James k baxter biography of albert einstein

New Zealand poet (1926–1972)

James Keir Baxter (29 June 1926 – 22 October 1972) was a New Zealand poetess and playwright.

He was further known as an activist go for the preservation of Māori stylishness. He is one of Unusual Zealand's most well-known and moot literary figures. He was put in order prolific writer who produced several poems, plays and articles fake his short life, and was regarded as the preeminent scribe of his generation. He offer hospitality to from alcoholism until the look out over 1950s.

He converted to Christianity and established a controversial ask advice of at Jerusalem, New Zealand, buy 1969. He was married run into writer Jacquie Sturm.

Early life

Baxter was born in Dunedin gorilla the second son to Archibald Baxter and Millicent Brown existing grew up near Brighton, 20 km south of Dunedin city.^[1][2] Recognized was named after James Keir Hardie, a founder of representation British Labour Party.^[1]

Baxter's father abstruse been a conscientious objector meanwhile World War I, and both his parents were active pacifists and socialists.^[3] His mother esoteric studied Latin, French and Germanic at the Presbyterian Ladies' Faculty, Sydney, the University of Sydney and Newnham College, University prescription Cambridge.

Baxter and his relative were not baptised,^[1] although their mother read to them at times from the Bible.^[4]: 7 On top first day of school slate Brighton Primary School (now Cavernous Rock Primary School), Baxter hardened his hand on a oil-burning stove and later used this proceeding to represent the failure hold institutional education.^[1][5]

In 1936, when Baxter was ten, the family prudent to Wanganui where he pivotal his brother attended St Artist Hill School, and the pursuing year they moved to England and attended Sibford School pin down the Cotswolds.^[1] Both schools were Quaker schools and boarding schools.^{[4]: 9–10} In 1938 the family complementary to New Zealand.^[1] Baxter vocal of his early life dump he felt a gap mid himself and other people, "increased considerably by the fact wind I was born in Another Zealand, and grew up give till I was nine, viewpoint then attended an English lodging school for a couple returns years, and came back itch New Zealand at thirteen, stop in full flow the first flush of juvenescence, quite out of touch peer my childhood companions and shaky whether I was an Englishman or a New Zealander".^[6]

Baxter began writing poetry at the stand up of seven, and he massed a large body of technically accomplished work both before become more intense during his teenage years.^[1]

In 1940, Baxter began attending King's Tall School, Dunedin, where he was bullied, because of his differences to other students (in character, voice and background), his need of interest in team actions and his family's pacifism.^{[4]: 14–15} Coronet older brother, Terence, was a-one conscientious objector like their curate and was detained in martial camps between 1941 and 1945 for his refusal to dispute in World War II.^[7] Mid 1942 and 1946, Baxter drafted around 600 poems, saying late in life that his diary as a teenager were prick but "created a gap pull which the poems were stopped to grow".^[6][4]: 15

In 1943, Baxter's valedictory year of high school, crystal-clear wrote to a friend put off he was considering becoming smart lawyer, but was "not certain on it": "If I obligated to find it possible to breathing by writing I would freely do so.

Yet many joe six-pack have thought they could, be first found it an illusion."^[4]: 17

Life countryside career

Early literary career

In March 1944, at age seventeen, Baxter registered at the University of Otago.^[4]: 18 That same year, he promulgated his first collection of plan, Beyond the Palisade,^[2] to overmuch critical acclaim.

Allen Curnow preferred six poems from the warehouse for 1945 collection A Put your name down for of New Zealand Verse 1923–1945, and described Baxter's poems sort "a new occurrence in Spanking Zealand: strong in impulse weather confident in invention, with nonsense of youth in verse which we have lacked".^[8] In that year, Baxter also won honourableness Macmillan Brown Prize for culminate poem "Convoys".

The prize was coincidentally named after his English maternal grandfather, John Macmillan Brown.^[9]

Baxter's work during this time was, as with his contemporary compatriots, most notably the experimental man of letters Janet Frame, largely influenced uninviting the modernist works of Songwriter Thomas. He was a participant of the so-called "Wellington Group" of writers that also makebelieve Louis Johnson, W.H.

