Park Honan
Encyclopedia
Park Honan, academic and author, born 17 September 1928 in Utica, New York
, the son of William Francis Honan, a thoracic surgeon
and Annette Neudecker Honan, a journalist. He is now emeritus
Professor of English and American Literature at the University of Leeds
. He is a brother of the journalist William Holmes Honan of the New York Times.
After graduating from Deep Springs College
, California, he went on to receive an M.A.
from the University of Chicago
in 1951. He moved to England in 1956 and did his doctorate at the University of London
, gaining a Ph.d
on Robert Browning
in 1959. Since 1984 he had occupied the chair in English and American Literature at the University of Leeds, where he is now emeritus professor.
Honan has produced several academic biographies of diverse writers, ranging from the Elizabethan period
to the 19th century. In addition to extensive work on Browning, he has written biographies of Jane Austen
, Matthew Arnold
, William Shakespeare
and Christopher Marlowe
. He has also edited an anthology of Beat Generation
writers.
In 1998 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, the son of William Francis Honan, a thoracic surgeon
Thoracic surgery
Thoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax . Generally treatment of conditions of the lungs, chest wall, and diaphragm....
and Annette Neudecker Honan, a journalist. He is now emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Professor of English and American Literature at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
. He is a brother of the journalist William Holmes Honan of the New York Times.
After graduating from Deep Springs College
Deep Springs College
Deep Springs is a private, all-male , alternative college in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. A two-year college, the institution currently aims for a student body size of 26, though the number is occasionally lower...
, California, he went on to receive an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1951. He moved to England in 1956 and did his doctorate at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, gaining a Ph.d
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
on Robert Browning
Robert Browning
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
in 1959. Since 1984 he had occupied the chair in English and American Literature at the University of Leeds, where he is now emeritus professor.
Honan has produced several academic biographies of diverse writers, ranging from the Elizabethan period
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
to the 19th century. In addition to extensive work on Browning, he has written biographies of Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
, Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator...
, William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
and Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
. He has also edited an anthology of Beat Generation
Beat generation
The 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...
writers.
In 1998 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
Works
- Browning's Characters: A Study in Poetic Technique, Yale University Press, 1961
- (with William Irvine) The book, the ring, & the poet: a biography of Robert Browning, McGraw-Hill, 1974
- Matthew Arnold: A life, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1981
- Jane Austen: her life, Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1987
- Park Honan (ed.) The Beats: an anthology of 'Beat' writing, Dent, 1987
- Shakespeare: a life, Oxford University Press 1998
- Christopher Marlowe: poet & spy, Oxford University Press 2005