Literary Drinkers
by Pete Bunten
Pete Bunten's book will whet your appetite for both literary and liquid refreshment. Illustrated with attractive line drawings, it covers a wide range of authors and topics. Literary Connections is delighted to bring you extracts on three writers: John Clare, Thomas Hardy and P G Wodehouse.
"'The Muses," said Horace, "have usually smelt of drink first thing in the morning." And with that inspiriting thought in mind let us go in search of the literary drinkers.'
So began the first of Pete Bunten's 'Literary Drinkers' articles, written for Innspire, the Chesterfield and District Camra magazine. Since the first article, in May 1996, the series has grown to explore the bibulous lives and works of literary giants from Chaucer to Robbie Burns, from Shakespeare to Dylan Thomas.
The articles chronicle some well-known literary facts as well as, perhaps, less-known details about drink, drinking habits, drinking circles and drinking establishments. From a writer with an obvious sympathy for his subject matter, they offer a wry, dry and entertaining take on the conventional literary biography.
'Writers are drawn to public houses, it seems, ... simply to find someone tolerant or drunk enough to listen to their bursts of prejudice or egomania. Most writers are, it goes without saying, egomaniacs.'
Contents
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Flann O'Brien
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Ballads
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Dylan Thomas
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More Ballads
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George Orwell
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Malcolm Lowry
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Robbie Burns
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Samuel Beckett
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Chaucer
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Dr Johnson
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Shakespeare
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Robert Louis Stevenson
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Brendan Behan
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Kenneth Grahame
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Laurie Lee
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P G Wodehouse
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Charles Dickens
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John Clare
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Kingsley Amis
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Charles Bukowski
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Jeffrey Bernard
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Pivo
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Patrick Hamilton
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Jack London
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Chesterton and Belloc
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Thomas Hardy
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James Joyce
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Buy your own copy
Literary Drinkers first appeared as a series of articles for Innspire, the magazine of Chesterfield and District Camra. Those who know Chesterfield will appreciate the pun on its most famous landmark. The 44-page book features the lives of twenty-five famous writers from Dylan Thomas to Thomas Hardy together with additional articles. Copies can be purchased for £3.50 (including postage) from Pynot Publishing, 56 Main Road, Holmesfield, Dronfield, Derbyshire S18 7WT.
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