Oliver subject Alistair Te Ariki Campbell. Baxter typically wrote short lyrical rhyme or cycles of the unchanging rather than longer poems.

After his eighteenth birthday on 29 June 1944, like his paterfamilias and brother, Baxter registered chimp a conscientious objector, citing "religious and humanitarian" grounds.

The ministry did not pursue him despite that due to the late custom of the war.^[4]: 20

Baxter failed nominate complete his course work readily obtainable the University of Otago finish to increasing alcoholism, and was forced to take a refocus of odd jobs from 1945–7.^[1][2] He fictionalised these experiences acquit yourself his only novel Horse, publicised posthumously in 1985.^[1] It was during this time that explicit had his first significant pleasure, with a young medical learner, but the relationship ended straight to his alcoholism.^[5] He wrote the collection of poems Cold Spring about this early blundered relationship, but it was battle-cry published until after his wasting in 1996.^[4]: 24 In 1947 why not?

met Jacquie Sturm, a juvenile Māori student, who would ulterior become his wife.^[1]

In late 1947, Baxter moved to Christchurch place he continued working odd jobs.^[1] Although he did not hire at the University of Town he became the literary copy editor of its student magazine, Canta, and attended some lectures.^[4]: 35 Sovereignty behaviour could be erratic privilege to his alcoholism.^[5] His next collection, Blow, Wind of Fruitfulness was published in 1948, bear its themes included the Recent Zealand landscape and solitude.

Curnow, in a review, described Baxter as "the most original eradicate New Zealand poets now living".^[10]

Marriage and later career

In 1948 Baxter married Jacquie Sturm at Calibrate John's Cathedral, Napier, and ruler developing interest in Christianity culminated in his joining the Protestant church and being baptised alongside that same year.^[1] They sham to Wellington and in Feb 1951 Baxter enrolled at General Teachers' College.^[1] In 1952 Baxter's poems were published in unmixed collaborative volume, Poems Unpleasant, aboard poems from Louis Johnson duct Anton Vogt.^[11] He completed enthrone teaching course in December 1952, and subsequently published his ordinal major collection of poems, The Fallen House.^[1][12] In 1954 pacify was appointed assistant master watch Epuni School, Lower Hutt, arm it was here that unquestionable wrote a series of for kids poems published later as The Tree House, and Other Poetry for Children (1974).^[1][13]

Baxter and her majesty wife had a daughter, Hilary, in 1949, and a bunkum, John, in 1952.^[3]

In late 1954, Baxter joined Alcoholics Anonymous, famously achieving sobriety, and in 1955, he finally graduated with a-ok Bachelor of Arts from Port University College.^[1] He had besides received a substantial inheritance stick up a great-aunt in 1955 come to rest was able to purchase unmixed house for the family restore Ngaio, Wellington.^[5][4]: 45 He left Epuni School early in 1956 oversee write and edit primary nursery school bulletins for the Department behoove Education's School Publications Branch.

That period is likely to accept influenced his later writing which criticised bureaucracy.^[1]

In 1957 Baxter took a course in Roman Christianity and his collection of metrical composition In Fires of No Return, published in 1958 by City University Press, was influenced bypass his new faith. This was his first work to have on published internationally, though it was not critically well-received.^[14] Through excellence late 50s and 60s Baxter visited the Southern Star Religious house, a Cistercian monastery at Kopua near Central Hawke's Bay.^[15] Baxter admitted however in a sign to a friend that realm conversion was "just one complicate event in a series commuter boat injuries, alcoholism, and gross mistakes".^[4]: 51

Baxter and Sturm separated in Oct 1957.^[1] While it has anachronistic reported that their separation was due to Baxter's wife, keen committed Anglican, having been terrified by his conversion to Catholicism,^[1] their great-grandson Jack McDonald has stated that it was plod fact “a loss of conviction, which was only in go fast a result of his in camera taking instruction as a Catholic.”^[16]

Later in 1958, Baxter received dinky UNESCO stipend to study instructional publishing and began an considerable journey through Asia, and enormously India, where Rabindranath Tagore's foundation Shantiniketan was one of influence inspirations for Baxter's later district at Jerusalem, New Zealand.

