Thom Gunn: A Cool Queer Life

Thom Gunn: A Cool Queer Life is a landmark study of one of England's and America's most innovative and revolutionary poets, chronicling his life from childhood to his death.
Michael Nott draws on letters, diaries, notebooks, interviews, and Gunn's poetry to bring us a vivid portrait of a great literary mind, sexual rebel, and queer icon.

Format: Hardback
Length: 720 pages
Publication date: 18 July 2024
Publisher: Faber & Faber

Thom Gunn: A Cool Queer Life is a groundbreaking biography that delves into the life of one of England and America's most innovative and revolutionary poets, Thom Gunn. Written by Michael Nott, the book chronicles Gunn's largely undocumented life, from his childhood in Kent and London to his mother's suicide and his education at Cambridge, where he studied Shakespeare and John Donne and wrote his first book, Fighting Terms. Gunn's mid-twenties saw him follow Kitay to America, where he became one of the great poet-documenters of San Francisco's queer culture, capturing the hippie mentality of the time and the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. The biography is praised for its meticulous research, intelligent and sympathetic portrayal of Gunn's life, and Nott's ability to read the poems. It is considered the definitive biography of Gunn and is praised for its unsentimental approach, allowing Gunn's complexities and contradictions to emerge unvarnished. The book has received critical acclaim from various publications, including the Literary Review, Guardian, Observer, Daily Telegraph, New York Times Book Review, and more. It is hailed as a landmark study of Gunn's life and work, exploring his intellectual maverickery, sexual rebellion, and his status as a queer literature icon. Overall, Thom Gunn: A Cool Queer Life is a must-read for anyone interested in the life and poetry of Thom Gunn, and it has established itself as a definitive work on the poet's life and legacy.

Weight: 1088g
Dimension: 241 x 165 x 51 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780571362523
Edition number: Main