Dylan Thomas: A New Life Read online

  Praise for Dylan Thomas

  ‘Remarkably good. Lycett’s book – apart from being a gripping, unputdownable read – is a comprehensive guide to what made the man and his verse … Frankly, stunning. There is no other appropriate adjective’ Martin Booth, Literary Review

  ‘This is the best biography of the poet I have ever read. Andrew Lycett has turned up plenty of scandalous new material about Thomas’s private life … More importantly … he seems actually to like and understand Thomas’s poems … All in all, this is a book that no one interested in Dylan Thomas can afford to be without’ Robert Nye, Scotsman

  ‘A disturbing and impressive book … No poet of our time has been more thoroughly analysed than our Dylan, but Andrew Lycett approaches the exhausting task with thoroughness, scholarship and true humanity’ Jan Morris, New Statesman

  ‘Andrew Lycett’s excellent new life, brutally clear in many places, though never short of compassion’

  Angus Calder, Sunday Herald

  ‘A fine new biography’ Christopher Gray, Oxford Times

  ‘Lycett tells a familiar tale with energy and a sympathetic wit. He recreates Thomas’s world in vivid colour … Both thorough and compelling. It also offers a genuinely new perspective … The great merit of Andrew Lycett’s biography is that it is so pugnacious and ultimately effective in its ambition to restore Dylan Thomas to his proper place as a great Welsh lyric poet in English’ Andrew Hussey, New Welsh Review

  ‘His portrait of Thomas is sympathetic and supportive … Particularly good on the complex and co-dependent relationship between Thomas and his wife, Caitlin … Lycett has produced an absorbing page-turner on the poet’ Vanessa Curtis, Herald

  ‘Tells the story of Dylan’s life with plenty of energy and local colour … Lycett’s assiduous examination of letters and diaries has swelled the list of his love-affairs and exposed a body of unedifying unpublished verse’ Jonathan Bate, Sunday Telegraph

  ‘Compelling … anecdote-rich book’

  Duncan Hamilton, Yorkshire Post

  ‘This is a big and deliberately entertaining book … To produce a fuller narrative than previously seen and to do so with a fresh eye is a real achievement’ Victor Golightly, Morning Star

  ‘A scintillating read’ John Patten, Country Life

  Andrew Lycett was educated at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford, where he read Modern History. He has worked as a foreign correspondent in Africa and the Middle East. He is a regular contributor to the Sunday Times and a wide range of newspapers and magazines. His previous books include biographies of the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadaffi, Ian Fleming and Rudyard Kipling. He lives in north London.

  DYLAN THOMAS

  A NEW LIFE

  ANDREW LYCETT

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Praise for Dylan Thomas

  Author biography

  Title Page

  Family Tree

  Acknowledgements

  Introduction

  List of Illustrations

  1 Swansea Aspirations

  2 A Precocious Childhood

  3 Virtue and Good Literature

  4 My Body was my Adventure

  5 Sore Trial

  6 A Tormented Thing

  7 Epistolary Encounters

  8 The Rub of Love

  9 The Blindest Bit

  10 Caitlin, Emily and Veronica

  11 Marriage Pangs

  12 Skirting the War

  13 Hack Work

  14 Attempted Murder

  15 Oxford, the BBC and Italy

  16 Longing for Home

  17 View from the Shed

  18 A Voice on Wheels

  19 In the Direction of his Pain

  20 Battle Against American Hospitality

  21 To Begin at the Beginning

  22 The Gates of Hell

  Notes

  Bibliography

  Index

  Illustrations

  By Andrew Lycett

  More about W&N Fiction

  Copyright

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Every book brings new friends, new acquaintances. In the former category I am privileged to count Swansea bookseller, Jeff Towns. He is an essential point of contact for anyone writing about Dylan Thomas. I’m sure that when he heard someone else was embarking on a biography, he inwardly groaned. But, from the very first occasion I met him, he was a fountain of information, encouragement and superior gossip. He also generously made available his vast collection of Dylan Thomas books, letters (some unpublished) and other material. I doubt I could have written this book without him. However I am also glad to say that I surprised him with some hitherto unknown Dylan-related material and characters I discovered.

