{"product_id":"an-exact-mystery-richard-ramsbotham-9781789631197","title":"An Exact Mystery: The poetic life of Vernon Watkins","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVernon Watkins\u003c\/em\u003e is a great riddle at the heart of twentieth century poetry. His poetry has been praised in the highest terms by, among others, T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, Dylan Thomas and Marianne Moore. Kathleen Raine called him: \"the greatest lyric poet of my generation.\" Yet he has remained, for the most part, almost entirely unknown.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e One reason for this is that Watkins in no way sought for fame. Another is that after a transformative spiritual experience, marking a new beginning in his life and work, Watkins rarely referred to the visionary, crisis-ridden dramatic path of his early years. Right as this was for him, it has prevented the full context of his life from being seen. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAn Exact Mystery\u003c\/strong\u003e, the first volume of Watkins's authorized biography, sets this to rights, depicting his path to maturity as a poet and a person, from his early years in Wales and schooling at Repton up to his appearance as a published poet, aged 35, during the Second World War. Along the way, Ramsbotham describes his extreme clash with Christopher Isherwood at Cambridge; his 'spiritual emergency' in Cardiff and Rome; his links with W.B. Yeats and T.S. Eliot; and his intense friendship and collaboration with his complementary opposite, Dylan Thomas.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Richard Ramsbotham\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 178963119X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781789631197\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Choir Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/29\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 310\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.07lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.84d","brand":"Richard Ramsbotham","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44058690093311,"sku":"9781789631197","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_f5e2fc0b-a112-437c-918b-1670e6fd881f.jpg?v=1685054002","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/an-exact-mystery-richard-ramsbotham-9781789631197","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}