Coordinates: 51°46′10″N 4°27′47″W / 51.7694°N 4.4631°W / 51.7694; -4.4631

Laugharne
Welsh: Talacharn
Laugharne Castle
Laugharne  Laugharne shown within Carmarthenshire
OS grid reference	SN301109
Community	Laugharne Township
Principal area	Carmarthenshire
Ceremonial county	Dyfed
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Dyfed-Powys
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
List of places: UKʉۢ Walesʉۢ Carmarthenshire

Dylan Thomas's boathouse and the 'heron-priested shore'

Laugharne /ˈlɑrn/ (Welsh: Talacharn) is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Tâf. It is known for having been the home of Dylan Thomas from 1949 until his death in 1953, and is thought to have been an inspiration for the fictional town of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood. The Township was originally known as Abercorran, but this was changed to Laugharne after the Civil War, in honour of Major-General Rowland Laugharne, a renowned local army officer, who had commanded a Parliamentarian army, before rebelling in 1648.

History[link]

In the early 12th century, grants of lands were made to Flemings by Henry I when their country was flooded, and later they were joined by Flemish soldiers banished by Henry II.^[1] They were weavers and dyers and were such an influence that Welsh was hardly ever heard in Laugharne.

A castle, known originally as the Castle of Abercorran, existed in Laugharne before the Norman Conquest and belonged to the princes of South Wales. Henry II visited it in 1172 on his return from Ireland and made peace with Prince Rhys of Dinefwr. Through the marriage of Prince Rhys' daughter, the castle passed to Sir Guy de Brian, who had been Lord High Admiral of England. His daughter Elizabeth inherited the castle and married Owen Laugharne of St. Bride's who gave his name to the castle.

Possession passed to the Crown and during the 16th century belonged to Sir John Perrot, returning to the crown after his death. In 1644 the castle was garrisoned for the king and taken for Parliament by Major-General Rowland Laugharne, who subsequently reverted to the king's side. This led Cromwell to lay siege to the castle, burning and leaving it in ruins.

Laugharne is mentioned as being affected by the Bristol Channel floods, 1607. It is not known whether this had any long-term effects on the town, but it may have contributed to the silting up of the harbour, which at one time had seen imports of coal and tobacco from the New World.

Laugharne Corporation[link]

Laugharne Corporation is an almost unique institution, and the last surviving mediæval corporation in the United Kingdom. The Corporation was established in 1291 by Sir Guy de Brian, a Marcher Lord. The Corporation is presided over by the Portreeve, wearing his traditional chain of gold cockle shells, (one added by each portreeve, with his name and date of tenure on the reverse), the Aldermen, and the body of Burgesses. The title of portreeve is conferred annually, with the Portreeve being sworn in on the first Monday after Michaelmas at the Big Court. The Corporation holds a court-leet half-yearly formerly dealing with criminal cases, and a court-baron every fortnight, dealing with civil suits within the lordship, especially in matters related to land, where administration of the common fields is dealt with. The Laugharne open field system is one of only two surviving and still in use today in Britain. The most senior 76 burgesses get a strang of land on Hugden for life, to be used in a form of mediaeval strip farming.

Customs associated with the Corporation include the Common walk (also known as beating the bounds), which occurs on Whit Monday every three years. This event is attended by most of the young and firm local population, their number swelled by many visitors. The local pubs open at approx 5.00 in the morning, and following a liquid breakfast the throng commence a trek of some 25 miles around the boundaries of the Corporation lands. At significant historical landmarks a victim is selected to name the place. If they cannot answer, they are hoisted upside down and ceremonially beaten three times on the rear.

Laugharne Corporation holds extensive historial records.^[2]

Laugharne Charter[link]

The famous Charter of Laugharne, which the Corporation was founded by, came about during a tempestuous time in local Welsh history. Henry II (Plantagenet) held a parley with Rhys ap Gruffydd at Laugharne Castle in 1172. After Henry’s death, Rhys seized St. Clears, Llanstephan and Laugharne, and then lost them again to the crown. In 1215 Llewelyn ap Iorwerth (Llewelyn Mawr) Prince of Gwynedd, renewed the offensive for the Welsh and razed the three strongholds to the ground. King John in the last year of his reign (1216) restored Norman authority and granted the Lordship of Laugharne to Gui de Brienne who had espoused the daughter of the Lord Dynefor. It was de Brienne who granted Laugharne its famous Charter, and it was ratified by Edward I, at some time between 1270-1290. The Charter reads;

To all the faithful in Christ, to whom this present writing shall come, Gwydo de Brione, the younger [wishes] eternal salvation in the Lord. Let all of you know that we have granted to our beloved and faithful burgesses of Thalacharn, for us and for our heirs and for our successors, whoever they may be, all the good laws and customs that the burgesses of Carmarthen have up to now used and enjoyed in the time of King John, the grandfather of the Lord Edward I, the son of Henry III, and their predeccessors, Kings of England; preserving the weights and measures that were in the time of Gwydo de Brione, the elder.

We have also granted to the same men a free common in all our northern wood, that is to say, in the whole forest of Coydebech, and all that common pasture in the marsh of Thalacharn which is called Menecors along the marks and boundaries as it is perambulated, and also all that free common from the rivulet which is named Mackorellis on proceeding upwards as far as Greensladeshead, and so towards the east over Eynonsdown by the way that leads to Brangweys, and from there to Corranshead and so upwards to Horilake and from there to the top of Tadhill, and so downwards to Passenant’s Lake and so towards the east to the bounds between Moldhill and that carrucate of land that formerly belonged to Rice, the son of William and downwards to the water of the Taf and so to Heming’s well and from there upwards to Horestone and so to Pensernes and from there downwards to Blindwell and so to Rochcomb and so downwards to the ancient whirlpool of the Taf and from there to Howelscroft and so upwards to the Burch and Mere, and so downwards to the long rock which is near our virgate of Thalacharn.

Also we have granted to the same men one way sixteen feet in which to drive their cattle from the common pasture aforesaid near Passenant’s lake to the water of the Taf.

Also we have granted to the same men one customary acre in length and breadth for digging turfs where they suitably wish to choose in the Turbary near Passenant’s Lake.

We have also granted to our burgesses aforesaid that they themselves for the transgression or forfeiture of their servants may not lose their own chattels and goods found in the hands of the servants or placed aside anywhere by the servants themselves within our land, as far as they will be able to prove that they are their own. And that, if the aforesaid burgesses, or some among them, within our land have died testate or intestate, neither we nor our heirs shall cause their goods to be confiscated so that their heirs do not have the things themselves entirely, as far as it will be established that the aforesaid chattels were those of the said deceased, provided that then knowledge or confidence may be had concerning the aforesaid heirs.

Also we have granted to the same men that no one of them within our land be troubled for the debt of some neighbour, unless he be his debtor or his surety, and that the surety of any one should not be compelled to pay, provided the debtor has wherewith he can pay, and that all off ences committed within their township be corrected according to the judgment of the same people, as has hitherto been accustomed to be done in the borough of Kymarden. We have also granted to the same men, if anyone of them within his township shall have incurred forfeiture towards anyone, he may not be led within the gates of the castle, provided that then he can find good and safe sureties for his standing trial. And that no one of them be compelled to provide his lord, or any bailiff of his, beyond twelve pence, unless he wishes to do it of his own good will, and that no inquisition of affairs of non-burgesses be made by the aforesaid burgesses, but by the freeholders of the country, nor of the burgesses by non-burgesses.

Also we have granted to the same our burgesses that they themselves choose twice in a year two competent burgesses to the office of our Port- reeve, that is to say one in the next hundred-court after the feast of Saint Michael, the other in the next hundred-court after Easter, by the common consent of the same men and not by our authority or that of someone, a bailiff of ours, to hold the hundred-court and to receive the attachments belonging to the hundred and to receive the rent from the township and the toll. And that the said portreeves pay the aforesaid rent and toll to us or to our aforesaid bailiff, appointed for this purpose, within the township of Thalacharn by Tally.

And that they should not have any other duty of buying of exchange, or any other service whatsoever that could harm them within the township or without.

