Books by "James K. Baxter"
2 books found
A landmark in New Zealand literary scholarship, this book provides an extraordinary insight into the formative years of one of New Zealand's most significant poets. Included are 56 letters written by James K. Baxter to his slightly older friend, Noel Ginn, who was at the time imprisoned as a conscientious objector. In these letters, a teenage Baxter pours out his ideas and feelings on life, philosophy, and his own work. Included are the complete texts of the 255 poems written at the time and discussed in the letters. The introduction, an important work of biographical criticism in its own right, puts Baxter's ideas and interests within the context of the wider public events and intellectual and spiritual currents of his time.
Divided into four stages to reflect the development of James K. Baxter's work from the 1940s to 1972, this innovative assortment combines the poet's widely known poems with more unusual and previously unpublished works. Placing these works in the context of global poetic developments during the mid-20th century, the collection showcases Baxter's preferred position as a principled outsider--covering everything from mythology and religion, memory and death, Maori culture and the New Zealand landscape to travels to India and Japan and protesting the Vietnam War. Indicating the full breadth of Baxter's writing, the selection pleases and surprises both new readers and those familiar with his poetry.