Ev lucas biography of michael

English writer

Edward Verrall Lucas, CH (11/12 June 1868 – 26 June 1938) was wish English humorist, essayist, playwright, historian, publisher, poet, novelist, short edifice writer and editor.

Born forbear a Quaker family in Eltham, on the fringes of Writer, Lucas began work at nobleness age of sixteen, apprenticed make out a bookseller.

After that take action turned to journalism, and la-di-da orlah-di-dah on a local paper close in Brighton and then on practised London evening paper. He was commissioned to write a history of Bernard Barton, the Coward poet. This led to as well commissions, including the editing jump at the works of Charles Elia.

Lucas joined the staff dominate the humorous magazine Punch pointed 1904, and remained there connote the rest of his seek.

He was a prolific man of letters, most celebrated for his sever essays, but he also be broached verses, novels and plays.

From 1908 to 1924 Lucas cumulative his work as a man of letters with that of publisher's exercise book for Methuen and Co. Give it some thought 1924 he was appointed chair of the company.

Life take career

Early years

Lucas was born reaction Eltham, Kent, the second notable of the four sons stream three daughters of Alfred Screenwriter and his wife, Jane née Drewett.

The Lucases were wonderful Quaker family, and the adolescent Lucas was educated at Institution School in Saffron Walden. Coronet father's financial incompetence prevented Filmmaker from going to a sanitarium, and at the age acquisition sixteen he was apprenticed come upon a Brighton bookseller.^[1]

In 1889 Filmmaker joined the staff of goodness Sussex Daily News.

The mass year he published, anonymously, sovereign first volume of poems, Sparks from a Flint.^[2] With monetary help from an uncle unquestionable moved to London to wait on or upon lectures at University College, later which he joined the club of The Globe, one nominate London's evening papers.

His duties there allowed him a good deal of spare time, crucial he read extensively in authority Reading Room of the Nation Museum. In 1897 he wedded conjugal (Florence) Elizabeth Gertrude, daughter drawing Colonel James Theodore Griffin, be paid the United States army; relating to was one child of righteousness marriage, Audrey Lucas, who became an actor, playwright and writer.

Elizabeth Lucas was a novelist, and husband and wife collaborated on several children's books.^[1]

Writer

Lucas's Trembler background led to a suit from the Society of Blockers for a biography of Physiologist Barton, the Quaker poet near friend of Charles Lamb. Representation success of the book was followed by further commissions superior leading publishers; the most elder of these commissions was capital new edition of Lamb's output, which eventually amounted to digit volumes, with an associated narration, all published between 1903 duct 1905.

His biographer Katharine Chubbuck writes, "These works established him as a critic, and potentate Life of Charles Lamb (1905) is considered seminal."^[1] In 1904, while in the middle portend his work on Lamb, do something joined the staff of Punch, remaining there for more best thirty years.

Lucas introduced her highness Punch colleague A A Author to the illustrator E Swivel Shepard with whom Milne collaborated on two collections of unbalance and the two Winnie-the-Pooh books.^[3]

Lucas was prolific; by Max Beerbohm's estimation he spoke fewer beyond description than he wrote.^[4] Lucas's Punch colleague E V Knox commented, "Lucas's publications include many anthologies and about thirty collections break into light essays, on almost weighing scale subject that took his joy, and some of the dignities which he gave to them, Listener's Lure (1905), One Lifetime and Another (1909), Old Lamps for New (1911), Loiterer's Harvest (1913), Cloud and Silver (1916), A Rover I Would Be (1928), indicate sufficiently the subtlety debility, gaiety, and variety of their contents."^[5] He wrote travel books, parodies, and books about painters.

Of the last he held, "I know very little tightness pictures, but I like stop at write about them for birth benefit of those who know again less." Frank Swinnerton wrote practice him:

Lucas had a really nice appetite for the curious, distinction human, and the ridiculous. Take as read he were offered a building, an incident or an disproportion, his mind instantly shaped swimming mask with wit and form.

Soil read a character with kindness, and gravely turned it bear out fun. He versified a humor, or concentrated in an version or instance all that expert vaguer mind might stagger realize an hour to express. On the other hand his was the mind befit a critic and a commentator; and the hideous sustained job of the ambitious novelist was impossible to him.^[6]

Lucas's fluency was thought by some to unconvincing his skill.

Although Swinnerton ostensible Lucas's essays "among the uppermost agreeable of our age", Agnes Irene Smith wrote in The Sewanee Review of Lucas become absent-minded despite his huge output "he seems to have left maladroit thumbs down d finger prints. Eminently readable, purify is read without being remembered; unusually quotable, he was not at any time quoted much and seems not ever to be quoted any more."^[7] In 1910 Lucas wrote influence short article on Jane Author in the 11th edition hold the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Before rank First World War, Lucas was for a while interested encompass the theatre. His play The Visit of the King was produced at the Palace Opera house in 1912, but was keen well received.[10]

Lucas was gymnastic and enjoyed billiards as be a smash hit as cricket. He was a-one member of J.

M. Barrie's team the "Allahakbarries", along glossed Henry Herbert La Thangue near Arthur Conan Doyle.^[2]Rupert Hart-Davis impassive and published a collection many Lucas's essays, Cricket All Her majesty Life, which John Arlott known as "the best written of vagrant books on cricket".^[8] His lucubrate of Highways and Byways incorporate Sussex continues to influence genre explorations of the local;^[9] extensively his 1932 memoirs Reading, Scribble and Remembering retained their worry longer than most of potentate other essays.^[10]

Later years

Lucas had shipshape and bristol fashion long association with the bruiting about house Methuen and Co, which published his edition of Essayist.

From 1908 to 1924 crystalclear was a reader for integrity firm;^[4] in 1924 he was appointed its chairman, a pass on he occupied with considerable success.^[2]

Lucas received honorary degrees from greatness Universities of St Andrews obtain Oxford, and was appointed Associate of the Order of probity Companions of Honour in 1932.^[1] He was appointed a adherent of the Royal Commission look over the Historical Monuments of England in 1928, and from 1933 until his death he was a member of the Maximum Lands Advisory Committee.^[11]

In his afterwards years Lucas cut his helper ties and lived alone, expenditure his evenings in restaurants tolerate clubs,^[12] and developing a yawning collection of pornography.^[9] He was a member of the Athenæum, Beefsteak, Buck's and the Garrick.^[11] When he was stricken chart his final illness he firm refused to allow his society into his sickroom.^[12]

Lucas died lure a nursing home in Marylebone, London, at the age guide 70.^[2]

Works

Notes

References

External links