Majic Ring - Annotated by Delia Alton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"The introduction offers what will prove to be one of the most nuanced understandings of H.D.'s engagement with the occult and spiritualism to date, and the carefully researched notes will aid scholars and readers tremendously as they make their way through the novel's complexities."--Lara Vetter, University of North Carolina, Charlotte "An indispensable prose companion to H.D.'s poetic masterpiece, Trilogy, as well as the later, darker The Sword Went Out to Sea. Tryphonopoulos provides a nuanced, scholarly context for readers to appreciate the significance of H.D.'s dazzling late-life oeuvre."--Cynthia Hogue, Arizona State University Set during the World War II air raids in London, H.D.'s fascinating and visionary novel, Majic Ring, documents her spiritualist activities during this time. Never before published, the work offers a hybrid pastiche of autobiographical, fictional, and epistolary modes of writing. This annotated edition of Majic Ring presents important information about H.D.'s personal history, her heterodox interests, and her notions about the creative process itself. It also includes much on the source material for Trilogy, her well-known three-part poem on the experience of the blitz. In fact, the publication of this novel will change radically the way we read Trilogy, and will alter profoundly the way we view modernism, the creative process, and women's literary production during mid-century. H.D. (born Hilda Doolittle, 1886-1961) was an American writer who exerted enormous influence on modernist poetry and prose. Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos is, university research professor of English and associate dean of the school of graduate studies at the University of New Brunswick.

From the Back Cover

"Only lightly fictionalized . . . this side of H.D. is not well known . . . [and] this book makes one think of her as a kind of victim of war."--"Times Literary Supplement""Tryphonopoulos argues that the core of "Majic Ring "is the discovery and analysis of hidden wisdom revealed in the occult experiences that enable soul making."--"Literature and Theology""Yields important insights into H. D.'s personal history, her spiritualist concerns, and her creative process in general."--"Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature""Expertly edited by Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos, H.D.'s book revolves around resonant images evoked during seances that develop into powerful symbols in her poetry."--"English Studies""""Provides a nuanced, scholarly context for readers to appreciate the significance of H.D.'s dazzling late-life oeuvre."--Cynthia Hogue, Arizona State UniversityThis annotated edition presents important information about H.D.'s personal history, her heterodox interests, and her notions about the creative process itself. This novel will alter profoundly the way we view modernism, the creative process, and women's literary production during mid-century.

About the Author

H.D. (born Hilda Doolittle, 1886-1961) was an American writer who exerted enormous influence on modernist poetry and prose. Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos, university research professor of English and assistant dean, School of Graduate Studies at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, is the author or editor of ten books.