Eric Mottram
Encyclopedia
Eric Mottram was a teacher, critic, editor and poet who was one of the central figures in the British Poetry Revival
.
and educated at Purley Grammar School
, Croydon
, and Blackpool Grammar School, Lancashire
. In 1943, he was awarded a scholarship to Pembroke College, Cambridge
but opted to serve in the Royal Navy instead, only taking up the scholarship in 1947. He graduated with honours in 1950, obtaining a first in both parts of the English Literature, Life and Thought tripos (Double First). M.A. in 1951. Over the following decade, Mottram travelled extensively and worked as a lecturer at University of Zurich Switzerland, 1951-52, University of Malaya in Singapore, 1952-55 and as Professor at the University of Gröningen Netherlands, 1955-60.
King's College London
In 1960, Mottram returned to London and took a post as Lecturer in English and American Literature at King's College London
. At the time, King's was one of very few British universities to offer American studies, and Mottram was to prove a pioneer in the field. He co-founded the Institute of United States Studies in 1963, the same year in which his tenure as a lecturer at King's was confirmed. In 1973, became Reader in English and American Literature and a special Chair was created for him as professor in 1982. In September 1990 he retired with the title Emeritus Professor of English and American Literature.
Mottram and the Beat Generation
In the early sixties, Mottram travelled to the United States
and met a number of writers, including William Carlos Williams
, Allen Ginsberg
and others. He became friendly with William Burroughs during his time in London. These contacts resulted in three of Mottram's best-known critical books; William Burroughs: the algebra of need (1971, British edition 1977), Allen Ginsberg in the Sixties (1972) and Paul Bowles: staticity & terror (1976). These studies did much to help introduce the Beat writers to a wider British audience.
's Writers Forum in 1970. He went on to publish at least another 34 collections, including A Book of Herne: 1975-1981, Elegies (both (1981)) and Selected poems (1989).
His work clearly shows the influence of the American
avant-garde poets he admired, particularly in his use of techniques such as found poetry
, cut-up technique
and collage
, but it also has a distinctly British quality in the tradition of Basil Bunting
.
An interview with Mottram appeared in the London based magazine Angel Exhaust
, along with his poetry.
An interview and poetry reading, recorded in 1982, appears in My KPFA.
During this period, Mottram was twice a guest lecturer at Kent State University
, where, along with Black Mountain
poet Ed Dorn
, he was an early supporter of the musical group Devo
, and its founders Gerald Casale
and Bob Lewis
, whose poetry Mottram published when he was editor of the Poetry Review. He also edited The Rexroth Reader (1972) and the section of the 1988 anthology The New British Poetry
that was given over to the poets associated with the Revival.
British Poetry Revival
The British Poetry Revival is the general name given to a loose poetry movement in Britain that took place in the 1960s and 1970s. The revival was a modernist-inspired reaction to the Movement's more conservative approach to British poetry.-Beginnings:...
.
Early life and education
Mottram was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and educated at Purley Grammar School
Purley High School for Boys
Purley High School for Boys existed from 1914 to 1988. It was located in Placehouse Lane, Old Coulsdon, London Borough of Croydon. The school was Purley County Grammar School from 1914 to 1969, becoming Purley High School for Boys after the abolition of the Grammar School system and the...
, Croydon
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
, and Blackpool Grammar School, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. In 1943, he was awarded a scholarship to Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
but opted to serve in the Royal Navy instead, only taking up the scholarship in 1947. He graduated with honours in 1950, obtaining a first in both parts of the English Literature, Life and Thought tripos (Double First). M.A. in 1951. Over the following decade, Mottram travelled extensively and worked as a lecturer at University of Zurich Switzerland, 1951-52, University of Malaya in Singapore, 1952-55 and as Professor at the University of Gröningen Netherlands, 1955-60.
King's College LondonKing's College LondonKing's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
In 1960, Mottram returned to London and took a post as Lecturer in English and American Literature at King's College LondonKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. At the time, King's was one of very few British universities to offer American studies, and Mottram was to prove a pioneer in the field. He co-founded the Institute of United States Studies in 1963, the same year in which his tenure as a lecturer at King's was confirmed. In 1973, became Reader in English and American Literature and a special Chair was created for him as professor in 1982. In September 1990 he retired with the title Emeritus Professor of English and American Literature.
