stories of his companion Mo Anthoine ...

,'' a profile of his frequent climbing partner Mo Anthoine). His 1999 autobiography is entitled ''Where Did It All Go Right?'' His 1962 poetry anthology '' The New Poetry'' was hailed at the time as a fresh departure. It championed the American style, in relation to the perceived excessive 'gentility' of British poetry of the time. In 2010, he was awarded the

Benson Medal The Benson Medal is a medal awarded by the Royal Society of Literature in the UK."The Benson Medal"

by the Royal Society of Literature.

Film and TV

In July 1989 Alvarez made an extended appearance on the Channel 4 discussion programme '' After Dark'' to discuss gambling alongside, among others, Victor Lownes and David Berglas. Alvarez was portrayed by Jared Harris in the 2003 film '' Sylvia'', which chronicles the troubled relationship between Plath and her husband

Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...

Death

He died at the age of 90 from

viral pneumonia Viral pneumonia is a pneumonia caused by a virus. Pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation in one or both of the lungs. The pulmonary alveoli fill with fluid or pus making it difficult to breathe. Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, vir ...

. He was survived by his second wife, Anne, and by their children, Luke and Kate. Another son, Adam, from his first marriage, with Frieda Lawrence's granddaughter, Ursula Barr, predeceased him. He is buried in Hampstead Cemetery.

Legacy

In 1990 the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...

acquired Alvarez's archive consisting of correspondence, and papers relating to his poetry, prose publications and scripts for stage, film, radio and television.Alvarez Papers
archives and manuscripts catalogue, the British Library. Retrieved 27 May 2020

Selected works

* ''The Shaping Spirit'' (1958) * ''The School of Donne'' (1961) * ''The New Poetry'' (1962) * ''Under Pressure'' (1965) * ''Beyond All This Fiddle'' (1968) * ''The Savage God'' (1972) * ''Beckett'' ( Fontana Modern Masters, 1973) * ''Hers'' (1974) * ''Hunt'' (1979) * ''Life After Marriage'' (1982) * ''The Biggest Game in Town'' (1983) * ''

'' (1988) * ''Day of Atonement'' (1991) * ''Night'' (1995) * ''Where Did It All Go Right?'' (1999) * ''Poker: Bets, Bluffs, and Bad Beats'' (2001) * ''New & Selected Poems'' (2002) * ''The Writer's Voice'' (2005) * ''Risky Business'' (2007) * ''Pondlife'' (2013)

References

External links

Book Review of 'The Biggest Game In Town'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez, Al 1929 births 2019 deaths English non-fiction writers English autobiographers People educated at The Hall School, Hampstead People educated at Oundle School Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Oxford English literary critics Writers from London 20th-century English poets 21st-century British poets 21st-century English male writers English male poets English Jewish writers 20th-century English male writers Deaths from pneumonia in the United Kingdom