Donald Sidney-Fryer
Encyclopedia
Donald Sidney-Fryer is a poet
and entertainer born September 8, 1934, in New Bedford, Massachusetts
. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and moved to California
, where he attended university, and met Clark Ashton Smith
several times. In 1969, he married Gloria Kathleen Braly, and started giving readings shortly thereafter, usually incorporating material by Smith, and his other principal poetic influence, Edmund Spenser
.
Sidney-Fryer is connected principally to the works of Clark Ashton Smith in a number of ways. He published an important essay on him, "The Sorcerer Departs" in 1963, and wrote the principal bibliography, The Emperor of Dreams. He also edited a number of collections of Smith's poetry, chiefly, Poems in Prose
and Selected Poems
. He has edited a number of collections of Smith's short stories, and co-edited The Black Book of Clark Ashton Smith.
In addition, he has translated Aloysius Bertrand
's Gaspard de la Nuit, written A Checklist of the Ballet Scores of Cesare Pugni
, and published three collections of his own verse under the generic title: Songs and Sonnets Atlantean
.
Donald Sidney-Fryer's poetry has appeared in: The Arkham Collector, Coven 13, The Cthulhu Codex, Flame Annual, The Galley Sail Review, Haunted, Macabre, Nocturne, Nyctalops, The Romantist, San Francisco, Weird Tales, Worlds of Fantasy and Horror, Witchcraft and Sorcery and The Young Physique.
Sidney-Fryer's verse is marked by a strong imagination, and a Francophilic focus. He is a strong believer in pure poetry, and practices formalist verse, developing his own specific poetic form, the Spenserian stanza-sonnet.
Sidney-Fryer is also a prolific historian of 19th century ballet
, and is an expert on the ballet theatre of the romantic era
.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and entertainer born September 8, 1934, in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he attended university, and met Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith was a self-educated American poet, sculptor, painter and author of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Swinburne...
several times. In 1969, he married Gloria Kathleen Braly, and started giving readings shortly thereafter, usually incorporating material by Smith, and his other principal poetic influence, Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
.
Sidney-Fryer is connected principally to the works of Clark Ashton Smith in a number of ways. He published an important essay on him, "The Sorcerer Departs" in 1963, and wrote the principal bibliography, The Emperor of Dreams. He also edited a number of collections of Smith's poetry, chiefly, Poems in Prose
Poems in Prose
Poems in Prose is an illustrated collection of prose poems by Clark Ashton Smith. It was released in 1965 and was published by Arkham House in an edition of 1,016 copies. The book is a nearly complete collection of Smith's prose poetry.-Contents:...
and Selected Poems
Selected Poems (C. A. Smith)
Selected Poems is a collection of poems by Clark Ashton Smith. It was released in 1971 by Arkham House in an edition of 2,118 copies. The collection also includes several translations of French and Spanish poems...
. He has edited a number of collections of Smith's short stories, and co-edited The Black Book of Clark Ashton Smith.
In addition, he has translated Aloysius Bertrand
Aloysius Bertrand
Louis-Jacques-Napoléon “Aloysius” Bertrand was a French poet instrumental in the introduction of the prose poem into French literature and is credited with inspiring later Symbolist poets...
's Gaspard de la Nuit, written A Checklist of the Ballet Scores of Cesare Pugni
Cesare Pugni
Cesare Pugni was an Italian composer of ballet music, a pianist and a violinist. In his early career he composed operas, symphonies, and various other forms of orchestral music. Pugni is most noted for the ballets he composed while serving as Composer of the Ballet Music to Her Majesty's Theatre...
, and published three collections of his own verse under the generic title: Songs and Sonnets Atlantean
Songs and Sonnets Atlantean
Songs and Sonnets Atlantean is a collection of poems by Donald S. Fryer. It was released in 1971 by Arkham House in an edition of 2,045 copies. The introduction and notes attributed to Dr. Ibid M. Andor are actually written by Fryer.-Contents:...
.
Donald Sidney-Fryer's poetry has appeared in: The Arkham Collector, Coven 13, The Cthulhu Codex, Flame Annual, The Galley Sail Review, Haunted, Macabre, Nocturne, Nyctalops, The Romantist, San Francisco, Weird Tales, Worlds of Fantasy and Horror, Witchcraft and Sorcery and The Young Physique.
Sidney-Fryer's verse is marked by a strong imagination, and a Francophilic focus. He is a strong believer in pure poetry, and practices formalist verse, developing his own specific poetic form, the Spenserian stanza-sonnet.
Sidney-Fryer is also a prolific historian of 19th century ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, and is an expert on the ballet theatre of the romantic era
Romantic ballet
The Romantic ballet is defined primarily by an era in ballet in which the ideas of Romanticism in art and literature influenced the creation of ballets. The era occurred during the early to mid 19th century primarily at the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique of the Paris Opera Ballet and Her...
.
External links
- Donald Sidney-Fryer
- Donald Sidney-Fryer: The Last of the Courtly Poets
- A Donald Sidney-Fryer Bibliography by Alan Gullette http://alangullette.com/lit/dsf/dsf_biblio.htm