Iris Murdoch's Poetic Confessions: Unveiling a New Perspective on Her Bisexuality
In a long-awaited publication, a previously unpublished series of poems by the renowned novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch is set to be released, offering an unprecedented glimpse into her life, relationships, and innermost thoughts. Titled "Poems from an Attic: Selected Poems, 1936–1995," the collection brings together decades of work that Murdoch kept private, hidden away in a chest in her Oxford home.
For years, Murdoch's poetry has remained largely unknown, overshadowed by her celebrated novels, including her Booker Prize-winning novel "The Sea, The Sea." However, this new publication promises to shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of her life – her bisexuality. The volume includes 88 poems that span nearly six decades and explore themes such as personal relationships, friendship, and the complexities of human emotion.
Among the most striking works in the collection is the poem "The dear and detailed dream of your carved head," widely believed to have been written for philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe. The poem reveals a deep longing and desire between two women, a sentiment that was both thrilling and terrifying for Murdoch at the time. Her journals from the period reveal a sense of anxiety about her sexuality being exposed, as well as a fear of losing herself in the process.
The collection is an intimate and vulnerable look into Murdoch's life, offering a fresh perspective on her relationships and personal struggles. The introduction by Booker-shortlisted author Sarah Hall describes Murdoch as "a writer of formidable and industrious intellect" who was "playfully mischievous around taboos." Hall notes that the poems are "especially ardent, complex, tender and gorgeous," reading like "vulnerable documents, wishes blown softly towards those who fascinated her."
The publication of these long-lost poems is a testament to Murdoch's enduring legacy as a writer and philosopher. As we delve into her inner world, we are reminded of the power of art to reveal, to confide, and to heal. With this new collection, we have the opportunity to reexamine our understanding of this literary icon and the complexities of human experience that she so beautifully captured in her poetry.
In a long-awaited publication, a previously unpublished series of poems by the renowned novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch is set to be released, offering an unprecedented glimpse into her life, relationships, and innermost thoughts. Titled "Poems from an Attic: Selected Poems, 1936–1995," the collection brings together decades of work that Murdoch kept private, hidden away in a chest in her Oxford home.
For years, Murdoch's poetry has remained largely unknown, overshadowed by her celebrated novels, including her Booker Prize-winning novel "The Sea, The Sea." However, this new publication promises to shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of her life – her bisexuality. The volume includes 88 poems that span nearly six decades and explore themes such as personal relationships, friendship, and the complexities of human emotion.
Among the most striking works in the collection is the poem "The dear and detailed dream of your carved head," widely believed to have been written for philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe. The poem reveals a deep longing and desire between two women, a sentiment that was both thrilling and terrifying for Murdoch at the time. Her journals from the period reveal a sense of anxiety about her sexuality being exposed, as well as a fear of losing herself in the process.
The collection is an intimate and vulnerable look into Murdoch's life, offering a fresh perspective on her relationships and personal struggles. The introduction by Booker-shortlisted author Sarah Hall describes Murdoch as "a writer of formidable and industrious intellect" who was "playfully mischievous around taboos." Hall notes that the poems are "especially ardent, complex, tender and gorgeous," reading like "vulnerable documents, wishes blown softly towards those who fascinated her."
The publication of these long-lost poems is a testament to Murdoch's enduring legacy as a writer and philosopher. As we delve into her inner world, we are reminded of the power of art to reveal, to confide, and to heal. With this new collection, we have the opportunity to reexamine our understanding of this literary icon and the complexities of human experience that she so beautifully captured in her poetry.
. So, they're trying to make a big deal about Iris Murdoch's bisexuality through a bunch of old poems 
. Like, I get it, she was a trailblazer and all that jazz 
, but can't we just have a more nuanced discussion about this stuff without making a huge production out of it? 
. But you know what would be even better? A more intuitive way of organizing and searching through them. The current format is just clunky and makes me want to pull my hair out 
.
. It's all so...flowery 
. Can we please just have a straightforward, easy-to-read summary of what the poems are about? 
.
It's interesting how some of these old poems are already giving people a lot to think about, especially with the poem for Elizabeth Anscombe. It feels like we're getting this intimate glimpse into her life that we never had before... but at the same time, it's also kinda weird because I feel like we're prying on her personal stuff. 
. I mean, we've always known she was a genius writer, but to see all these poems and emotions laid bare is just incredible 
. The way they're describing her relationships, especially the ones with women... it's like, totally raw and honest, you know? And can you even imagine what she must have felt writing those poems for Elizabeth Anscombe? 
It's like, a whole new level of vulnerability and love. I'm loving how this collection is showing us that even someone as iconic as Murdoch was human and had her own struggles with identity and desire 
.
. This collection is like getting a glimpse into her secret life, and it's crazy beautiful 
. I'm intrigued to see how this changes our understanding of her work and legacy 
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. It's about how art can reveal our deepest thoughts and feelings, and help us heal from the things that make us feel vulnerable 
. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity to learn more about her and to be a part of this journey with her poetry 
The fact that Sarah Hall is calling these poems "vulnerable documents" really gets me – I'm all for a good introspective poem fest 
. Bring on this new collection!
how some ppl thought she was straight lol 
but these poems are like, super revealing 
and vulnerable, ya know? like, she's been hiding in plain sight the whole time 
and i love that her writing is still giving us so much to think about 
but also kinda awesome? 
, cant wait to read them
and I gotta say, it's crazy how much her life has been hidden away from us. I mean, we knew she was a genius writer and philosopher, but this new collection is like a whole different side of her. Her poetry is so raw and emotional, it's like we're reading her personal journal. I love how the author, Sarah Hall, calls them "vulnerable documents" - it's like Murdoch is sharing her deepest feelings with us. It's wild that these poems have been hidden away for so long, especially considering what was at stake for her back then. Now we get to see a more vulnerable side of her and I think it's really cool. It's like getting a glimpse into someone's private world, you know? 
the poem for elizabeth anscombe is sooo interesting, it's like we're getting a glimpse of this intense connection between two women during a time when it wasn't exactly accepted 
anyway, i think this collection is going to be HUGE - we need more people talking about iris murdoch and her impact on literature 
. personally, i think it's all just a reminder that we don't always know what's going on behind people's masks...