Mottram and the Beat GenerationBeat generationThe Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
In the early sixties, Mottram travelled to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and met a number of writers, including William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams was an American poet closely associated with modernism and Imagism. He was also a pediatrician and general practitioner of medicine, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania...
, Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
and others. He became friendly with William Burroughs during his time in London. These contacts resulted in three of Mottram's best-known critical books; William Burroughs: the algebra of need (1971, British edition 1977), Allen Ginsberg in the Sixties (1972) and Paul Bowles: staticity & terror (1976). These studies did much to help introduce the Beat writers to a wider British audience.
Mottram as poet
Mottram's first book of poetry, Inside the whale was published by Bob CobbingBob Cobbing
Bob Cobbing was a British sound, visual, concrete and performance poet who was a central figure in the British Poetry Revival.-Early life:...
's Writers Forum in 1970. He went on to publish at least another 34 collections, including A Book of Herne: 1975-1981, Elegies (both (1981)) and Selected poems (1989).
His work clearly shows the influence of the American
Poetry of the United States
American poetry, the poetry of the United States, arose first as efforts by colonists to add their voices to English poetry in the 17th century, well before the constitutional unification of the thirteen colonies...
avant-garde poets he admired, particularly in his use of techniques such as found poetry
Found poetry
Found poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them as poetry by making changes in spacing and/or lines , or by altering the text by additions and/or deletions...
, cut-up technique
Cut-up technique
The cut-up technique is an aleatory literary technique in which a text is cut up and rearranged to create a new text. Most commonly, cut-ups are used to offer a non-linear alternative to traditional reading and writing....
and collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
, but it also has a distinctly British quality in the tradition of Basil Bunting
Basil Bunting
Basil Cheesman Bunting was a significant British modernist poet whose reputation was established with the publication of Briggflatts in 1966. He had a lifelong interest in music that led him to emphasise the sonic qualities of poetry, particularly the importance of reading poetry aloud...
.
An interview with Mottram appeared in the London based magazine Angel Exhaust
Angel Exhaust
Angel Exhaust is a British poetry magazine founded by Steve Pereira and Adrian Clarke in the late 1970s. Andrew Duncan took over as editor in 1992, and by 1993 it was one of the first poetry magazines to appear regularly on the internet.-Editors:...
, along with his poetry.
An interview and poetry reading, recorded in 1982, appears in My KPFA.
Mottram as editor
In 1971, Mottram was made editor of the Poetry Society's magazine Poetry Review. Over the next six years, he edited twenty issues that featured most, if not all, of the key poets associated with the British Poetry Revival and carried reviews of books and magazines from the wide range of small presses that had sprung up to publish them. Mottram also included work by a number of American poets, a fact that ultimately led to his removal from the post.During this period, Mottram was twice a guest lecturer at Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
, where, along with Black Mountain
Black Mountain poets
The Black Mountain poets, sometimes called projectivist poets, were a group of mid 20th century American avant-garde or postmodern poets centered on Black Mountain College.-Background:...
poet Ed Dorn
Ed Dorn
Edward Merton Dorn was an American poet and teacher often associated with the Black Mountain poets. His most famous work is Gunslinger.-Overview:...
, he was an early supporter of the musical group Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, and its founders Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
and Bob Lewis
Bob Lewis (musician)
Robert Curtis Lewis was a founding member of the New Wave band Devo...
, whose poetry Mottram published when he was editor of the Poetry Review. He also edited The Rexroth Reader (1972) and the section of the 1988 anthology The New British Poetry
The New British Poetry
The New British Poetry was a poetry anthology from 1988, jointly edited by Gillian Allnutt, Fred D'Aguiar, Ken Edwards and Eric Mottram, respectively concerned with feminist, Black British, younger experimental and British poetry revival poets. The time frame involved was 1968-1988...
that was given over to the poets associated with the Revival.