We have also granted to the same men that the aforesaid burgesses be free from every kind of servitude and service of ploughing, harrowing, making hay, reaping, binding corn and of any kind of carting, of repsiring the mill or its pond and from all other kinds of services that could tend to their slavery or their loss within the township and without.

And that they go not to the army except to guard their township, as the burgesses of Kymarden do.

We wish also and grant that, if any one in the open day, in the presence of his neighbours, should buy anything, and afterwards that thing should be ill-spoken of, as if stolen, the buyer lose nothing except then that thing, but it shall he sworn on the oath of his neighbours that he did not know that he had bought that thing from a thief.

And, that this our grant and the confirmation of our present charter for us and for our heirs and for our successors or assigns, whoever they may be, should remain firm and unshaken for ever, we have strengthened this present charter with the impression of our seal, these men being witnesses. Galfrid de Caunville, Patrick de Cadure, William de Caunvill, Thomas de Roche, Roger Corbet, knights. John Laundry, Walter Malenfant, Mared ab Traharn, Thomas Bonegent, clerk, and others.

Customs[link]

The cockle industry was once a significant part of the Laugharne economy, and the well-established pickling firm Parsons have their origins in Laugharne. Prior to this, fishing in Carmarthen Bay was of great importance.

The Laugharne accent is interesting, sounding like a mix of Devon with Carmarthenshire Welsh. Many local words and phrases are archaic: e.g., "How art thee maid?". Laugharne is at the eastern end of the south Wales Englishry and only a minority of its inhabitants have ever spoken Welsh. The language boundary lies a few miles north of Laugharne.

Architecturally, Laugharne contains many fine examples of Georgian townhouses, including "Great House" and Castle House, Laugharne a 2* Listed building, with a scattering of earlier vernacular cottages.

Attractions in the town include the 12th-century Laugharne Castle, the town hall and the birdlife of the estuary.

During the Great War, over 300 men and women of Laugharne and her surrounding villages volunteered to fight in His Majesty’s Forces, 54 of these lost their lives. They are buried or commemorated all over the world, from Belgium to India. In World War II a further 20 men were lost from Laugharne. These men, alongside their compatriots from Carmarthenshire are remembered in perpetuity on the website Carmarthenshire War Memorials

The Laugharne Weekend[link]

Each year in the spring, Laugharne hosts a three day arts festival, the Laugharne Weekend.

The festival's was inaugurated in 2007 featuring writers such as Niall Griffiths and Patrick McCabe.

Headline performers since the have included Ray Davies, Will Self, Howard Marks and Patti Smith.

Although the town's Millennium Hall was used as the main venue, smaller events were hosted by local venues including Dylan Thomas's Boathouse.^[3]

Notable natives[link]

The first Welsh soldier to win the Victoria Cross during the Great War of 1914-1918, Private William Charles Fuller, VC of the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment, was born at Newbridge Road, Laugharne on 13 March 1884.

The Australian pastoralist and politician Arnold Wienholt was born at Laugharne on 22 January 1826.^[4] His brother Edward Wienholt, another Australian politician, was also born at Laugharne, on 28 March 1833.^[5]

The author and traveller James Augustus St. John was born at Laugharne on 24 September 1795.

The clergyman and one-time Dean of Gloucester Josiah Tucker was born at Laugharne in December 1713.

The one-time director of the Johnson Space Centre George Abbey is the son of Bridget Gibby, of Laugharne. Bridget was working in London when she met George's father, Sam Abbey, and the couple married before moving to Seattle, where George was born on 21 August 1932.

Joseph Arthur Hamilton Beresford, Australian naval commander, and hero of the capture of German New Guinea during the Great War, was born at Laugharne in 1861. His son, Arthur Edward Bathurst Beresford, was killed in France during the Great War.

Gary Pearce was one of the outstanding outside halves in Wales during the early 1980s, playing for Laugharne, Bridgend, Llanelli and Wales, before turning professional with Hull KR. He was born at Laugharne on 11 November 1960.

Bridget Bevan, known as Madam Bevan, was an educator, who was the main benefactor to the work of Griffith Jones, the father of the modern schooling system in Wales. She died at Laugharne in 1779.

References[link]

1. ^ R.H. Tyler and others (1925). Laugharne, Local History and Folklaw.. Gomer Press, Llandysul, Dyfed. 
2. ^ [1] Carmarthenshire Archives Service website
3. ^ Laugharne Weekend website
4. ^ Waterson, D.B.. "Wienholt, Arnold (1826 - 1895)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition. Canberra: Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060429b.htm. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
5. ^ Waterson, D.B.. "Wienholt, Edward (1833 - 1904)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition. Canberra: Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060540b.htm. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 

The Laugharne Corporation now has its own official web site which gives more details about the town and can be found by visiting http://www.laugharne.info

External links[link]

• The Cors - Restaurant and Rooms
• Laugharne - history, where to go, what to do
• Laugharne online
• Dylan Thomas Boathouse
• History
• Laugharne on Genuki
• Aerial photograph of Laugharne
• Laugharne Cricket Club
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Laugharne and surrounding area
• Hurst House on the Marsh Hotel

Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer^[1][2] who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself. His public readings, particularly in America, won him great acclaim; his sonorous voice with a subtle Welsh lilt became almost as famous as his works. His best-known works include the "play for voices" Under Milk Wood and the celebrated villanelle for his dying father, "Do not go gentle into that good night". Appreciative critics have also noted the craftsmanship and compression of poems such as "In my Craft or Sullen Art",^[3] and the rhapsodic lyricism in "And death shall have no dominion" and "Fern Hill".

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Dylan Thomas was born in the Uplands area of Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, on 27 October 1914 just a few months after the Thomas family had bought the house. Uplands was, and still is, one of the more affluent areas of the city.

5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Swansea, birthplace of Dylan Thomas

His father, David John Thomas (1876–1952), had attained a first-class honours degree in English at University College, Aberystwyth, and was dissatisfied with his position at the local grammar school as an English master who taught English literature.^[4] His mother, Florence Hannah Thomas (née Williams) (1882–1958), was a seamstress born in Swansea. Nancy, Thomas's sister, (Nancy Marles 1906–1953) was nine years older than he. Their father brought up both children to speak only English, even though he and his wife were both bilingual in English and Welsh. David was even known to give Welsh lessons at home.

Dylan is pronounced ˈdəlan in Welsh, and in the early part of his career some announcers introduced him using this pronunciation. However, Thomas himself favoured the anglicised pronunciation /ˈdɪlən/.^[4] A review of a biography by Andrew Lycett (2004) notes: "Florence, the boy’s mother, had her doubts about the odd name: the correct Welsh pronunciation, which the family used, is “Dullan,� and she worried that other children would tease him by calling him “dull one.� Later, when broadcasting on the Welsh service of the BBC, Dylan Thomas had to instruct the announcers to say "'Dillan,' the way he himself pronounced it".^[5] His middle name, Marlais, was given to him in honour of his great-uncle, Unitarian minister William Thomas, whose bardic name was Gwilym Marles.^[4]

His childhood was spent largely in Swansea, with regular summer trips to visit his maternal aunts' Carmarthenshire farms.^[6] These rural sojourns and the contrast with the town life of Swansea provided inspiration for much of his work, notably many short stories, radio essays, and the poem Fern Hill. Thomas was known to be a sickly child who suffered from bronchitis and asthma. He shied away from school and preferred reading on his own. He was considered too frail to fight in World War II, instead serving the war effort by writing scripts for the government. Thomas's formal education began at Mrs. Hole's Dame school, a private school which was situated a few streets away on Mirador Crescent. He described his experience there in Quite Early One Morning:^[7]

Never was there such a dame school as ours, so firm and kind and smelling of galoshes, with the sweet and fumbled music of the piano lessons drifting down from upstairs to the lonely schoolroom, where only the sometimes tearful wicked sat over undone sums, or to repent a little crime â€” the pulling of a girl's hair during geography, the sly shin kick under the table during English literature.