  Even before meeting Jeff, I had been to visit Aeronwy Thomas, Dylan’s daughter, in Surrey. As everyone who meets her quickly recognises, she is a remarkable character – humorous, tenacious and very fair-minded. Dylan is lucky to have her flying the flag for him.

  So thanks to her for her support, and also to the following people to whom I am particularly grateful:

  Bruce Hunter (who represents the Dylan Thomas estate at David Higham Associates), Reg and Eileen Evans (who allowed me to see their Dylan Thomas collection and use photographs from it), Rob and Cathy Roberts (whose willingness to give me access to the papers of Daniel Jones, Cathy’s father, was remarkable – the model of the sort of relationship a biographer likes to have), and Professor Ralph Maud (who allowed me to read in proof form Where Have the Old Words Got Me? his summation of his lifetime’s thinking about the poems of Dylan Thomas).

  Andrew Holmes’s advice on computers was invaluable. I benefited from a grant from the Authors Foundation, a fund administered by the Society of Authors.

  At my publisher I have again enjoyed the editorial expertise and backing of Ion Trewin. His very able assistant Victoria Webb has been a delight to work with. Margaret Body did two fine jobs – first on the copy-editing and then on the index.

  At home I have been spoiled by the love and support of Sue Greenhill.

  I am happy to acknowledge my use of the comprehensive tape interviews made by the journalist Colin Edwards in the 1960s. Intending to write a biography that was never completed, he was able to talk to many people who knew Dylan but are no longer alive. His tapes were deposited in the National Screen and Sound Archive at the National Library of Wales by his widow. I am grateful to her and to the Library for permission to quote from them. In the same context, I drew on the excellent work done by Kent Thompson in producing his Ph.D thesis Dylan Thomas in Swansea for Swansea University in 1965. His background research papers are lodged in the university archives.

  I would like to thank David Higham Associates (on behalf of the Dylan Thomas estate) for permission to quote for the works of Dylan Thomas.

  In addition I would like to thank the following people who have all given me relevant permissions to quote:

  Michael Taylor and Felicity Skelton (Haydn Taylor)

  Professor Christopher Todd (Ruthven Todd)

  Jacqui Lyne (Tom Herbert)

  Nicola Schaefer (Cordelia Sewell)

  Richard Brooks-Keene (Bunny Keene)

  Charles Fisher

  Julia Davies (Mary Ellidge)

  Lady Avebury (Pamela Hansford Johnson)

  Judy Gascoyne (David Gascoyne)

  Gwen Watkins (Vernon Watkins)

  Hilly Janes (Fred Janes)

  Emeritus Professor Meic Stephens (Glyn Jones)

  Alice Kadel (Mary Keene)

  Sebastian Yorke (Henry Yorke)

  Rob and Cathy Roberts (Daniel Jones)

  Julius White (Augustus John)

  Ben Shephard (Rupert Shephard and Lorna Wilmo
t)

  Susan and Jane Bullowa (George Reavey)

  Amelia Fell (Margaret Taylor)

  Strephon Williams (Oscar Williams)

  Peggy Fox (James Laughlin and New Directions)

  Authors League Fund (Djuna Barnes)

  Joseph Geraci (Emily Holmes Coleman)

  Jeff Walden (BBC Written Archives)

  Judith Dunford (Alfred Kazin)

  American Academy for Arts and Letters (John Malcolm Brinnin)

  Kerith Trick (Bert Trick)

  The Masters, Fellows and Scholars of St John’s College Cambridge (Nashe Society)

  Eva Rhys (Keidrych Rhys)

  Francis Sitwell (Edith Sitwell)

  Sir Reresby Sitwell, Bart, and Francis Sitwell (Sacheverell Sitwell)

  Much of the work on a book of this kind is done in libraries. I would like to thank the following librarians for their help and their willingness to answer my questions:

  Rebecca Johnson Melvin (University of Delaware)

  Tara Wenger and John Fitzpatrick (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin)

  Helen Cole (State Library of Queensland)

  Marilyn Jones (Swansea City Library)

  Robin Smith (National Library of Scotland)

  Ceridwen Lloyd Morgan (Manuscripts/National Library of Wales)

  Dafydd Pritchard (National Screen and Sound Archive/National Library of Wales)

  Chris Penney (Birmingham University)

  Bill Hetherington (Peace Pledge Union)

