Canon Tallis
Encyclopedia
Canon John Tallis is a major character in the young adult
novel
s of Madeleine L'Engle
, appearing in four books. The character is based on L'Engle's real-life spiritual advisor, Canon Edward Nason West of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City
.
An Episcopal Canon
, Tallis defies conventional expectations about how priests behave. Somewhat brusque in manner, he is tough-minded and not at all pious - that is, he does not make a show of his faith, but instead takes action in service of what he believes to be right. The character is comparable to G. K. Chesterton
's Father Brown
, with a bit of Ian Fleming
's James Bond
thrown in. In his first three appearances especially, Tallis provides both spiritual leadership and insight into the realms of crime and international intrigue.
The Arm of the Starfish
In The Arm of the Starfish (1965
), protagonist Adam Eddington
first sees Tallis at JFK Airport, accompanied by twelve-year-old Polly O'Keefe
. Adam is immediately warned against him by Carolyn "Kali" Cutter. She identifies him as a real priest attached to the diocese of Gibraltar
, but also calls him a "phony". Despite the apparent innocence of a priest and a child seen eating ice cream together, and Adam's impression that Tallis resembles an "intelligent teddy bear," Adam is left with a vague distrust, mixed with curiosity. He soon has reason to take Kali's warnings more seriously, as Canon Tallis intervenes in a mysterious, somewhat sinister manner when Adam is detained in customs in Madrid. Apparently English, Tallis nevertheless carries an American Phi Beta Kappa
key, and wears a French Légion d'honneur
ribbon. Adam eventually learns that Canon Tallis, a trusted friend of the O'Keefe family who gave Polly her unusual name (Polyhymnia
), has worked with both the American Embassy and Interpol. A chaplain and prisoner of war during the Korean War, Tallis is said to have helped his men to withstand torture, but the experience caused him to lose all his hair, including his eyebrows.
The Young Unicorns
In The Young Unicorns (1968
), Canon Tallis has recently arrived at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York after the events of The Arm of the Starfish. Here he meets Vicky Austin
and the Austin family, along with their friends, blind piano prodigy Emily Gregory and the son of the cathedral's janitor, Josiah "Dave" Davidson. Tallis advises and helps to protect the children as they are drawn into a mystery involving a street gang called the Alphabats, a mysterious Genie, and the bishop's strange behavior.
Dragons in the Waters
In Dragons in the Waters (1976
), Polly O'Keefe wants her father, Dr. Calvin O'Keefe
, to enlist the assistance of Canon Tallis after Simon Renier's impostor cousin, Forsyth Phair, is murdered. Dr. O'Keefe is reluctant to do this, so an old friend of Tallis's from the cathedral, Emmanuele Theotocopoulos (better known as Mr. Theo), calls him instead, summoning him from London. Simon meets Tallis when both are kidnapped by a corrupt local policeman and stranded in the Venezuelan jungle. Tallis gives Simon good advice that enables Simon to save both their lives. During this book, Polly and Charles O'Keefe call Tallis "Uncle Father," a nickname picked up and used by Simon as well. Polly says of Canon Tallis, "He knows everybody in Interpol and Scotland Yard and everything. He's not really a detective, but whenever there's big trouble he gets called in to help." At the time of the book, Tallis is said to be "living quietly as a canon of St. Paul's
."
), one of L'Engle's adult novels. Described as "a shy, bald young man", he assists at the wedding of Emma Wheaton and Niklaas Green in a flashback scene at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Emma later attends church there, especially when Tallis is preaching.
