My Dear Mother Stormy Boastful, and Tender

This fascinating collection of letters between sons and mothers offers an intimate and unexpected glimpse into the mind and heart of the artist. Here are letters by over fifty writers, painters, and musicians, from boyhood to manhood--including Elvis Presley, Ezra Pound, E. B. White, Paul Cezanne, Henry James, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Richard Wagner, Victor Hugo, Jean Cocteau, Tennessee WIlliams, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Karen Elizabeth Gordon is the author of seven books, including her mischievous language handbooks The Deluxe Transitive Vampire, The New Well-Tempered Sentence, and Torn Wings and Faux Pas. She divides her time between California and France.

INTRODUCTION

xv

I. BOY

4

(14)

Oh! Mummie What a Life

4

(14)

E. E. CUMMINGS

4

(1)

AUBREY BEARDSLEY

5

(1)

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

6

(1)

HONORE DE BALZAC

7

(1)

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

8

(1)

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

9

(2)

EZRA POUND

11

(2)

WYNDHAM LEWIS

13

(5)

II. ADOLESCENT

18

(32)

Out of the Nest

18

(15)

WALLACE STEVENS

18

(2)

JOHN DOS PASSOS

20

(1)

WYNDHAM LEWIS

21

(2)

VICTOR HUGO

23

(1)

EVELYN WAUGH

24

(1)

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

25

(3)

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

28

(1)

WILLIAMS CARLOS WILLIAMS

29

(4)

School Days

33

(17)

GUSTAVE COURBET

33

(1)

NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS

34

(1)

CHARLES BAUDELAIRE

35

(2)

A. E. HOUSMAN

37

(2)

IVAN TURGENEV'S MOTHER

39

(1)

DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI

40

(2)

FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY

42

(1)

E. B. WHITE

43

(1)

GEORGE ELIOT TO HER STEPSON

44

(6)

III. YOUNG MAN

50

(92)

A Room of One's Own

50

(10)

NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS

50

(2)

e. e. cummings

52

(1)

GUSTAVE COURBET

53

(1)

PAUL KLEE

54

(2)

WYNDHAM LEWIS

56

(1)

VLADIMIR NABOKOV

57

(3)

Grand and Other Tours, with Gossip

60

(14)

JOSEPH SPENCE

60

(2)

JACK KEROUAC

62

(1)

SARAH BERNHARDT TO HER SON

63

(3)

THOMAS MOORE

66

(2)

VIRGIL THOMSON

68

(2)

MARCEL PROUST

70

(4)

Linen, Clothes, Evasions of Marriage, Elopements

74

(13)

GUSTAVE COURBET

74

(1)

GUSTAVE MAHLER'S MOTHER

75

(1)

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

76

(1)

GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

77

(2)

ANTHONY TROLLOPE

79

(1)

WYNDHAM LEWIS

80

(2)

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

82

(5)

The Arts, Accomplishments, and Praise

87

(15)

VLADIMIR NABOKOV

87

(1)

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

88

(2)

EZRA POUND

90

(1)

MARCEL PROUST'S MOTHER

91

(1)

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST

92

(2)

H. G. WELLS

94

(2)

CHARLES BAUDELAIRE

96

(1)

JEAN COCTEAU

97

(1)

OSCAR WILDE'S MOTHER

98

(1)

THOMAS MOORE

99

(1)

IVAN TURGENEV'S MOTHER

100

(2)

The Grand Tour Continues

102

(15)

JACK KEROUAC

102

(1)

MARK TWAIN

103

(2)

WILLIAM FAULKNER

105

(2)

HENRY JAMES

107

(2)

GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

109

(1)

THOMAS MOORE

110

(1)

JOSEPH SPENCE

111

(6)

High Intensity

117

(13)

RICHARD WAGNER

117

(2)

NIKOLAI GOGOL

119

(2)

MARCEL PROUST

121

(1)

MIKHAIL BULGAKOV

122

(2)

THOMAS MOORE

124

(1)

KAETHE KOLLWITZ TO HER SON

125

(1)

VANESSA BELL TO HER SISTER

126

(1)

JEAN COCTEAU

127

(3)

Sweet Effusions

130

(12)

A. E. HOUSMAN

130

(1)

ELVIS PRESLEY

131

(1)

MARCEL PROUST'S MOTHER

132

(1)

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

133

(1)

NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS

134

(1)

LEO TOLSTOY

135

(7)

IV. MAN

142

(53)

Cross-Dressing, Clothes, Mother-Son Affinities

142

(12)

VANESSA BELL TO HER SON

142

(2)

PIER PAOLO PASOLINI

144

(2)

MAURICE RAVEL

146

(1)

ISAAC BABEL

147

(2)

A. E. HOUSMAN

149

(1)

ST.-JOHN PERSE

150

(4)

Vaunting

154

(14)

JAMES ABBOTT McNEILL WHISTLER

154

(2)

PAUL CEZANNE

156

(1)

T. S. ELIOT

157

(2)

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

159

(1)

GEORGE SAND TO HER SON

160

(1)

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

161

(1)

ISAAC BABEL

162

(2)

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

164

(4)

Travelogue

168

(10)

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

168

(1)

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST

169

(1)

ST.-JOHN PERSE

170

(1)

A. E. HOUSMAN

171

(2)

HENRY JAMES

173

(2)

T. S. ELIOT

175

(3)

Festivities and Outings

178

(10)

ST.-JOHN PERSE

178

(1)

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

179

(1)

WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY

180

(1)

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST

181

(2)

T. S. ELIOT

183

(1)

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE'S MOTHER

184

(4)

Departures

188

(7)

CHARLES BAUDELAIRE

188

(2)

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

190

(1)

JAMES BOSWELL

191

(1)

MARC CHAGALL

192

(3)

ROBERT LOWELL

EPILOGUE "SAILING HOME FROM RAPALLO"

195

(2)

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My Dear Mother Stormy Boastful, and Tender Letters By Distinguished Sons--From Dostoevsky to Elvis

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Author Biography

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