  Adrian Glew (Tate Gallery)

  Robert Bertholf (Lockwood Library, State University of New York at Buffalo)

  Judith Priestman (Bodleian Library, Oxford University)

  Vincent Giroud (Yale University)

  Tom Ford (Harvard University)

  Michael Bott (Reading University)

  Katherine Salzmann (Southern Illinois University)

  Francis Lapka and Saundra Taylor (University of Indiana at Bloomington) Stephen Crook (Berg Collection New York Public Library)

  Dean M. Rogers (Vassar University)

  Paula Brikci (BP Archive)

  Ann Butler (New York University)

  Susan Beckley (West Glamorgan Archives)

  Terry Wells (Carmarthen Archives)

  Elisabeth Bennet (Swansea University)

  Nick Mays (News International)

  In addition to the above, many other people have given me significant help, for which I am very grateful:

  David Wagoner Ros Tharp Lois Gridley

  Stanley Moss Joe Pearce Lorraine Scourfield

  Desmond Morris Michael Rush Jessica Treacy

  Silvia Tharp Warren Hope Paul Redgrove

  Deanna and the late Zubel Kachadoorian Roger Horrocks Ann Meo

  Various people have generously allowed me to stay in their houses during the course of my research. I am particularly grateful to David and Philippa Owen, whose cottage provided a welcome refuge when I was in the Laugharne, Carmarthen and Swansea areas. Denis and Sue Balsam kindly allowed me to use their flat in Aberystwyth. Colin and Mary Ellen Davies were, as usual, excellent hosts in Washington, as were Tim and Fredda Brennan as I criss-crossed New England.

  Other people have also provided invaluable help. I would like to thank:

  Sue Fox David N. Thomas Geoffrey Madoc-Jones

  Ruth Herschberger Paul Ferris David Vaughan-Thomas

  David Markson Fiona Green David Rosser-Owen

  Alastair Reid Edward Marnier Margaret Hepburn

  David Slivka Paul Willetts Stephen Fothergill

  Rose Slivka Paul Duncan Haulwen Morris

  Jo Ellen Hall Robin Darwall-Smith Mark and Molly Murray

  Sarah Jane Checkland

  David Wolkowsky Thelma Shoonmaker

  Powell Thriepland

  Paul Busby

  Bonnie Luscombe Nest Cleverdon Joe Hone

  Robert Williams The late Gilbert Bennett Tommy Watts

  Barbara Holdridge Leslie Mewis Maurice Brace

  Charles F. Wickwire Peggy Rust The late Ann Starke

  Jeny Curnow Richard Ramsbotham Colin Webb

  Harry Ricketts Cesa Milton David Bryan

  David Cowell Prof Mario Curreli Sheila and Ivan Caley

  Bob Kingdom Frederick Morgan Canon Fred Cogman

  Claire Manson Terence O’Brien Jane Dunn

  Mark Law Vicky Magnus Conrad Goulden

  Virginia Law Sonia Birch-Jones George Tremlett

  Lady Bath Brian Davis Philip Ziegler

  Michael Luke

  Jonathan Moffat

  John Veale Jane MacKelvie Jutsum

  Rebekah Gilbertson

  Jane Gibson Audrey Davies (and the

  Eastside Historical

  Society)

  Martin Starkie Barbara Parry Edward Williams

  Joseph Rykwert Rita Bronowski John Bodley

  David Mason Susan Gentleman Anthony Penrose

  Jane Ridley Barbara Wall Ilse Barker

  Roger Davenport Cecily Mackworth Joan Rubeck

  James Schevill Gordon Bowker John Goodby

  Jonathan Clark Ian Norrie Victor Golightly

  Dr Geraint James Laure Pengelly Drake Gabriel and Leonie

  Dr Roger Seale Pamela Wilson (Time Summers

  Michael Snow magazine) Peter Conradi

  Rona Lucas Lady Spender David Woolley

  Paul Rubenstein Michael Holroyd Jo Furber

  Louise Levy Jeremy Lewis Victoria Walsh

  Ceri Levy Anthony Thwaite Dr David Sutton

  My publishers and I have done everything we can to seek out all copyright holders. If there are any we have inadvertently missed, we would like to be informed and we will note them in future editions of this book.