In October 1925, Thomas attended the single-sex Swansea Grammar School, in the Mount Pleasant district of the city, where his father taught. He was an undistinguished student. Thomas's first poem was published in the school's magazine. He later became its editor.^[4] He began keeping poetry notebooks and amassed 200 poems in four such journals between 1930 and 1934.^[4] He left school at 16 to become a reporter for the local newspaper, the South Wales Daily Post, only to leave the job under pressure 18 months later in 1932. After leaving the job he filled his notebooks even faster. Of the 90 poems he published, half were written during these first years.^[4] He then joined an amateur dramatic group in Mumbles called Little Theatre (Now Known as Swansea Little Theatre), but still continued to work as a freelance journalist for a few more years.

Dylan Thomas Theatre Home of Swansea Little Theatre

Dylan's £5 writing shed in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire

Thomas spent his time visiting the cinema in the Uplands, walking along Swansea Bay, visiting a theatre where he used to perform, and frequenting Swansea's pubs. He especially patronised those in the Mumbles area such the Antelope Hotel and the Mermaid Hotel. A short walk from the local newspaper where he worked was the Kardomah Café in Castle Street, central Swansea. At the café he met with various artist contemporaries, such as his good friend the poet Vernon Watkins. These writers, musicians and artists became known as 'The Kardomah Gang'. In 1932, Thomas embarked on what would be one of his various visits to London.

In February 1941, Swansea was bombed by the German Luftwaffe in a "three nights' blitz". Castle Street was just one of the many streets in Swansea that suffered badly; the rows of shops, including the 'Kardomah Café', were destroyed. Thomas later wrote about this in his radio play Return Journey Home, in which he describes the café as being "razed to the snow". Return Journey Home was first broadcast on 15 June 1947, having been written soon after the bombing raids. Thomas walked through the bombed-out shell of the town centre with his friend Bert Trick. Upset at the sight, he concluded: "Our Swansea is dead".^[8] The Kardomah Café later reopened on Portland Street, not far from the original location.

Career and family[link]

Statue of Dylan Thomas, outside the Dylan Thomas Theatre at the Marina, Swansea

It is often commented that Thomas was indulged like a child and he was, in fact, still a teenager when he published many of the poems he would become famous for: “And death shall have no dominion" “Before I Knocked� and “The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower". "And death shall have no dominion", appeared in the New English Weekly in May 1933^[4]and further work appeared in The Listener in 1934 catching the attention of two of the most senior poets of the day T. S. Eliot and Stephen Spender. His highly acclaimed first poetry volume, 18 Poems, was published on 18 December 1934, and went on to win a contest run by The Sunday Referee, netting him new admirers from the London poetry world, including Edith Sitwell. The anthology was published by Fortune Press, which did not pay its writers and expected them to buy a certain number of copies themselves. A similar arrangement would later be used by a number of other new authors, including Philip Larkin.

His passionate musical lyricism caused a sensation in these years of desiccated Modernism; the critic Desmond Hawkins said it was “the sort of bomb that bursts no more than once in three years�.^[4][9] In all, he wrote half of his poems while living at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive before he moved to London.^[10] It was also the time that Thomas's reputation for heavy drinking developed.^[9][11]

In the spring of 1936, Dylan Thomas met dancer Caitlin Macnamara in the Wheatsheaf pub, in the Fitzrovia area of London's West End. They were introduced by Augustus John, who was Macnamara's lover at the time (there were rumours that she continued her relationship with John after she married Thomas). A drunken Thomas proposed to Macnamara on the spot, and the two began a courtship.^[12] On 11 July 1937, Thomas married Macnamara in a register office in Penzance, Cornwall.^[13] In 1938, the couple rented a cottage in the village of Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, West Wales. Their first child, Llewelyn Edouard, was born on 30 January 1939 (d. 2000). Their daughter, Aeronwy Thomas-Ellis, was born on 3 March 1943 (d. 2009). A second son, Colm Garan Hart, was born on 24 July 1949.

Wartime and after[link]

At the outset of the Second World War, Thomas was designated C3, which meant that although he could, in theory, be called up for service he would be in one of the last groups to be so. He was saddened to see his friends enter active service leaving him behind and drank whilst struggling to support his family. He lived on tiny fees from writing and reviewing and borrowed heavily from friends and acquaintances, writing begging letters to random literary figures in hope of support, envisaging this as a plan of long term regular income.^[4] He wrote to the director of the films division of the Ministry of Information asking for employment but after a rebuff eventually ended up working for Strand Films. Strand produced films for the Ministry of Information and Thomas scripted at least five in 1942 with titles such as This Is Colour (about dye), New Towns For Old, These Are The Men and Our Country (a sentimental tour of Britain).^[14] He actively sought to build a reputation as a raconteur and outrageous writer, heavy drinker and wit.^[4]

The publication of Deaths and Entrances in 1946 was a major turning point for Thomas. Poet and critic W. J. Turner commented in The Spectator "This book alone, in my opinion, ranks him as a major poet".^[15] Thomas was well known for being a versatile and dynamic speaker, best known for his poetry readings. He made over 200 broadcasts for the BBC.

Often considered his greatest single work, Under Milk Wood, a radio play featuring the characters of Llareggub, is set in a fictional Welsh fishing village ('Llareggub' is 'Bugger All' backwards, implying that there is absolutely nothing to do there). The BBC credited their producer Stella Hillier with ensuring the play actually materialised. Assigned "some of the more wayward characters who were then writing for the BBC", she dragged the notoriously unreliable Thomas out of the pub and back to her office to finish the work.^[16] The play took several years to write, the first half mostly in South Leigh, Oxford, in 1948, whilst the second half was mostly written in America in May 1953. Fewer than 300 lines were written in Laugharne, according to one account, which also explains the influence of New Quay on the play.^[17]

New York[link]

John Malcolm Brinnin invited Thomas to New York and in 1950 embarked on a lucrative three month tour of arts centres and campuses in the States. He toured there again in 1952, this time with Caitlin, who discovered that he had been unfaithful on his 1950 trip. They both drank heavily, as if in competition, Thomas's health beginning to suffer with gout and lung problems. Thomas performed a 'work in progress' version of Under Milk Wood solo for the first time on 3 May at Harvard during his early 1953 US tour, and then with a cast at the Poetry Centre in New York on 14 May. He worked on the play further in Wales, where in its completed form it premiered the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, Wales on 8 October 1953,^[18] just 12 miles away from Laugharne. It was said Thomas gave a 'supreme virtuoso performance'. He then travelled to London and on 19 October he flew to America.^[18] He died in New York on 5 November 1953 before the BBC could record the play.^[19] Richard Burton starred in the first broadcast in 1954 and was joined by Elizabeth Taylor in a subsequent film.

Thomas's last collection Collected Poems, 1934–1952, published when he was 38, won the Foyle poetry prize. He wrote "Do not go gentle into that good night", a villanelle, to his dying father, who passed away in 1952, one of the poet's last poems.

