John Drury

For the first time, John Drury convincingly integrates the life and poetry of George Herbert, giving us in Music at Midnight the definitive biography of the man behind some of the most famous poems in the English Language.'Love bade me welcome . . .''Teach me my God and King . . .'George Herbert wrote, but never published, some of the very greatest English poetry, recording in an astonishing variety of forms his inner experiences of grief, recovery, hope, despair, anger, fulfilment and - above all else - love.He was born in 1593 and died at the age of 39 in 1633, before the clouds of civil war gathered, his family aristocratic and his upbringing privileged. He showed worldly ambition and seemed sure of high public office and a career at court, but then for a time 'lost himself in a humble way', devoting himself to the restoration of the church at Leighton Bromswold in Buckinghamshire and then to his parish of Bemerton, three miles from Salisbury, whose cathedral music he called 'my heaven on earth'. When in the year of his death his friend Nicholas Ferrar, leader of the quasi-monastic community at Little Gidding, published Herbert's poems under the title The Temple, his fame was quickly established.Because he published no English poems during his lifetime, and dating most of them exactly is impossible, writing Herbert's biography is an unusual challenge. In this book John Drury sets the poetry in the whole context of the poet's life and times, so that the reader can understand the frame of mind and kind of society which produced it, and depth can be added to the narrative of Herbert's life. (T.S. Eliot: 'What we can confidently believe is that every poem in the book [The Temple] is in tune to the poet's experience.') His Herbert is not the saintly figure who has come down to us from John Aubrey, but a man torn for much of his life between worldly ambition and the spiritual life shown to us so clearly through his writings. The result is the most satisfying biography of this exceptional English poet yet written.JOHN DRURY is Chaplain and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He began as a biblical scholar, and while Dean of King's College, Cambridge, worked with Frank Kermode on the Gospels for The Literary Guide to the Bible, which sharpened his sense of the role of imagination in the formation of the Gospel stories. He took this interest further, and into the realm of Christian paintings and their meaning, in Painting the Word, written while he was Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. Music at Midnight is the culmination of a lifetime's interest in Herbert, whose Complete Poetry he is now editing for Penguin Classics.

The Life and Poetry of George Herbert

Music at Midnight

Contains the complete text of the King James version of the New Testament

The Authorized Or King James Version of 1611, with an Introduction by John Drury

The New Testament

Though he never published any of his English poems during his lifetime, George Herbert (1593–1633) is recognized as possibly the greatest religious poet in the language. Few English poets of his age still inspire such intense devotion today. In this richly perceptive biography, John Drury for the first time integrates Herbert’s poems fully into his life, enriching our understanding of both the poet’s mind and his work. As Drury writes in his preface, Herbert lived “a quiet life with a crisis in the middle of it.” Drury follows Herbert from his academic success as a young man, seemingly destined for a career at court, through his abandonment of those hopes, his devotion to the restoration of a church in Huntingdonshire, and his final years as a country parson. Because Herbert’s work was only published posthumously, it has always been difficult to know when or in what context Herbert wrote his poems. But Drury skillfully places readings of the poems into his narrative at biographically credible moments, allowing us to appreciate not only Herbert’s frame of mind while writing, but also the society that produced it. A sensitive critic of Herbert’s poems as well as a theologian, Drury does full justice to the spiritual dimension of Herbert’s work. In addition, he reveals the occasions of sorrow, happiness, regret, and hope that Herbert captured in his poetry and that led T. S. Eliot to write, “What we can confidently believe is that every poem . . . is true to the poet’s experience.” Painting a picture of a man torn between worldly ambition and spiritual life, Music at Midnight is an eloquent biography that breathes new life into some of the greatest English poems ever written.

Clifford Stott

Crowds in the 21st Century presents the latest theory and research on crowd events and crowd behaviour from across a range of social sciences, including psychology, sociology, law, and communication studies. Whether describing the language of the crowd in protest events, measuring the ability of the crowd to empower its participants, or analysing the role of professional organizations involved in crowd safety and public order, the contributions in this volume are united in their commitment to a social scientific level of analysis. The crowd is often depicted as a source of irrationality and danger – in the form of riots and mass emergencies. By placing crowd events back in their social context – their ongoing historical and proximal relationships with other groups and social structures – this volume restores meaning to the analysis of crowd behaviour. Together, the studies described in this collection demonstrate the potential of crowd research to enhance the positive experience of crowd participants and to improve design, planning, and management around crowd events. This book was originally published as a special issue of Contemporary Social Science.

Perspectives from contemporary social science

Crowds in the 21st Century

The former Fortune 100 marketing executive boldly dares readers to explore their inner selves, via his own autobiographical journey, through a unique blend of art and word. Through inspirational messages, handcrafted illustrations, photography, and digital art he takes readers on a journey of discovery that highlights the role that fears and beliefs play in people's lives. In the end, readers rediscover passion, inner contentment, and enjoy a more joyful and authentic life. Original.

