Hilary Laurie

The title of this book is a bit misleading; this is a biography of Dylan Thomas which includes lots of black and white and color pictures. The story of his poetic, rambling, tragic life is very well told by Laurie, and the photographs of the people and places are absolutely brilliant. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but as an example, the one of him and Pamela Hansford Johnson (btw yowza) in Swansea in 1934 perfectly captures an image of the hopelessness of their relationship. Loved this book from beginning to end.

Quotes:
On death, of course these classic lines, though there is something to be said for calm, beautiful acceptance, and being a glorious, quiet sunset when the time comes, no? Is it possible to “believe” in both?
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Dylan Thomas, on Dylan Thomas:
“One; I am a Welshman; two: I am a drunkard; three: I am a lover of the human race, especially of women.”

On home:
“I know that I am home again because I feel just as I felt when I was not at home, only more so.”

On ‘innocence’, and remaining ‘young and unwise’:
“Oh I know we’re not saints or virgins or lunatics; we know all the lust and lavatory jokes, and most of the dirty people; we can catch buses and count our change and cross the roads and talk real sentences. But our innocence goes awfully deep and our discreditable secret is that we don’t know anything at all, and our horrid inner secret is that we don’t care that we don’t.”

On youth:
“Then I was arrogant and lost. Now I am humble and found. I prefer that other.”… (mais)