Death[link]

Thomas's image on the pub sign of his Laugharne 'local', Browns Hotel

Thomas arrived in New York on 20 October 1953, to take part in a performance of Under Milk Wood at the city's prestigious Poetry Centre. He was already ill and had a history of blackouts and heart problems, using an inhaler in New York to help his breathing. Thomas had liked to boast of his addiction to drinking, saying "An alcoholic is someone you don't like, who drinks as much as you do."^[20] He "liked the taste of whisky" and had a powerful reputation for his drinking. The writer Elizabeth Hardwick recalled how intoxicating a performer he was and how the tension would build before a performance: “Would he arrive only to break down on the stage? Would some dismaying scene take place at the faculty party? Would he be offensive, violent, obscene? These were alarming and yet exciting possibilities.� His wife Caitlin said in her embittered memoir “Nobody ever needed encouragement less, and he was drowned in it.� Thomas “exhibited the excesses and experienced the adulation which would later be associated with rock stars,� however the amount he is supposed to have drunk in his lifetime and in New York before his death, may well have been exaggerated as Thomas became mythologised.^[5]

On the evening of 27 October 1953, Thomas's 39th birthday, the poet attended a party in his honour but felt so unwell that he returned to his hotel. On 28 October 1953, he took part in Poetry And The Film, a recorded symposium at Cinema 16, which included panellists Amos Vogel, Maya Deren, Parker Tyler, and Willard Maas. The director of the Poetry Centre, John Brinnin, was also Thomas's tour agent. Brinnin didn't travel to New York, remaining at home in Boston and handed responsibility to his assistant, Liz Reitell.^[21] Reitell met Thomas at Idlewild Airport (now JFK airport) and he told her that he had had a terrible week, had missed her terribly and wanted to go to bed with her. Despite Reitell's previous misgivings about their relationship they spent the rest of the day and night together at the Chelsea Hotel. The next day she invited him to her apartment but he declined, saying that he was not feeling well and retired to his bed for the rest of the afternoon. After spending the night at the hotel with Thomas, Reitell went back to her own apartment for a change of clothes. At breakfast Herb Hannum noticed how sick Thomas looked and suggested a visit to a Dr. Feltenstein before the performance of Under Milk Wood that evening. The doctor went to work with his needle, and Thomas made it through the two performances of Under Milk Wood, but collapsed straight afterwards. Reitell would later describe Feltenstein as a wild doctor who believed injections could cure anything.

A turning point came on 2 November. Air pollution in New York had risen significantly and exacerbated chest illnesses, such as Thomas had. By the end of the month, over two hundred New Yorkers had died from the smog.^[21] On 3 November Thomas spent most of that day in bed drinking.^[22] He went out in the evening to keep two drink appointments. After returning to the hotel, he went out again for a drink at 2 am. After drinking at the White Horse Tavern, a pub he'd found through Scottish poet Ruthven Todd, Thomas returned to the Hotel Chelsea, declaring, "I've had eighteen straight whiskies. I think that's the record!"^[22] The barman and the owner of the pub who served Thomas at the time later commented that Thomas couldn't have imbibed more than half that amount.^[23] Thomas had an appointment to visit a clam house in New Jersey on 4 November. When phoned at the Chelsea that morning, he said that he was feeling awful and asked to take a rain-check. Later, he did go drinking with Reitell at the White Horse and, feeling sick again, returned to the hotel. Dr. Feltenstein came to see him three times that day, on the third call prescribing morphine, which seriously affected Thomas's breathing. At midnight on 5 November, his breathing became more difficult and his face turned blue. Reitell unsuccessfully tried to get hold of Feltenstein.

Thomas was admitted to the emergency ward at nearby St Vincent's hospital. The medical notes state that he arrived in a coma at 1.58 am, and that the "impression upon admission was acute alcoholic encephalopathy damage to the brain by alcohol, for which the patient was treated without response".^[24] The duty doctors found bronchitis in all parts of his bronchial tree, both left and right sides. An X-ray showed pneumonia, and a raised white cell count confirmed the presence of an infection. Caitlin in Laugharne was sent a telegram on 5 November, notifying her that Dylan was in hospital. She flew to America the following day and was taken, with a police escort, to the hospital. Her alleged first words were "Is the bloody man dead yet?"^[24] The pneumonia worsened and Thomas died, whilst in coma, at noon on 9 November.^[24][25]

Aftermath[link]

The first rumours to circulate were of a brain haemorrhage, followed by reports that he had been mugged and soon stories began to fly that he had drunk himself to death.^[24] Later, there were speculations about drugs and diabetes. At the post-mortem, the pathologist found that the immediate cause of death was swelling of the brain, caused by the pneumonia reducing the supply of oxygen. Despite his heavy drinking his liver showed little sign of cirrhosis.^[25]

Following his death, his body was brought back to Wales for his burial in the village churchyard at Laugharne on 25 November.^[26] One of the last people to stay at his graveside after the funeral was his mother, Florence. Thomas's obituary was written by his long-time friend and Welsh poet Vernon Watkins. His widow, Caitlin, died in 1994 and was buried alongside him. Thomas's father 'DJ' died on 16 December 1952 and his mother Florence died in August 1958. Thomas's elder son, Llewelyn, died in 2000.^[26] His only daughter, Aeronwy, died in 2009.

Caitlin Thomas's two searing autobiographies, Caitlin Thomas – Leftover Life to Kill (1957) and Double Drink Story: My life with Dylan (1997, published posthumously), both describe the highly destructive effect of alcoholism to the poet and to their relationship. "But ours was a drink story, not a love story, just like millions of others. Our one and only true love was drink", she writes. "The bar was our altar".^[27] His biographer Lycett ascribed the demise of Dylan's health to an alcoholic co-dependent relationship with his wife Caitlin, who deeply resented his affairs.^[28]

Poetry[link]

Statue of Dylan Thomas in Swansea – same statue as shown above from different viewpoint

Thomas's verbal style played against strict verse forms, such as in the villanelle Do not go gentle into that good night. His images were carefully ordered in a patterned sequence, and his major theme was the unity of all life, the continuing process of life and death and new life that linked the generations. Thomas saw biology as a magical transformation producing unity out of diversity, and in his poetry he sought a poetic ritual to celebrate this unity. He saw men and women locked in cycles of growth, love, procreation, new growth, death, and new life again. Therefore, each image engenders its opposite. Thomas derived his closely woven, sometimes self-contradictory images from the Bible, Welsh folklore and preaching, and Freud.^[29] Thomas's poetry is notable for its musicality, most clear in poems such as Fern Hill, In Country Sleep, Ballad of the Long-legged Bait or In the White Giant's Thigh from Under Milkwood: <poem>

Who once were a bloom of wayside brides in the hawed house

and heard the lewd, wooed field flow to the coming frost,

the scurrying, furred small friars squeal in the dowse

of day, in the thistle aisles, till the white owl crossed^[30]

</poem> Thomas once confided that the poems which had most influenced him were Mother Goose rhymes which his parents taught him when he was a child:

I should say I wanted to write poetry in the beginning because I had fallen in love with words. The first poems I knew were nursery rhymes and before I could read them for myself I had come to love the words of them. The words alone. What the words stood for was of a very secondary importance. [...] I fell in love, that is the only expression I can think of, at once, and am still at the mercy of words, though sometimes now, knowing a little of their behaviour very well, I think I can influence them slightly and have even learned to beat them now and then, which they appear to enjoy. I tumbled for words at once. And, when I began to read the nursery rhymes for myself, and, later, to read other verses and ballads, I knew that I had discovered the most important things, to me, that could be ever.^[31]

Memorials[link]

A statue of Thomas is in the city's maritime quarter. The Dylan Thomas Theatre Swansea Little Theatre and the Dylan Thomas Centre, formerly the town's Guildhall, are also found in Swansea. The latter is now a literature centre, where exhibitions and lectures are held, and is the setting for an annual Dylan Thomas Festival. Another monument to Thomas stands in Cwmdonkin Park, one of his favourite childhood haunts, close to his birthplace at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive. The memorial is a small rock in a closed-off garden, set within the park. The rock is inscribed with the closing lines from "Fern Hill": <poem>

Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means

Time held me green and dying

Though I sang in my chains like the sea.

</poem>

Thomas's home in Laugharne, the Boat House, has been made a memorial. Several of the pubs in Swansea also have associations with the poet. One of Swansea's oldest pubs, 'The No Sign Bar' (since renamed 'The No Sign Wine Bar') was a regular haunt of Thomas's and is mentioned in his story "The Followers". A class 153 diesel multiple unit was named 'Dylan Thomas 1914–1953' and in 2004 the Dylan Thomas Prize was created in honour of the poet,^[32] awarded to the best published writer in English under the age of 30. Following this, in 2005, the Dylan Thomas Screenplay Award^[33] was established. The prize is administered by the Dylan Thomas Centre, and is awarded at the annual Swansea Bay Film Festival. In 1982 a plaque was unveiled in his honour in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey.