Canon Tallis is based on L'Engle's longtime friend and spiritual advisor at St. John the Divine, Canon Edward Nason West, who died in 1990. L'Engle was writer in residence at the cathedral during the second half of West's long tenure there: he was with the cathedral from 1941 to 1981; she arrived in the early 1960s. To preserve West's privacy during his lifetime, L'Engle referred to him as Canon Tallis in her non-fiction as well as her fiction, beginning with the first of the Crosswicks Journals, A Circle of Quiet (1972
). In that book, after referring to West as Tallis several times, she explains that he "walked, unexpected, into J.F.K. Airport when Adam Eddington was waiting to fly to Lisbon." Tallis is thus one of two "inadvertent exceptions" to L'Engle's usual practice of not writing about an "actual person," because "the character could not do anything that the person, as far as I understand him, would not do." The book in which Tallis first appears, The Arm of the Starfish, is dedicated to Edward Nason West.
John Tallis and Thomas Tallis
The name is a reference to composer Thomas Tallis
, who composed the Tallis Canon
. Because of his namesake, Canon Tallis is nicknamed Tom or Father Tom.
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s of Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer best known for her young-adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time...
, appearing in four books. The character is based on L'Engle's real-life spiritual advisor, Canon Edward Nason West of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
An Episcopal Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
, Tallis defies conventional expectations about how priests behave. Somewhat brusque in manner, he is tough-minded and not at all pious - that is, he does not make a show of his faith, but instead takes action in service of what he believes to be right. The character is comparable to G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
's Father Brown
Father Brown
Father Brown is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton, who stars in 52 short stories, later compiled in five books. Chesterton based the character on Father John O'Connor , a parish priest in Bradford who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922...
, with a bit of Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
's James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
thrown in. In his first three appearances especially, Tallis provides both spiritual leadership and insight into the realms of crime and international intrigue.
The Arm of the StarfishThe Arm of the StarfishThe Arm of the Starfish is a young adult novel by Madeleine L'Engle, first published in 1965. It is the first novel featuring Polly O'Keefe and the O'Keefe family, a generation after the events of A Wrinkle in Time...
1965 in literature
The year 1965 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Lloyd Alexander - The Black Cauldron*J. G. Ballard - The Drought*Ray Bradbury - The Vintage Bradbury*John Brunner...
), protagonist Adam Eddington
Adam Eddington
Adam Eddington III is a major character in three young adult novels by Madeleine L'Engle. A marine biology student, he is the protagonist of The Arm of the Starfish , and a reluctant love interest for Vicky Austin in A Ring of Endless Light , a relationship that continues in Troubling a Star...
first sees Tallis at JFK Airport, accompanied by twelve-year-old Polly O'Keefe
Polly O'Keefe
Polyhymnia O'Keefe is the protagonist of the Madeleine L'Engle novels A House Like a Lotus and An Acceptable Time, and a major character in two previous books, The Arm of the Starfish and Dragons in the Waters. The eldest daughter of Meg Murry O'Keefe and Dr...
. Adam is immediately warned against him by Carolyn "Kali" Cutter. She identifies him as a real priest attached to the diocese of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, but also calls him a "phony". Despite the apparent innocence of a priest and a child seen eating ice cream together, and Adam's impression that Tallis resembles an "intelligent teddy bear," Adam is left with a vague distrust, mixed with curiosity. He soon has reason to take Kali's warnings more seriously, as Canon Tallis intervenes in a mysterious, somewhat sinister manner when Adam is detained in customs in Madrid. Apparently English, Tallis nevertheless carries an American Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
key, and wears a French Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
ribbon. Adam eventually learns that Canon Tallis, a trusted friend of the O'Keefe family who gave Polly her unusual name (Polyhymnia
Polyhymnia
Polyhymnia , was in Greek mythology the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn and eloquence as well as agriculture and pantomime. She is depicted as very serious, pensive and meditative, and often holding a finger to her mouth, dressed in a long cloak and veil and resting her elbow on a pillar...
), has worked with both the American Embassy and Interpol. A chaplain and prisoner of war during the Korean War, Tallis is said to have helped his men to withstand torture, but the experience caused him to lose all his hair, including his eyebrows.