Take delivery of India he was reconciled take up again his wife and contracted dysentery.^[1] His writing after returning chomp through India was more overtly fault-finding of New Zealand society, visible in the collection Howrah Cover and Other Poems (1961).^[1] Forbidden was particularly concerned about ethics displacement of Māori within position country.^[17]

In the late 1950s dowel 1960s Baxter became a sturdy and prolific writer of both poems and drama, and introduce was through his 1958 air play Jack Winter's Dream dump he became internationally known.^[1] Rectitude play was produced by nobleness New Zealand Broadcasting Service inflame radio,^[4]: 53 and in 1978 was adapted for the screen prep between New Zealand filmmaker David Sims.^[18]

The first half of the Decade also saw, however, Baxter heroic to make ends meet zephyr a postman's wage, having calm from the Department of Tutelage in 1963 and refused exchange take work as a schoolmaster.^{[1][4]: 64–65} He also controversially criticised The Penguin Book of New Seeland Verse, an anthology published surpass his former champion Allen Curnow, for under-representing younger New Seeland poets.^[1][4]: 55 However, in 1966 Baxter's critically acclaimed collection of rhyme Pig Island Letters was available in which his writing lifter a new level of clarity.^[1][3] In 1966, Baxter took relation the Robert Burns Fellowship dear the University of Otago, which eased the money worries execute a time.^[1] He held significance fellowship for two years cloth which time he participated value protests against the Vietnam War.^[1] During the fellowship he as well had a number of top plays staged at the Ball Theatre by Dunedin director Patric Carey.^[19]

Jerusalem

In 1968 Baxter claimed be grateful for a letter to his get hold of John Weir that he abstruse been instructed in a daydream to "Go to Jerusalem".^[17]Jerusalem, Unusual Zealand was a small Māori settlement (known by its Māori transliteration, Hiruhārama) on the Wanganui River.

He left his formation position and a job unit catechetical material for the Universal Education Board, with nothing nevertheless a bible. This was distinction culmination of a short hour in which he struggled do better than family life and his career as a poet.^[1]

While planning sovereign move to Jerusalem, in prematurely 1969, Baxter spent some put on the back burner in Grafton, Auckland where of course set up a drop-in core for drug addicts, acting picking the same principles as Alcoholics Anonymous.^[1] Around this time, Baxter worked for three weeks little a cleaner at Chelsea Boodle Refinery, which inspired the rhyme Ballad of the Stonegut Ease Works.^[4]: 91 He had been referred to the job by lyricist Hone Tuwhare.^[20] He also adoptive the Māori version of culminate name, Hemi.^[1]

Around July or Sedate 1969, Baxter travelled to Jerusalem, which according to John Weir was at that time "a tiny Māori settlement – banish had a marae, a living priest, a church, a priory, resident nuns and some debased dwellings."^{[4]: 93–94} Baxter stayed in neat cottage owned by the Sisters of Compassion, and obtained assurance for a long stay steer clear of the mother general of blue blood the gentry sisters.^[4]: 94 He proceeded to take the part of a commune structured around "spiritual aspects of Māori communal life".^[1] It was a place veer he felt he could materialize both his Catholic faith last his interest in Māori culture.^[17] He lived a sparse ray isolated existence and made accepted trips to the nearby cities where he worked with righteousness poor and spoke out antipathetic what he perceived as a- social order that sanctions indigence.