Selected works[link]

Poetry collections[link]

• 1934 18 Poems
• 1936 Twenty-Five Poems
• 1939 The Map of Love
• 1943 New Poems
• 1946 Deaths and Entrances
• 1950 Twenty-Six Poems
• 1952 In Country Sleep
• 1952 Collected Poems, 1934–1952

Collected prose[link]

• 1940 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, Dent
• 1946 Selected Writings of Dylan Thomas, New Directions
• 1953 Adventures In The Skin Trade And Other Stories (Adventures In The Skin Trade, an unfinished novel). New Directions
• 1954 Quite Early One Morning (Planned by Thomas, posthumously published). New Directions
• 1955 A Child's Christmas in Wales, New Directions
• 1955 A Prospect of the Sea and other stories and prose writings, Dent
• 1957 Letters to Vernon Watkins, Dent
• 1965 Rebecca's Daughters, Triton
• 1969 The year of love.

Drama[link]

• 1954 Under Milk Wood (Radio play)
• 1953 The Doctor and the Devils and Other Scripts
• 1964 The Beach of Falesa (Screenplay)

Further reading: collections[link]

• 1966 Dylan Thomas: a Collection of Critical Essays. Edited by Charles B. Cox
• 1971 The Poems of Dylan Thomas W. W. Norton & Co
• 1978 A Child's Christmas in Wales illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. 1996: published as Dolphin Paperback from Orion Children's Books
• 1982 Selected Works, Guild Publishing, London
• 1984 The Collected Stories of Dylan Thomas, New Directions Publishing
• 1986 Collected Letters. Edited by Paul Ferris. MacMillan
• 1992 On the Air With Dylan Thomas: The Broadcasts, Ed. Ralph Maud New Directions Publishing
• 1994 Eight Stories, W. W. Norton & Co
• 1995 Dylan Thomas: The Complete Screenplays, Ed. John Ackerman. Applause Books
• 1997 Fern Hill: An Illustrated edition of the Dylan Thomas poem. Red Deer College Press, Canada
• 2000 Collected Poems 1934–1953, London: Phoenix
• 2000 Selected Poems London: Phoenix

Critical studies[link]

• Brinnin, J M Dylan Thomas in America: an intimate journal, 1957
• Gilbar & Stewart Literary Santa Barbara 1998, pp. 248–252
• Lycett, Andrew. Dylan Thomas: A new life, 2003
• Thomas, Caitlin Leftover Life to Kill, 1957
• Thomas, David N. Fatal Neglect: Who Killed Dylan Thomas? David N. Thomas, Seren 2008
• Thomas, David N. Dylan Remembered, Volume 2: 1935–1953, Seren 2004
• Thomas, David N. Dylan Remembered, Volume 1: 1913– 1934, Seren 2003
• Thomas, David N. The Dylan Thomas Murders, Seren 2002
• Thomas, David N. Dylan Thomas: A Farm, Two Mansions and a Bungalow, Seren 2000

Discography[link]

• Dylan Thomas: Volume I â€” A Child's Christmas in Wales and Five Poems (Caedmon TC 1002–1952)
• Under Milk Wood (Caedmon TC 2005–1953)
• Dylan Thomas: Volume II â€” Selections from the Writings of Dylan Thomas (Caedmon TC 1018–1954)
• Dylan Thomas: Volume III â€” Selections from the Writings of Dylan Thomas (Caedmon TC 1043)
• Dylan Thomas: Volume IV â€” Selections from the Writings of Dylan Thomas (Caedmon TC 1061)
• Dylan Thomas: Quite early one morning and other memories (Caedmon TC 1132–1960)
• Dylan Thomas: Under Milk Wood and other plays (Naxos Audiobooks NA288712 – 2008) (originally BBC – 1954)

Posthumous film adaptations[link]

• 1972 Under Milk Wood, 1972, starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Peter O'Toole
• 1987 A Child's Christmas in Wales. Directed by Don McBrearty.^[34]
• 1992 Rebecca's Daughters starring Peter O'Toole and Joely Richardson
• 2007 Dylan Thomas: A War Films Anthology (DDHE/IWM D23702 – 2006)
• 2009 Nadolig Plentyn yng Nghymru/A Child's Christmas in Wales, 2009 BAFTA Best Short Film, animation, soundtrack in Welsh and English, Director: Dave Unwin. Extras include filmed comments from Aeronwy Thomas. 5-016886-088457.

Media depictions[link]

• 1964: Dylan, a Broadway play by Sidney Michaels, starring Alec Guinness as Dylan Thomas.
• 1978: Dylan, film of Thomas's final visit to America; directed by Richard Lewis.
• 1990–91: Dylan Thomas: Return Journey, a one-man stage show featuring Bob Kingdom as Thomas and directed by Anthony Hopkins.^[35]
• 2008: The Edge of Love starring Matthew Rhys as the poet, directed by John Maybury, written by Sharman Macdonald^[36]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Ferris, Paul (1993). Caitlin, The life of Caitlin Thomas. London: Pimlico. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/0-7216-6290-1|0-7216-6290-1]]. 
• Ferris, Paul (1989). Dylan Thomas, A Biography. New York: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-215-6. 
• Thomas, Caitlin; George Tremlett (1986). Caitlin, Life with Dylan Thomas. London: Secker & Warburg. ISBN 0-436-51850-3. 

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Dylan Thomas

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dylan Thomas

• Works by Dylan Thomas (public domain in Canada). Retrieved 11 September 2010
• The Life and Work of Dylan Thomas (archive). Retrieved 11 September 2010
• Works by or about Dylan Thomas in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• The Dylan Thomas museum at Laugharne. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• BBC Biography. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• Audio files: Anthology Film Archives. Including Dylan Thomas (drunk). Symposium at Cinema 16 1953-10-28. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• Dylan Thomas on Poets.org Biography, poems, audio clips, and essays. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• Dylan Thomas Official Family Web Site, Swansea. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• BBC Wales' Dylan Thomas site. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• BBC Wales biography of Caitlin. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• Dylan Thomas's archive at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 11 September 2010
• The death of Dylan Thomas from BBC Cymru Wales. Accessed 8 November 2011
• Archival material relating to Dylan Thomas listed at the UK National Register of Archives
• Portraits of Dylan Thomas at the National Portrait Gallery, London

Patti Smith
Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen, October 6, 1976
Background information
Birth name	Patricia Lee Smith
Born	(1946-12-30) December 30, 1946 (age 65) Chicago, Illinois, USA
Origin	New York City, New York
Genres	Protopunk, punk rock, art rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, poet, artist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, clarinet
Years active	1971–present
Labels	Arista, Columbia
Associated acts	Tom Verlaine
Website	www.pattismith.net

Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (born December 30, 1946)^[1] is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.^[2]

Called the "Godmother of Punk",^[3] her work was a fusion of rock and poetry. Smith's most widely known song is "Because the Night", which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen and reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978.^[2] In 2005, Patti Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture,^[4] and in 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[5] On November 17, 2010, she won the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids.^[6] She is also a recipient of the 2011 Polar Music Prize.

Life and career[link]

1946–1973: Early life[link]

Patricia Lee Smith was born in Chicago.^[1] Her mother, Beverly, was a waitress, and her father, Grant, worked at the Honeywell plant. She spent her early childhood in Germantown ^[7], before her family moved to Woodbury Gardens, Deptford Township, New Jersey,^[8][9] raised Jehovah's Witness. She had a strong religious upbringing and a Bible education, but left organized religion as a teenager because she felt it was too confining; much later, she wrote the line "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" in her cover version of Them's "Gloria" in response to this experience.^[10] She has described having an avid interest in Tibetan Buddhism around the age of eleven or twelve, saying "I fell in love with Tibet because their essential mission was to keep a continual stream of prayer", but that as an adult she sees clear parallels between different forms of religion, and has come to the conclusion that religious dogmas are "...man-made laws that you can either decide to abide by or not."^[11] At this early age Smith was exposed to her first records, including Shrimp Boats by Harry Belafonte, Patience and Prudence doing The Money Tree, and Another Side of Bob Dylan, which her mother gave to her. ^[12] Smith graduated from Deptford Township High School in 1964 and went to work in a factory.^[2][13] She gave birth to her first child, a daughter, on April 26, 1967, and chose to place her for adoption.^[13]