The Young UnicornsThe Young UnicornsThe Young Unicorns is the title of a young adult suspense novel by Madeleine L'Engle. It is the third novel about the Austin family, taking place between the events of The Moon by Night and A Ring of Endless Light...
In The Young Unicorns (19681968 in literature
The year 1968 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Dean R. Koontz's first novel, Star Quest is published....
), Canon Tallis has recently arrived at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York after the events of The Arm of the Starfish. Here he meets Vicky Austin
Vicky Austin
Victoria "Vicky" Austin is one of Madeleine L'Engle's most frequently-used fictional characters, appearing in eight books and referred to in at least one more. She is the main protagonist of the Austin family series of books...
and the Austin family, along with their friends, blind piano prodigy Emily Gregory and the son of the cathedral's janitor, Josiah "Dave" Davidson. Tallis advises and helps to protect the children as they are drawn into a mystery involving a street gang called the Alphabats, a mysterious Genie, and the bishop's strange behavior.
Dragons in the WatersDragons in the WatersDragons in the Waters is a 1976 young adult murder mystery by Madeleine L'Engle, the second title to feature her character Polly O'Keefe. Its protagonist is thirteen-year-old Simon Bolivar Quentin Phair Renier, an impoverished orphan from an aristocratic Southern family...
In Dragons in the Waters (19761976 in literature
The year 1976 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Saul Bellow won both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.-New books:*Kingsley Amis – The Alteration...
), Polly O'Keefe wants her father, Dr. Calvin O'Keefe
Calvin O'Keefe
Calvin O'Keefe is a major character in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet series of books, and, as "Dr. Calvin O'Keefe", an important character in her O'Keefe series of young adult novels. In an interview released on the DVD of the TV adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, L'Engle describes Calvin as "the...
, to enlist the assistance of Canon Tallis after Simon Renier's impostor cousin, Forsyth Phair, is murdered. Dr. O'Keefe is reluctant to do this, so an old friend of Tallis's from the cathedral, Emmanuele Theotocopoulos (better known as Mr. Theo), calls him instead, summoning him from London. Simon meets Tallis when both are kidnapped by a corrupt local policeman and stranded in the Venezuelan jungle. Tallis gives Simon good advice that enables Simon to save both their lives. During this book, Polly and Charles O'Keefe call Tallis "Uncle Father," a nickname picked up and used by Simon as well. Polly says of Canon Tallis, "He knows everybody in Interpol and Scotland Yard and everything. He's not really a detective, but whenever there's big trouble he gets called in to help." At the time of the book, Tallis is said to be "living quietly as a canon of St. Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
."
Certain Women
Canon Tallis is a minor character in Certain Women (19921992 in literature
The year 1992 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Ben Aaronovitch - Transit*Julia Álvarez - How the García Girls Lost Their Accents*Paul Auster - Leviathan*Iain Banks - The Crow Road...
), one of L'Engle's adult novels. Described as "a shy, bald young man", he assists at the wedding of Emma Wheaton and Niklaas Green in a flashback scene at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Emma later attends church there, especially when Tallis is preaching.
Canon Tallis and Canon West
1972 in literature
The year 1972 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Fiction:*Richard Adams - Watership Down*Jorge Amado - Teresa Batista Cansada da Guerra *Martin Amis - The Rachel Papers...
). In that book, after referring to West as Tallis several times, she explains that he "walked, unexpected, into J.F.K. Airport when Adam Eddington was waiting to fly to Lisbon." Tallis is thus one of two "inadvertent exceptions" to L'Engle's usual practice of not writing about an "actual person," because "the character could not do anything that the person, as far as I understand him, would not do." The book in which Tallis first appears, The Arm of the Starfish, is dedicated to Edward Nason West.
John Tallis and Thomas TallisThomas TallisThomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
The name is a reference to composer Thomas TallisThomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
, who composed the Tallis Canon
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
. Because of his namesake, Canon Tallis is nicknamed Tom or Father Tom.