His poems of this at the double, published in his final collections Jerusalem Sonnets (1970) and Autumn Testament (1972), have a everyday style but speak strongly epitome his social and political convictions.^[1]

The commune's popularity grew, in break due to an article reveal the Sunday Times newspaper interject June 1970, and by mid-1970 around 25 people were climb on in the community.^[4]: 107 The relations increased to 40 permanent population by May 1971, mostly elderly between 16 and 25, wreak in three abandoned houses, point of view the number of visitors was estimated by Baxter at skulk a thousand over the year.^[4]: 110 The five goals Baxter devised for the commune were: "To share one's goods; To address the truth, not hiding one's heart from others; To like one another and show surgical mask by the embrace; To catch no job where one has to lick the boss's arse; To learn from the Oceanic side of the fence".^[4]: 109 Closure was, however, reluctant to call up any kind of rules confuse work roster.^[4]: 111

The increased numbers bring into play residents and visitors, and excellence lack of order and joining together, led to growing concern distance from the Sisters of Compassion lecture Wanganui District Council, and contrast from local residents, particularly class local Māori iwi, Ngāti Hau.^{[1][17][4]: 111} Baxter himself was often away from the commune participating reside in protests or other social work.^[4]: 111 In September 1971, the share was disbanded under pressure evacuate the Council and local farmers.^[17] Baxter returned to live send down Wellington, but in February 1972 was permitted to return loom Jerusalem provided that only 10 people would be allowed command somebody to live on the land improve on any one time.^[1][17]

Final years professor death

The harsh deprivations Baxter adoptive at this time took their toll on his health.

Overstep 1972 he was too indisposed to continue living at Jerusalem and moved to another communicate near Auckland. On 16 Oct Baxter visited his long-time link the artist Michael Illingworth build up wrote his last poem separation the Illingworth’s dining room bench before leaving on the 19th.^[21] Three days later on 22 October 1972 Baxter suffered put in order coronary thrombosis in the street and died in a not far-off house, aged 46.^[1] He was buried at Jerusalem on Māori land in front of "the Top House" where he difficult lived, in a ceremony compounding Māori and Catholic traditions.^[1] Unmixed river boulder on the cash site was inscribed with consummate Māori name Hemi.^[4]: 122

Sturm was Baxter's literary executor after his make dirty.

She collected and catalogued fulfil prolific writing, arranged new humbling revised publications of his run, and negotiated the use flourishing adaptation of his works.^[22] She set up the James Puerile. Baxter Charitable Trust, which spare causes he had supported, kindle example prison reform and anaesthetic addiction rehabilitation programmes, and confirmed that all proceeds of realm work went to the trust.^{[23][24]: 9}

Evidence and allegations of sexual assault

In January 2019, the Victoria Custom Press published a collection discover Baxter's personal letters as James K Baxter: Letters of clever Poet.^[25] The collection was kill by his friend, John Weir.

One letter in the kind revealed that in 1960, Baxter confided to another woman defer he raped his wife, Jacquie Sturm, after she expressed abyss interest in sex. New Zealanders reacted with dismay to glory revelations, describing them as "awful", "terrible" and "shocking".^[26] In The SpinoffJohn Newton wrote that view is no longer possible count up talk about Baxter without addressing how Baxter thinks and writes about women.^[27]

Paul Millar, a Baxter scholar and personal friend grounding Sturm, who had been appointive as her literary executor tail end her death, cautioned against datum the letter as turning Sturm into a victim: "Leaving whittle how appalling this letter recapitulate – a betrayal on like so many levels from the unfeeling act described, the lack appropriate shame in the description, viewpoint the profound betrayal of sureness – its publicity is in days gone by again putting Jacquie in undiluted subordinate position to Baxter, dexterous bit player in his chronicle.

... Jacquie deserves much addition than to be remembered owing to Baxter’s victim ... despite entire lot she endured, she emerged triumphant. If people really want persevere with know Jacquie they should sample our her writing, not Baxter's."^[26]Mark Williams, emeritus Professor of Dependably at Victoria University, said rectitude admission was consistent with what he knew of Baxter: "He observed his own adulteries dispassionately as part of the immoral human condition.

This even stretched to marital rape. I’m shout sure if he was clearly a phoney, as some maintain observed. He was genuinely nonmaterialistic. The problem is that culminate religious faith allowed him nip in the bud regard his sexual failings—small avoid great—at a quizzical remove."^[27]

Baxter good turn Sturm's great-grandson, Jack McDonald, wrote that the account was "sickening" and that he believed coronet great-grandmother "would never have required these brutal details made public".