1967–1973: New York[link]

In 1967, she left Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and moved to New York City. She met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe there while working at a book store with a friend, poet Janet Hamill. She and Mapplethorpe had an intense romantic relationship, which was tumultuous as the pair struggled with times of poverty, and Mapplethorpe with his own sexuality. Smith considers Mapplethorpe to be one of the most important people in her life, and in her book Just Kids refers to him as "the artist of my life". Mapplethorpe's photographs of her became the covers for the Patti Smith Group LPs, and they remained friends until Mapplethorpe's death in 1989.^[14] In 1969 she went to Paris with her sister and started busking and doing performance art.^[8] When Smith returned to New York City, she lived in the Hotel Chelsea with Mapplethorpe; they frequented Max's Kansas City and CBGB. Smith provided the spoken word soundtrack for Sandy Daley's art film Robert Having His Nipple Pierced, starring Mapplethorpe. The same year Smith appeared with Wayne County in Jackie Curtis' play Femme Fatale. As a member of the St. Mark's Poetry Project, she spent the early 70's painting, writing, and performing. In 1971 she performed – for one night only – in Cowboy Mouth,^[15] a play that she co-wrote with Sam Shepard. (The published play's notes call for "a man who looks like a coyote and a woman who looks like a crow".) She wrote several poems, "for sam shepard"^[16] and "Sam Shepard: 9 Random Years (7 + 2)"^[17] about her relationship with Shepard.

Smith was briefly considered for the lead singer position in Blue Öyster Cult. She contributed lyrics to several of the band's songs, including "Debbie Denise" (inspired by her poem "In Remembrance of Debbie Denise"), "Baby Ice Dog", "Career of Evil", "Fire of Unknown Origin", "The Revenge of Vera Gemini" (on which she performs duet vocals), and "Shooting Shark". She was romantically involved at the time with the band's keyboardist Allen Lanier. During these years, Smith also wrote rock journalism, some of which was published in Rolling Stone and Creem.^[18]

1974–1979: Patti Smith Group[link]

Smith performing with the Patti Smith Group, in Germany, 1978

By 1974, Patti Smith was performing rock music herself, initially with guitarist, bassist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye, and later with a full band comprising Kaye, Ivan Kral on guitar and bass, Jay Dee Daugherty on drums and Richard Sohl on piano. Ivan Kral was a refugee from Czechoslovakia, fleeing in 1968 after the fall of Alexander Dub�ek. Financed by Sam Wagstaff, the band recorded a first single, "Hey Joe / Piss Factory", in 1974. The A-side was a version of the rock standard with the addition of a spoken word piece about fugitive heiress Patty Hearst ("Patty Hearst, you're standing there in front of the Symbionese Liberation Army flag with your legs spread, I was wondering were you gettin' it every night from a black revolutionary man and his women...").^[19] The B-side describes the helpless anger Smith had felt while working on a factory assembly line and the salvation she discovered in the form of a shoplifted book, the 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations.^[2]

	"Gloria" noicon "Because the Night" noicon "Dancing Barefoot" noicon
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The Patti Smith Group was signed by Clive Davis of Arista Records, and in 1975 recorded their first album, Horses, produced by John Cale amid some tension. The album fused punk rock and spoken poetry and begins with a cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria", and Smith's opening words: "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine" (an excerpt from "Oath," one of her early poems). The austere cover photograph by Mapplethorpe has become one of rock's classic images.^[20] As the popularity of punk rock grew, Patti Smith Group toured the United States and Europe. The rawer sound of the group's second album, Radio Ethiopia, reflected this. Considerably less accessible than Horses, Radio Ethiopia initially received poor reviews. However, several of its songs have stood the test of time, and Smith still performs them regularly in concert.^[21] She has said that Radio Ethiopia was influenced by the band MC5. ^[12]

On January 23, 1977, while touring in support of Radio Ethiopia, Smith accidentally danced off a high stage in Tampa, Florida, and fell 15 feet into a concrete orchestra pit, breaking several neck vertebrae.^[22] The injury required a period of rest and an intensive round of physical therapy, during which time she was able to reassess, re-energize and reorganize her life. Patti Smith Group produced two further albums before the end of the 1970s. Easter (1978) was her most commercially successful record, containing the single "Because the Night" co-written with Bruce Springsteen. Wave (1979) was less successful, although the songs "Frederick" and "Dancing Barefoot" both received commercial airplay.^[23]

It was around this time Mick Jagger uttered his famous quote about her^[24]:

"I think it's crap! I think she's so awful...she's full of rubbish, she's full of words and crap. I mean, she's a poseur of the worst kind, intellectual bullshit, trying to be a street girl when she doesn't seem to me to be one, I mean, everything...a useless guitar player, a bad singer, not attractive. She's got her heart in the right place but she's such a POSER! She's not really together musically, she's...all right.

Patti Smith also has had other artists comment about her. Flo and Eddie did a part in their act where they suggested she used Industrial Strength Janitor in a Drum as a feminine-hygiene spray.^[25] Southside Johnny was heard to shout: "She tries too hard!" at a party once. ^[25]

She's never directly replied but in later years her interest in the Stones seems to have waned. When asked if she still listened to the Rolling Stones, she replied^[26]

Not as much as I used to. If I'm somewhere and hear a Rolling Stones song come over the radio, it's still exciting. I don't sit around listening to them. I listen to a lot of opera records. A lot of Glenn Gould. If I'm in a car, and the Rolling Stones, you know -- "Gimmie Shelter" or "Under My Thumb," and something comes on and it's "19th Nervous Breakdown" - it's still exciting.

1980–1995: Marriage[link]

	"People Have the Power" noicon
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Smith with her daughter Jesse Smith at the 2011 Time 100 gala

Before the release of Wave, Smith, now separated from long-time partner Allen Lanier, met Fred "Sonic" Smith, former guitar player for Detroit rock band MC5 and his own Sonic's Rendezvous Band, who adored poetry as much as she did. (Wave's "Dancing Barefoot" and "Frederick" were both dedicated to him.)^[27] The running joke at the time was that she married Fred only because she would not have to change her name.^[28] They had a son, Jackson (b. 1982) who would go on to marry The White Stripes drummer, Meg White in 2009^{[citation needed]}; and a daughter, Jesse (b. 1987). Through most of the 1980s Patti Smith was in semi-retirement from music, living with her family north of Detroit in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. In June 1988, she released the album Dream of Life, which included the song "People Have the Power". Fred Smith died on November 4, 1994, of a heart attack. Shortly afterward, Patti faced the unexpected death of her brother Todd^[8] and original keyboard player Richard Sohl. When her son Jackson turned 14, Smith decided to move back to New York. After the impact of these deaths, her friends Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Allen Ginsberg (whom she had known since her early years in New York) urged her to go back out on the road. She toured briefly with Bob Dylan in December 1995 (chronicled in a book of photographs by Stipe).^[15]

1996–2003: Re-emergence[link]

	"Summer Cannibals" noicon
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In 1996, Smith worked with her long-time colleagues to record Gone Again, featuring "About a Boy", a tribute to Kurt Cobain. Smith was a fan of Cobain, but was more angered than saddened by his suicide.^{[citation needed]} That same year she collaborated with Stipe on "E-Bow the Letter", a song on R.E.M.'s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which she has also performed live with the band.^[29] After release of Gone Again, Patti Smith had recorded two new albums: Peace and Noise in 1997 (with the single "1959", about the invasion of Tibet) and Gung Ho in 2000 (with songs about Ho Chi Minh and Smith's late father). Songs "1959" and "Glitter in Their Eyes" were nominated for Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.^[30] A box set of her work up to that time, The Patti Smith Masters, came out in 1996, and 2002 saw the release of Land (1975–2002), a two-CD compilation that includes a memorable cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry". Smith's solo art exhibition Strange Messenger was hosted at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh on September 28, 2002.^[31]

2004–present[link]

	"Jubilee" noicon
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On April 27, 2004, Patti Smith released Trampin' which included several songs about motherhood, partly in tribute to Smith's mother, who had died two years before. It was her first album on Columbia Records, soon to become a sister label to her previous home Arista Records. Smith curated the Meltdown festival in London on June 25, 2005, the penultimate event being the first live performance of Horses in its entirety.^[32] Guitarist Tom Verlaine took Oliver Ray's place. This live performance was released later in the year as Horses/Horses.