  If any reader has comments on the book or further material to offer, please contact me at [email protected]

  Note to paperback edition: I am grateful to David N. Thomas for sharing the results of his research on Dylan Thomas’s forebears. As a result the Family Tree is much improved.

  INTRODUCTION

  Type the title of Dylan Thomas’s villanelle ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ into the Google search engine on the world wide web; tell it you want those exact words, in that particular order, and it will provide 21,000 direct hits. A few of these responses are scholarly in tone, but most come from individuals stirred by the Welsh poet’s passionate protest against his dying father’s loss of faculties. Often the text of the poem is written out in full as a memorial to a loved one.

  Half a century after his untimely death in New York in November 1953 Dylan Thomas still has the power to move. He always had a special ability to engage his readers and listeners directly, while still providing enough interest, through his intricate word play and rhythms, to excite the most severe of poetry critics. So you find him depicted on Peter Blake’s cover of the 1967 Beatles album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and also represented in the austere pages of The Criterion magazine. Not many artists were favourites of both John Lennon and the determinedly high-brow T. S. Eliot.

  Dylan’s across-the-board appeal encouraged me to write his biography. As the Beatles recognised, he is an important figure in twentieth century culture, bridging the gap between modernism and pop, between the written and spoken word, between individual and performance art, between the academy and the forum.

  His mediatory role has long been recognised, but it has usually been presented in terms of his position between England and Wales or, alternatively, on the cusp of empirical Anglo-Saxon and mythic Celtic traditions. In the past, this perception has done him few favours. He has often been scorned in his homeland for seeking acclaim and financial reward in the world of English letters, rather than accepting his responsibilities for forging a vibrant Welsh culture.

  Recently, however, this nationalist line has softened. In today’s devolved, Europeanised principality, the Welsh way of life is no longer under such threat. While English remains the dominant language, Welsh holds its own i
n areas where it has traditionally been spoken. The dragon’s two tongues have become symbols of possibility, rather than division.

  This has allowed new approaches to Dylan’s work to flourish. His brand of Anglo-Welshness is now welcomed for bringing a fresh lyricism to the metropolitan poetical experimentation of the 1930s. Greater attention is paid to his interaction with radio and film. He is feted for invigorating English literature by introducing it to different sounds, intonations and ways of thinking. (Although he did not speak Welsh, he could not escape its influence. He heard it on a regular basis from his relations and in the surrounding community.) In this reading he is as much a precursor of English as a world language as Salman Rushdie and other Anglo-Indian authors. His English and Welsh sides are reciprocal sources of inspiration and innovation.

  From a biographer’s point of view, this has made Dylan a more interesting figure – if, paradoxically, more difficult to pin down, as he darts between, and hides behind, different personalities, groups of people, and traditions. Often he could only manage the necessary moves by lying, or by losing himself in alcohol. His childhood friend Dan Jones talked of Dylan presenting a ‘fetch’ or double to the world.

  My main task has been to explain how the public wild boy, ‘the Rimbaud of Cwmdonkin Drive’, could co-exist with the private poet of such sensitivity. The obvious point of entry is Dylan’s own writing, particularly his verse and his vastly entertaining correspondence. It annoys me when detractors suggest he was only a verbal pyrotechnist or, an alternative version, he produced a handful of good poems, but otherwise was a Welsh windbag. Haven’t these people read ‘Ceremony after a fire raid’, for example? Here is Dylan in an often forgotten role as one of our very best Second World War poets.

  For Dylan had a clear mission. He recognised the conflicting sides to his personality and sought to reconcile them through poetry. That is how I read his lines: ‘I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me, and my enquiry is as to their working, and my problem is their subjugation and victory, downthrow and upheaval, and my effort is their self-expression.’ Perhaps they are over-dramatic, with their shades of Milton, though one of the delights of reading Dylan is the light touch of his learning: he can surprise with unexpected references, from Restoration comedies to 1930s musicals. As he explored internally and externally – first, his own mind and body and, then, the natural world and the wider universe – he let a ‘host of images … breed and conflict’. He toyed with the idea of God, acknowledged its value, but discarded it. His was a humanistic view of creation: ‘Man be my metaphor’, as he put it in his early poem ‘If I were tickled by the rub of love’.