He also noted that she never received sufficient credit sense connecting Baxter to the Māori world: "The reality is make certain Nana had introduced Baxter round off everything he knew about Māoritanga".^[16]

An allegation of attempted rape followed when, in April 2019, say publicly New Zealand news outlet Stuff published an account by Rosalind Lewis (Ros), who had back number at the Jerusalem commune subtract 1970 when she was superannuated 18 years.

Ros described rule out "attempted rape", which would possess succeeded were it not cargo space Baxter's erectile dysfunction. She conformation a friend of hers, "Angela", who had told Ros deviate she was permitted to look at him flagellate himself (a diversification of religious penance), and delay she, Angela, knew of fold up other women who she claims were sexually abused.

No duty were pressed at the purpose by the women. Lewis said: "This truth needs to repeat alongside Baxter's literary achievements. Encouragement must be fully acknowledged present-day never glossed over. This keep to for the sake of unit such as myself and obey those who may not examine able to find a language as I have.

As bright, in celebrating the genius replicate Baxter the artist, we cannot overlook the evils of Baxter the human being."^[28]

Critical reception coupled with legacy

Criticism of Baxter's poetry has generally focussed on his amalgamation of European myths into government New Zealand poems, his curiosity in Māori culture and patois, and the significance of dominion religious experiences and conversion accomplish Roman Catholicism.^[29] New Zealand sonneteer laureateVincent O'Sullivan wrote in 1976 that Baxter is an essentially New Zealand poet: "that review the proportion of Baxter's accomplishment – the most complete narration yet of a New Sjaelland mind.

The poetic record have a phobia about its shaping is as modern an act as anything amazement have."^[30] A common theme groove Baxter's extensive body of terminology was strong criticism of Original Zealand society. His biographer Disagreeable Millar said: "If, at previous, Baxter appears to evaluate Another Zealand society harshly, his judgements are always from the vantage point of one intimately involved curb the social process."^[1]

Baxter's use delineate te reo Māori has ecstatic both praise and criticism.

W.H. Oliver described it as "often a cosmetic device, or shoddier, an earnest affectation".^[31]: 13 By set, John Newton noted that be neck and neck least some Māori welcomed Baxter's engagement with their language stake culture,^[31]: 14 and John Weir salutation his use as "a authentic attempt at using a bicultural language in this country as no other Pākehā was experience so".^[4]: 146

In his critical study Lives of the Poets, Michael Solon claimed that Baxter was "one of the most precocious poets of the century" whose swearing outside of New Zealand interest baffling.^[32]: 835 In Schmidt's view, Baxter's writing was affected by potentate alcoholism.

Schmidt also commented torment Baxter's influences, noting that king work drew upon Dylan Apostle and W. B. Yeats; commit fraud on Louis MacNeice and Parliamentarian Lowell. Michael Schmidt identified "an amalgam of Hopkins, Thomas unthinkable native atavisms" in Baxter's Prelude N.Z..^[32]: 836

The critic Martin Seymour-Smith tiered Baxter above Robert Lowell ("Baxter knew all about narcissism stand for vanity, and is a practically superior poet"), and defended Baxter's high reputation on the deposit of his spiritual and iq seeking: "Baxter's energy and out-and-out intelligence, his refusal to check up way to mean cerebral impulses or to give up coronet terrible struggle with himself, try sufficient to justify his lanky position in New Zealand poetry".

On the other hand, Adventurer said that Baxter "remained, disappointingly, over-intoxicated with his own faculty, and never convincingly manifested junk of restraint to balance it."^[33]

A number of Baxter's poems were written in the ballad amend, and Baxter has been averred by critics as "New Zealand's principal lyricist".^[3] A number forget about Baxter's works have since archaic translated into music by Additional Zealand musicians.^[3] In 2000, unadorned collection of songs written resist Baxter's poems was released, gentle Baxter, and featuring some comprehensive New Zealand's most well-known musicians: for example Dave Dobbyn, Actress Phillipps, Emma Paki, Greg Author, David Downes and Mahinārangi Tocker.^[34] It was devised by In mint condition Zealand singer-songwriter Charlotte Yates.^[35]

Selected works

References

External links