TIM festival, Marina da Glória,
Rio de Janeiro, October 28, 2006

On July 10, 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.^[4] In addition to Smith's influence on rock music, the Minister also noted her appreciation of Arthur Rimbaud. In August 2005, Smith gave a literary lecture about the poems of Arthur Rimbaud and William Blake. On October 15, 2006, Patti Smith performed at the CBGB nightclub, with a 3½-hour tour de force to close out Manhattan's music venue. She took the stage at 9:30 p.m. (EDT) and closed for the night (and forever for the venue) at a few minutes after 1:00 a.m., performing her song "Elegie", and finally reading a list of punk rock musicians and advocates who had died in the previous years.^[33]

On November 10, 2005, Smith received the Woman of Valor Award from ROCKRGRL Magazine at the ROCKRGRL Music Conference, marking the 30th Anniversary of the release of "Horses."

Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007.^[5] She dedicated her award to the memory of her late husband, Fred, and gave a performance of The Rolling Stones staple "Gimme Shelter". As the closing number of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Smith's "People Have the Power" was used for the big celebrity jam that always ends the program.^[34]
From November 2006 - January 2007, an exhibition called 'Sur les Traces'^[35] at Trolley Gallery, London, featured polaroid prints taken by Patti Smith and donated to Trolley to raise awareness and funds for the publication of Double Blind, a book on the war in Lebanon in 2006, with photographs by Paolo Pellegrin, a member of Magnum Photos. She also participated in the DVD commentary for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. From March 28 to June 22, 2008, the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain in Paris hosted a major exhibition of the visual artwork of Patti Smith, Land 250, drawn from pieces created between 1967 and 2007.^[36] At the 2008 Rowan Commencement ceremony, Smith received an honorary doctorate degree for her contributions to popular culture.

Smith with National Book Critics Circle President Jane Ciabattari and NBCC board member John Reed. Smith's memoir Just Kids was an NBCC autobiography finalist at the 2010 awards.^[37]

Smith is the subject of a 2008 documentary film, Patti Smith: Dream of Life.^[38] A live album by Patti Smith and Kevin Shields, The Coral Sea was released in July 2008. On September 10, 2009, after a week of smaller events and exhibitions in the city, Smith played an open-air concert in Florence's Piazza Santa Croce, commemorating her performance in the same city 30 years earlier.^[39] In 2010, Patti Smith's book, Just Kids, a memoir of her time in 1970s Manhattan and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, was published; it later won the National Book Award for Nonfiction.^[6][40] On April 30, 2010, Patti Smith headlined a benefit concert headed by band-mate Tony Shanahan, for The Court Tavern of New Brunswick.^[41] Smith's set included "Gloria", "Because the Night" and "People Have the Power." She has a brief cameo in Jean-Luc Godard's 2010 Film Socialisme, which was first screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. ^[42]

On May 17, 2010, Patti Smith received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Pratt Institute, along with architect Daniel Libeskind, MoMA director Glenn Lowry, former NYC Landmarks Commissioner Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, novelist Jonathan Lethem, and director Steven Soderbergh.^[43] Following the conferral of her degree, Smith delivered the commencement address^[44] and sang/played two songs accompanied by long-time band member Lenny Kaye. In her remarks, Smith explained that in 1967 when she moved to New York City (Brooklyn), she would never have been accepted into Pratt, but most of her friends (including Mapplethorpe) were students at Pratt and she spent countless hours on the Pratt campus. She added that it was through her friends and their Pratt professors that she learned much of her own artistic skills, making the honour from the institute particularly poignant for Smith 43 years later.^[45]

Smith is currently working on a crime novel set in London. "I've been working on a detective story that starts at the St Giles in the Fields church in London for the last two years," she told NME adding that she "loved detective stories" having been a fan of Sherlock Holmes and US crime author Mickey Spillane as a girl.^[46] Part of the book will be set in Gothenburg, Sweden.^[47]

On May 3, 2011, it was announced that Patti Smith is one of the winners of the Polar Music Prize: "By devoting her life to art in all its forms, Patti Smith has demonstrated how much rock’n'roll there is in poetry and how much poetry there is in rock’n'roll. Patti Smith is a Rimbaud with Marshall amps. She has transformed the way an entire generation looks, thinks and dreams. With her inimitable soul of an artist, Patti Smith proves over and over again that people have the power."

On June 19, 2011, Patti Smith made her television acting debut on the TV series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, appearing in an episode called "Icarus".^[48]

Smith has recorded a cover of Buddy Holly's classic "Words of Love" for the CD Rave On Buddy Holly, a tribute album tied to Holly's seventy-fifth birthday year which was released June 28, 2011.^[49]

Smith is also contributing a track to "AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered", a U2 covers album due to be released through Q Magazine on October 25th. Smith recorded a cover of "Until The End Of The World" for the compilation.

In February 2012, she was a guest at the Sanremo Music Festival.

Influence[link]

Provinssirock festival, Seinäjoki, Finland, June 16, 2007

Smith has been a great source of inspiration for Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Listening to her album Horses when he was 15 made a huge impact on him; he said later, "I decided then that I was going to start a band."^[50] In 1998, Stipe published a collection of photos called Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith. Stipe sings backing vocals on Smith's songs "Last Call" and "Glitter in Their Eyes." Patti also sings background vocals on R.E.M.'s songs "E-Bow the Letter" and "Blue".

The Australian alternative rock band, The Go-Betweens dedicated a track off their 1994 album The Friends of Rachel Worth, When She Sang About Angels in reference to Smith's long time influence on themselves.^[51]

In 2004, Shirley Manson of Garbage spoke of Smith's influence on her in Rolling Stone's issue "The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time", in which Patti Smith was counted number 47.^[52] The Smiths members Morrissey and Johnny Marr shared an appreciation for Smith's Horses, and reveal that their song "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" is a reworking of one of the album's tracks, "Kimberly".^[53] In 2004, Sonic Youth released an album called Hidros 3 (to Patti Smith).^[54] U2 also cites Patti Smith as an influence.^[55] In 2005 Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall released the single "Suddenly I See" as a tribute of sorts to Patti Smith.^[56] Canadian actress Ellen Page frequently mentions Smith as one of her idols and has done various photo shoots replicating famous Smith photos.^[57] In 1978 and 1979, Gilda Radner portrayed a character called Candy Slice on Saturday Night Live based on Smith.

American pop-dance singer Madonna has also named Smith as one of her biggest influences.^[58]

Activism[link]

In 1993, Smith contributed "Memorial Tribute (Live)" to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Furthermore, Smith has been a supporter of the Green Party and backed Ralph Nader in the 2000 United States presidential election.^[59] She led the crowd singing "Over the Rainbow" and "People Have the Power" at the campaign's rallies, and also performed at several of Nader's subsequent "Democracy Rising" events.^{[60][dead link]} Smith was a speaker and singer at the first protests against the Iraq War organized by Lou Posner of Voter March on September 12, 2002, as U.S. President George W. Bush spoke to the United Nations General Assembly. Smith supported Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 election. Bruce Springsteen continued performing her "People Have the Power" at Vote for Change campaign events. In the winter of 2004/2005, Smith toured again with Nader in a series of rallies against the Iraq War and calls for the impeachment of George W. Bush.^[59]

Smith premiered two new protest songs in London in September 2006.^[61] Louise Jury, writing in The Independent, characterized them as "an emotional indictment of American and Israeli foreign policy". The song "Qana"^[62] was about the Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese village of Qana. "Without Chains"^[63] is about Murat Kurnaz, a Turkish citizen who was born and raised in Germany, held at Guantanamo Bay detainment camp for four years. Jury's article quotes Smith as saying:

I wrote both these songs directly in response to events that I felt outraged about. These are injustices against children and the young men and women who are being incarcerated. I'm an American, I pay taxes in my name and they are giving millions and millions of dollars to a country such as Israel and cluster bombs and defense technology and those bombs were dropped on common citizens in Qana. It's terrible. It's a human rights violation.

