The Anthony Powell Society Newsletter Issue 17, Winter 2004 ISSN 1743-0976 Contents From the Secretary’s Desk … 2 Afternoon Men – Revisited … 3 Robert Byron: A Biography … 4 John Aubrey and his Christmas … 8 Christmas Quiz … 11 A Peaceful Christmas Local Group News … 12 Centenary Corner … 13 and a Centenary Events Calendar … 14 Prosperous New Year Conference Call for Papers … 16 Society News & Notices … 17 to all members & friends Christmas Prize Competition … 18 From the APLIST … 19 of the Society Letters to the Editor … 24 The Quotable Powell … 26 Society Merchandise … 27 Membership Form … 28 Quiz : page 11 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Competition : page 18 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #17 From the Secretary’s Desk The Anthony Powell Society Registered Charity No. 1096873 I’m always surprised how little mention there is of Christmas in Dance, and for The Anthony Powell Society is a that matter in Powell’s Journals and charitable literary society devoted to the memoirs. Although the Journals do life and works of the English author record Christmas every year it is always Anthony Dymoke Powell, 1905-2000. in the seemingly low-key terms of “Drinks in the morning. V gave me a Officers & Executive Committee blue-striped shirt. Lunched at The Stables; enjoyable party; very tiring.” Patron: John MA Powell President: Hugh Massingberd Should we really be surprised? No, Vice-President: John S Monagan (USA) probably not. In the days of Powell’s *Chairman: Patric Dickinson youth, and the period of Dance, *Hon. Secretary: Dr Keith C Marshall Christmas was not the commercial *Hon. Treasurer: Kevin Jewell circus it is today – that didn’t really start to take off until the early ’70s, when *Committee Members: Powell was completing Dance. Dr Christine Berberich, Dr Nicholas Birns (USA), So why was Christmas apparently so Leatrice Fountain (USA), low-key? Well it is hardly surprising Stephen Holden, when one considers the depredations of Tony Robinson, two World Wars, plus the Depression of Prof. Ian Young (N Ireland) the ’20s and ’30s, and their after-effects – none of which fully worked its way Newsletter Editor: Stephen Holden out for the British system until the Hon. Archivist: Noreen Marshall PR/Media Adviser: Julian Allason 1960s. Even then the ingrained dislike of All correspondence should be sent to: Christmas remained firmly embedded in Hon. Secretary, Anthony Powell Society the psyche of many who lived through 76 Ennismore Avenue, Greenford th the first half of the 20 -century. To this Middlesex, UB6 0JW, UK day my parents, now well into their 80s, Phone: +44 (0)20 8864 4095 dislike Christmas. So little wonder Fax: +44 (0)20 8864 6109 General Conyers, in At Lady Molly’s , Email: [email protected] says: * Members of the Executive Committee who I spent Christmas Day cleaning out are the Society’s trustees. All officers are the kennels … Went to Early Service. resident in England or Wales unless stated. Then I got into my oldest clothes and had a thorough go at them. Had © The Anthony Powell Society, 2004 and the individual luncheon late and a good sleep after. authors named. All rights reserved. Read a book all the evening. One of Published by The Anthony Powell Society. the best Christmas Days I've ever had. Printed and distributed by Express Printing, Peterborough, UK. 2 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #17 Afternoon Men - Revisited while most others appear unfeeling. In by Mike Jay the boldest scene, the artist Pringle half- heartedly attempts suicide while his It is difficult to read Powell's first novel 'mistress' of the moment has casual sex (published in 1931 when the author was with Atwater. But while Powell 26) without thinking continually of considers the male psychology through Dance. The author's style although several aspects he does not yet attempt a nascent is already clearly stated. There is similar feat with his female characters. the blitz of characters, mainly from the Too many of the players lack solidity and art world and its milieu. There is the remain sketches. circularity of life; as this novel starts and ends with preparations for yet another There are frequent slightly disturbing party. There is the slender plot, Atwater's references to Jews. Considering this was less than heroic philandering through a published in 1931 I assume it was within summer. There are the frequent sporting common speech to refer to Jews even in references reminiscent of the early Dance Britain as a matter of course. Susan, the volumes. There are the occasional well- object of Atwater's desire, runs off to turned phrases, eg. “the aura of America with Verelst, a Jewish art journalism's lower slopes hung round him collector. Susan's father says, “I don't [Fotheringham] like a