Awaken Your Soul

Culture in Melbourne was changed in 1881 when two French women, Berthe Mouchette and Marie Lion, came to Australia. The sisters were artists and teachers who had exhibited at the Paris Salon and soon established studios in Collins Street.Berthe and Marie spent forty-one years in Australia. They began by teaching painting and French language classes, and running Oberwyl school in St Kilda. They started Alliance Française in Melbourne but during the depression of the early 1890s, the sisters sold the school and moved to the Adelaide hills. Very quickly they became involved in the Adelaide art scene, opening studios and tutoring children of members of Adelaide society. The sisters were also involved in founding the South Australian branch of the Alliance Française, became members of the Theosophical Society and Marie was a founding member of the Cremation Society.Influenced by their interest in Theosophy, these French sisters were early women solo travellers to India and Tibet and on their return to Adelaide, their travels were reflected in their new teaching style and methods of painting. When war broke out in 1914, the sisters travelled to Paris where they volunteered for night work in a Paris hospital, instructing soldiers in French language and customs. Returning to Adelaide, Marie Lion wrote two novels based on her experiences and a story about the French Revolution.Following her sister's death, Berthe returned to Paris and, strongly affected by the impact of the war on the French people, she was instrumental in Adelaide's adoption of Dernancourt on the Somme. She is memorialised today in their Gallery of Heroes.This is an important biography and social history, detailing the influence of the French in Melbourne and Adelaide through the lives of these French sisters. Berthe Mouchette and Marie Lion were well respected for their talent and this book details the work of many artists, particularly little-known women. Through her own work and teaching, Berthe left a strong legacy of art in Australia, and the Alliance Française in Melbourne commemorates her by naming the annual poetry competition for school children, Concours Berthe Mouchette.

Berthe Mouchette and Marie Lion, Artists and Teachers

Two French Sisters in Australia 1881-1922

This is a new release of the original 1948 edition.

Midwest Heritage

In this beautifully written book, Drury, an Anglican priest and theologian, looks at religious paintings through the ages and presents them in a fresh way--as works filled with passion, stories, and meaning. 100 illustrations, 70 in color.

Christian Pictures and Their Meanings

Painting the Word

This is the only available collection of biblical criticism from this period. The process whereby the 'Holy Scriptures' became the object of human critique independent of church control, is illustrated in the present volume with excerpts from such famous critics as Coleridge, Bake and Matthew Arnold, as well as Collins and Deist and Bishop Sherlock.

Critics of the Bible, 1724-1873

Miranda Belarde-Lewis

The story Raven and the Box of Daylight, which tells how Raven transformed the world and brought light to the people by releasing the stars, moon, and sun, holds great significance to the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. A new body of work by artist Preston Singletary (American, born 1963) will immerse readers in Tlingit traditions by telling this story through his monumental glass works and installations. Primarily known for his celebration of Tlingit art and design, Singletary will explore new ways of working with glass inspired by Tlingit design principles. Tlingit objects were traditionally used to show wealth and tell stories by representing elements of the natural world, as well as the histories of individual families. By drawing upon this tradition, Singletary?s art creates a unique theatrical atmosphere, in which the pieces follow and enhance a narrative. This book includes texts that place Singletary?s work within the wider histories of both glass art and native arts traditions?especially the art of spoken-word storytelling. Also included are a biography and an interview with the artist.

Raven and the Box of Daylight

Preston Singletary

This “powerfully absorbing” biography of 17th century Welsh poet George Herbert brings essential personal and social context to his immortal poetry (Financial Times). Though he never published any of his English poems during his lifetime, George Herbert has been celebrated for centuries as one of the greatest religious poets in the language. In this richly perceptive biography, author and theologian John Drury integrates Herbert’s poems fully into his life, enriching our understanding of both the poet’s mind and his work. As Drury writes in his preface, Herbert lived “a quiet life with a crisis in the middle of it.” Beginning with his early academic success, Drury chronicles the life of a man who abandons the path to a career at court and chooses to devote himself to the restoration of a church in Huntingdonshire and lives out his life as a country parson. Because Herbert’s work was only published posthumously, it has always been difficult to know when or in what context he wrote his poems. But Drury skillfully places readings of the poems into his narrative, allowing us to appreciate not only Herbert’s frame of mind while writing, but also the society that produced it. He reveals the occasions of sorrow, happiness, regret, and hope that Herbert captured in his poetry and that led T. S. Eliot to write, “What we can confidently believe is that every poem . . . is true to the poet’s experience.” “It is hard to imagine a better book for anyone, general reader or seventeenth-century aficionado or teacher or student, newly embarking on Herbert.”—The Guardian, UK

George Herbert wrote, but never published, some of the very greatest English poetry, recording in an astonishing variety of forms his inner experiences of grief, recovery, hope, despair, anger, fulfilment and - above all else - love. He was born in 1593 and died at the age of 39 in 1633, before the clouds of civil war gathered, his family aristocratic and his upbringing privileged. He showed worldly ambition and seemed sure of high public office and a career at court, but then for a time 'lost himself in a humble way', devoting himself to the restoration of the church at Leighton Bromswold in Buckinghamshire and then to his parish of Bemerton, three miles from Salisbury, whose cathedral music he called 'my heaven on earth'. When in the year of his death his friend Nicholas Ferrar, leader of the quasi-monastic community at Little Gidding, published Herbert's poems under the title The Temple, his fame was quickly established. Because he published no English poems during his lifetime, and dating most of them exactly is impossible, writing Herbert's biography is an unusual challenge. In this book John Drury sets the poetry in the whole context of the poet's life and times, so that the reader can understand the frame of mind and kind of society which produced it, and depth can be added to the narrative of Herbert's life. (T.S. Eliot: 'What we can confidently believe is that every poem in the book [The Temple] is in tune to the poet's experience.') His Herbert is not the saintly figure who has come down to us from John Aubrey, but a man torn for much of his life between worldly ambition and the spiritual life shown to us so clearly through his writings. The result is the most satisfying biography of this exceptional English poet yet written.

John Drury

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