Anthony Bailey

In The Village

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Anthony Bailey's intimate look at life in Stonington borough made waves when it was published. First appearing in 1971 as a serialized version in the New Yorker, a hard-cover version was published soon thereafter. In 1992, a second paperback edition was printed locally and soon sold out. Copies are still passed hand to hand and quickly scooped up on eBay or at the Niantic Book Barn. Almost considered a rite of passage for newcomers to this small town, In the Village was not universally embraced by all of Stonington's longstanding residents. Some felt his narrative was too personal and were upset to see their characters so sharply drawn, while others thought it was perfect and were disappointed not to find themselves delineated in its pages. In 2020, Bailey gave his blessing to a third "anniversary" edition. Bailey had recently undergone a hip surgery and while recovering he would soon fall ill with what was then a new coronavirus. Geoffrey Little, a locally-based consultant and writer who specializes in technology, wellness, and education, carefully stewarded this project forward with Bailey's four daughters. As executors of his estate, they felt strongly that this project should continue. Little collaborated on the project with Stuart Vyse, a member of the board of the Stonington Historical Society and a retired professor of Psychology, who worked text and photographs into a new layout with book designer, Susan Lindberg. Bailey was much admired by Vyse and his most recent book, Stonington's Steamboat Hotel, was dedicated to Bailey. This anniversary edition includes the full text of the original as well as Bailey's introduction to the 1992 edition and also benefits from the addition of select photographs by Rollie McKenna from the archives of the Stonington Historical Society. The passage of time and the passing of some of the key characters does much to soften the edges of some of these observations but it also sharpens the emotion and the intent of Bailey's writing. There is much to be nostalgic for and there is no doubt that this was meant as an homage to a village now gone. In the Village now serves as a snapshot in time and illustrates in detail some of those colorful characters who otherwise would otherwise be lost in the spare and formal language of obituaries. According to Stuart Vyse, "Although Stonington borough has changed since Anthony Bailey's In the Village was first published in 1971, much remains the same. Bailey's central message-that there is great value in living in small communities-is as true today as it was then, and arguably, it is a message that we need now more than ever before. The Stonington Historical Society has done us all a great service by bringing this beautifully written love letter to Stonington to a new generation of readers."

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Touchladybirdlucky Studios
• 3rd edition
• Seitenzahl: 224
• Erscheinungstermin: 6. Oktober 2023
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 210mm x 140mm x 15mm
• Gewicht: 254g
• ISBN-13: 9780578251639
• ISBN-10: 0578251639
• Artikelnr.: 69833456

Autorenporträt

Bailey was born on 5 January 1933 in Portsmouth, England. While his father served in the British Army and his younger sister Bridget remained in England with their mother during World War II, Tony was taken in for four years by Otto and Eloise Spaeth, who had four children of their own, including a boy also named Tony. Otto Spaeth was the owner of a Dayton machine tool factory and both he and his wife were passionate art collectors. Bailey's lifelong interest in art was influenced by his time living with the Spaeths. The family's private art collection included such artists as Cezanne, Paul Gauguin and Edward Hopper.After National Service as a British Army officer with the Royal West African Frontier Force, Bailey went to Merton College, Oxford, in 1952, where he read history.[3] In 1955 he moved to New York, assisted by the Spaeths. His early jobs were in shops selling books, first with Scribners and then in the British Book Centre owned by newspaper publisher Robert Maxwell. When a friend suggested to Bailey that he submit his writings to The New Yorker, he sent in a piece about parking meters and an account of a day spent with Austrian Catholic priest Ivan Illich, who worked for the poor in Harlem. New Yorker editor William Shawn offered him a job. There he found himself in an office next door to John Updike, who became Bailey's lifelong friend.Under Shawn, Bailey was a "Talk of the Town" reporter and also worked briefly as a reader in the fiction department before becoming a staff writer. His work for the magazine includes profiles, reporter-at-large pieces, poems and short stories.Bailey contributed many pieces to The New Yorker magazine. The Dial Press in New York published his first novel, Making Progress, in 1959. His third novel Major André (about Benedict Arnold's attempt to hand over West Point to the British) received positive reviews in 1987His books included biographies of Turner and Constable, Vermeer, Velázquez, and two books on Rembrandt.[Many of Bailey's papers, wartime letters and manuscripts are in the hands of the Houghton Library at Harvard University.Bailey was interviewed by NPR and The New York Observer. He contributed to the New York Herald Tribune, The New York Times The New Republic and Esquire. In Britain, his writings featured in the New Statesman, The Observer, and The Sunday Times. The Overseas Press Club awarded him the 1973 Ed Cunningham Award and the Mary Hemingway for his work with The New Yorker.