vapour”. dislike him because he's a Jew, one can't However, there is much too much clipped dismiss whole races at a time”. The other and seemingly inane conversation from politically incorrect moment concerns the giddy-headed protagonists. Most Powell's handling of the maid at the importantly however, there is the rippling rented country house. Her prudish family comedy and there is always a taxi when are concerned at the morals exhibited by required. the artist’s friends, but they are brutally bought off by a small salary increase. I We are given the first sighting of the enjoyed the occasional arcane word such Powell set pieces. We have the drunken as “banting” (slimming) or “we might go London parties, Mrs Race's dinner party to a talkie” Nosworth suggests to complete with bad Balkan liqueur, a Atwater. country house holiday, and an interesting visit to a boxing evening. This is a comic, not satirical novel, no matter how deceptively slight, with a We see the contrast between the drifting, serious aim of portraying human purposeless, promiscuous young behaviour without comment. As such it bohemians and the sadness beneath the succeeds and serves to propel Powell and surface of their apparently privileged us in a direction we all know was to lives. We see Fotheringham and Nunnery develop considerably. It must also have desperate for friendship and company been somewhat racy for the period. 3 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #17 Robert Byron: A Biography by James Knox Reviewed by Stephen Holden In his 1980 book Abroad Powell’s friend Paul Fussell says of Robert Byron’s most famous travel book, “It’s distinction tempts one to overpraise but perhaps it An thony Powe ll Resides Here may not be going to far to say that what CRA WFORD DOYLE BOO KSELLERS seeks Ulysses is to the novel between the wars and sells early editions of Anthony and what The Waste Land is to poetry, Powell' s works together w ith those of other distinguished British authors such The Road to Oxiana is to the travel as Evelyn Waugh, P. G. Wodehouse, book.” Although he had little financial Virginia Woolf, Henry Green and success from his books while he was James Lees-Milne. In addition to rare alive, Byron went on to become a major books, we offer a complete collection of influence on many of the travel writers new books in our store near the Metropolitan Museum. Catalogs issued who succeeded him, such as Patrick upon request. Leigh Fermor, Bruce Chatwin and Colin 1082 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10028 Thubron. Open seven days per week Telephone: 212 289 2345 [email protected] Like many of his contemporary travel Member, Antiquarian Booksellers’ writers (Evelyn Waugh and Peter Fleming, for instance) Byron relied heavily on irony and satire to poke fun at the countries he visited and at himself. Yet unlike many of his contemporaries he fact he was no relation to the poet, also brought to his books a passionate, coming from a background often short of intense and erudite approach to the money (his father was a civil engineer) cultures and art (particularly the although on the fringes of the lower architecture) of the places he travelled upper class. Indeed, it was only through through. It was, for example, partly a Byron’s own academic prowess and suspicion that the similar architectures of because his grandfather paid his fees that monasteries in Greece and Tibet were he ever went to Eton, which was where linked that took him from Mount Athos he met many friends that were to to Lhasa. And then his passion for and influence him socially and aesthetically championing of Byzantine and Islamic for the rest of his short life. art are what led him to Central Asia and his most important books. It was at Eton that he first met Anthony Powell, although they moved in different Byron never particularly minded people circles to begin with. As James Knox mistaking him for a descendant of the says, poet, and indeed his family name smoothed the way in many of his travels Although in another house, Anthony around the Greek monasteries. But, in Powell an acutely observant boy, became 4 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #17 a connoisseur of the rum cast of characters to Oxford, where he also encountered in Mr Robeson’s [Byron’s house] other kindred spirits such as Evelyn establishment. His favourite was John Waugh. He was a member of the Spencer, the model for the schoolboy Peter Templer in A Question of notorious Hypocrites Club (one of whose Upbringing. mottos was “Gentlemen may prance but not dance”) and seems to have spent Powell only mentions Spencer in passing much of his time at Oxford in trouble as being a part-model for Templer yet with the authorities for bad behaviour, Knox goes further is his identification: often drunken.