Kim Morrissey
Encyclopedia
Kim Morrissey is a Canadian
poet
and playwright
who lives in London, England. Many of her works examine the role of women in nineteenth century culture, re-imagining the lives of historical figures. She is also part of the Comedy Collective UK (which included Colin Shelbourn, John Random, Ivan Shakespeare, Lee Barnett, Claire Storey, Jasmine Birtles, Robert Priest). The working drafts of Morrissey's play Mrs Ruskin, about Effie Gray
, have been published on the web. She has written for various radio dramas and documentaries, as well as the 1980s radio show Week Ending
.
Morissey's Poems for Men who Dream of Lolita purport to be written by Lolita
herself, reflecting on the events in the story, a sort of diary in poetry form. Morrissey portrays Lolita as an innocent, wounded soul. In speaking of her work in Lolita Unclothed, a documentary by Camille Paglia
, she has complained that in the novel Lolita has "no voice". The poems were set to music at the New Music Festival in Winnipeg in 1993 (composer: Sid Rabinovitch). Five poems from the book were selected for Mythic Women/Real Women (edited by Lizbeth Goodman), Faber & Faber's Women & Gender university textbook. Morrisey also dealt with the theme of ephebophilia in her stage play about Freud's Dora case.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
poet
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 playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
who lives in London, England. Many of her works examine the role of women in nineteenth century culture, re-imagining the lives of historical figures. She is also part of the Comedy Collective UK (which included Colin Shelbourn, John Random, Ivan Shakespeare, Lee Barnett, Claire Storey, Jasmine Birtles, Robert Priest). The working drafts of Morrissey's play Mrs Ruskin, about Effie Gray
Effie Gray
Euphemia Chalmers Millais, Lady Millais née Gray, known as Effie Gray, Effie Ruskin or Effie Millais was the wife of the critic John Ruskin, but left her husband without the marriage being consummated, and after the annulment of the marriage, married his protégé, the Pre-Raphaelite painter John...
, have been published on the web. She has written for various radio dramas and documentaries, as well as the 1980s radio show Week Ending
Week Ending
Week Ending... was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4, usually on Friday evenings. It was devised by writer/producers Simon Brett and David Hatch, and was originally hosted by Nationwide presenter Michael Barratt.The show's title was always announced as...
.
Morissey's Poems for Men who Dream of Lolita purport to be written by Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
herself, reflecting on the events in the story, a sort of diary in poetry form. Morrissey portrays Lolita as an innocent, wounded soul. In speaking of her work in Lolita Unclothed, a documentary by Camille Paglia
Camille Paglia
Camille Anna Paglia , is an American author, teacher, and social critic. Paglia, a self-described dissident feminist, has been a Professor at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 1984...
, she has complained that in the novel Lolita has "no voice". The poems were set to music at the New Music Festival in Winnipeg in 1993 (composer: Sid Rabinovitch). Five poems from the book were selected for Mythic Women/Real Women (edited by Lizbeth Goodman), Faber & Faber's Women & Gender university textbook. Morrisey also dealt with the theme of ephebophilia in her stage play about Freud's Dora case.
Works
- Batoche - 1989
- Poems for Men Who Dream of Lolita - 1992
- Dora: A Case of Hysteria - 1994
- Clever as Paint: The Rossettis in Love - 1998
- Mrs. Ruskin - 2003