In an interview, Smith stated that Kurnaz's family has contacted her and that she wrote a short preface for the book that he was writing.^[64] Kurnaz's book, "Five Years of My Life," was published in English by Palgrave Macmillan in March 2008, with Patti's introduction.^[65]

On March 26, 2003, ten days after Rachel Corrie's death, Smith appeared in Austin, Texas, and performed an anti-war concert. She subsequently wrote a song "Peaceable Kingdom" which was inspired by and is dedicated to Rachel Corrie.^[66]

In 2009, in her Meltdown concert in Festival Hall, she paid homage to the Iranians taking part in post-election protests by saying "Where is My Vote?" in a version of the song "People Have the Power".^[67]

Band members[link]

Bowery Ballroom, New York City, December 31, 2007

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Horses (1975)
• Radio Ethiopia (1976)
• Easter (1978)
• Wave (1979)
• Dream of Life (1988)
• Gone Again (1996)
• Peace and Noise (1997)
• Gung Ho (2000)
• Trampin' (2004)
• Twelve (2007)
• Banga (2012)

Bibliography[link]

• Seventh Heaven (1972)
• Early Morning Dream (1972)
• Witt (1973)
• Ha! Ha! Houdini! (1977)
• Babel (1978)
• Woolgathering (1992)
• Early Work (1994)
• The Coral Sea (1996)
• Patti Smith Complete (1998)
• Strange Messenger (2003)
• Auguries of Innocence (2005)
• Poems (Vintage Classics) by William Blake.
  Edited by and with introduction by Patti Smith (2007)
• Land 250 (2008)
• Trois (2008)
• Great Lyricists foreword Rick Moody (2008)
• Just Kids (2010)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Patti Smith

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Patti Smith

• Official website
• Patti Smith at Allmusic
• Patti Smith at the Internet Movie Database
• Patti Smith on Charlie Rose
• Patti Smith at the Open Directory Project

Fionn Regan
Regan performing at the Summer Sundae Festival in 2010.
Background information
Born	1981 Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
Genres	Folk, folk rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, percussion
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Bella Union, Lost Highway, Heavenly, Heffa
Website	fionnregan.com

Fionn Regan is an Irish singer-songwriter and artist from Bray, County Wicklow, who came to prominence in 2006 with the release of his Mercury-nominated debut album, The End of History. In 2010, Regan released his second album, The Shadow of an Empire, with a third, 100 Acres of Sycamore, appearing in 2011. Regan cites Bob Dylan and Neil Young as influences.^[1][2]

Overview[link]

Regan's early releases included the single, "Little Miss Drunk" a 7", and two EPs titled Hotel Room, Reservoir, which were released on a small indie label, Anvil Records [1]. He also self-released a 'tour only' EP called Campaign Button. Following these releases, in 2006, Regan signed to former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde's independent record label, Bella Union, in the UK, resulting in Regan's debut album The End of History being released on 7 August 2006 to major critical acclaim. A leader of the new 'brit' folk movement, The Guardian saying "Folk has a new Pied Piper" ^[3]

Following his UK success, Regan was subsequently signed by the American label Lost Highway Records. The End of History was released in the U.S. on July 10, 2007.

The End of History was produced by Regan himself (mixing the album with Simon Raymonde). Mojo magazine gave the album four stars in a review that dubbed the disc "a debut that oozes rare confidence, startling maturity and originality".^{[citation needed]} The album received a slew of 4 and 5 star reviews from publications including The Times^[4] and The Guardian^[5]

Regan has toured worldwide and played many festivals around the world including the Glastonbury Festival, XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, New Jersey, Electric Picnic (Ireland), Summercase and Benicassim (Spain), Bestival (Isle of Wight) ACL (Austin, Texas) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (San Francisco).^{[citation needed]} and Laneways Festival Australia

Fionn was invited to perform with Lucinda Williams on her 2007 tour. Williams saying at the Irving Plaza NY concert that Fionn is “his generation’s answer to Bob Dylan� ^[6]

Fionn was photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair magazines prestigious music portfolio ^[7]

Regan was nominated for two Meteor Music Awards (Best Male and Best Newcomer) in 2006^{[citation needed]} and The End of History was nominated for Irish Album of the Year at the Choice Music Prize.^[8] and was one of the twelve shortlisted albums for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize Album of the year.^[9]

Fionn Regan was nominated for the 2008 Shortlist Prize, the U.S. equivalent of the Mercury Prize ^[10]

In July 2008 Regan had the honour of being invited to perform as part of a live concert film "Liam Clancy: Live The Bitter End NYC" A very special Liam Clancy concert, where Fionn shared the stage with Liam Clancy, Tom Paxton, Shane McGowan and the incredible Odetta (this was the last filmed performance of the late Odetta) ^[11]

The single "Be Good or Be Gone" has been used in the television dramas Grey's Anatomy, Nearly Famous, and Skins. His song "Put A Penny In The Slot" has been offered as an iTunes Free Download of the Week.

In 2008 Regan recorded a follow-up album to The End of History with producer Ethan Johns (son of the legendary 60's producer Glyn Johns) for the Lost Highway label, who refused to release it. The album remains unreleased and Regan has referred to this album as "The Red Tapes" ^[12][13]

The following year (2009) Regan retreated to Co. Wicklow Ireland to record what would become The Shadow of an Empire without any record label involement or intrusion. Jeff Barrett of Heavenly Records was one of the first to hear the completed album and quickly signed him up ^[14]

Regan released his second studio album, The Shadow of an Empire, to critical acclaim on February 8, 2010 ^[15] Achieving Mojo**** Uncut**** Q**** Sun***** Hotpress**** Financial Times**** The Telegraph**** The Guardian **** The Independent**** Mail on Sunday**** ^[16]

The Welsh actor Rhys Ifans has a tattoo of Regans' lyrics "Be good or be gone" ^[17]

Ellie Goulding and Andrea Corr have been quoted in the press saying they are fans of Regans music ^[18][19]

In 2009 Regan was invited to speak and made an honorary member of the Trinity College Literary Society the chairman saying “In his music, Mr. Regan has done more than many artists to erode the boundaries between music and literature, with his lyrics always possessing the most beautiful poetry"

In 2010 Regan gave a special performance in Dylan Thomas’ boathouse in Laugharne, Wales ^[20]

Regan's song “Put a Penny in the Slot� was selected to be included on a special compilation album created by IASCA and FMC in partnership with Culture Ireland to present the gift of music from Ireland to dignitaries HRH The Queen and President Obama and their international press corps travelling with them during their individual visits to Ireland in 2011.^[21]

Regan is currently working on his next album, the release date has yet to be announced.^[22]

[edit] 100 Acres of Sycamore (2011)

Regan released his third studio album, 100 Acres of Sycamore, in August 2011, with the track "Dogwood Blossom" featuring prominently in Shane Meadows' TV drama This Is England '88.

Regan performed at the Eurosonic Festival in 2012 when Ireland was the "Spotlight Country".^[23]

Discography[link]

Regan at XPoNential Music Festival in 2007

Albums[link]

• The End of History (2006)
• The Shadow of an Empire (2010)
• 100 Acres of Sycamore (2011)

EPs[link]

• Slow Wall (EP) (6 October 2000) (under the name Bilbo)
• Reservoir (EP) (10 February 2003)
• Hotel Room (EP) (15 March 2004)
• Campaign Button (EP) (2005)
• Home Recording Sampler

Singles[link]

• "Little Miss Drunk" (22 July 2002)
• "Be Good or Be Gone" (5 February 2006)
• "Protection Racket" (November 2009)
• "For A Nightingale" (July 2011)

Compilation appearances[link]

• "Getting Better" (Mojo Presents Sgt. Pepper...With A Little Help From His Friends, Mojo, 2007)
• "Put a Penny in the Slot" (Acoustic 07, V2 Records, 2007)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Fionn Regan on Myspace