Here is a Christmas Letter from Anne Price-Owen from the David Jones Society based in the UK. Note that it includes information on subscribing to to the David Jones Society. Thanks, Anne, for this comprehensive account of David Jones Society activities this past year.
Dear friends
It’s been a surprisingly busy year
for the DJS, with all sorts of events going on in addition to all kind of plans
being made to commemorate the centenary of the Great War, in 2014.
The first celebratory
activity this year was the completion and showing of Derek Shiel’s second film concerning the life and
work of DJ: David Jones Between the Wars: the years of achievement. Many members have had a chance to
see the film when Derek toured it to a number of venues around the country: and
indeed, there are more screenings scheduled into 2013. If anyone wishes to
screen the film next year, then please contact the DJS. As has already been
communicated, copies of this film cannot be distributed to members, although we
have a few copies of Derek’s first film, In Search of David Jones: Artist, Soldier, Poet. However, thanks to the excellent
website that our friends at foblc (see below), the first film can now be
accessed from the foblc website: http://brockleycentral.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/david-jones-in-great-place.html http://www.foblc.org.uk/2012_10_01_archive.html
and:
Mike Guilfoyle
(foblc), has contributed some very gratifying comments. Adam Alive, co-director of David Jones
Between the Wars,
kindly drew my attention to Foblc’s website, which includes more news on DJ
celebrations in 2014.
The highlight of the DJS was the 3-day
international interdisciplinary conference, Culture and Artifice organized by Brad Hass and Kathleen Henderson Staudt, at Washington Adventist
University, 28-20
March. Since then, Brad has found a publisher who is interested in publishing the papers from
the Conference. This is good news, for although we try to publish papers in the
DJJ, the circulation of the latter means that the wider public are often
unaware of new and exciting discoveries concerning DJ, his life and work. Kathy
has devised a DJS N.America
website, and has been uploading material. http://www.poetproph.blogspot.com http://davidjonesartistandpoet.blogspot.com/
Another event which
bodes well for increasing scholarship related to DJ is the establishment of The
David Jones Centre
at Aberystwyth University. The Centre will provide a new arena for research in two interrelated
domains: the relation between word and image, as well as modernism and its
legacy in Wales. Two PhD students focused their presentations on DJ, with
highly original material being brought to light for the first time.
We are grateful to the
Friends (foblc) of Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries who co-organized a one
day seminar, the theme of which was Borders, in the Dissenters’ Chapel at Ladywell
Cemetery where DJ
is buried. Apart from showing sites of interest in the vicinity, the Friends,
who provided refreshments, also gave us a tour of the graveyard.
The next day in nearby Rotherhithe,
the DJ Walk, which
took in a large numbers of sites that inspired place-names and other references
in DJ’s poetry, was a great success and, despite the incessant rain, the
walkers enjoyed societal camaraderie. We visited many of the places on the
itinerary, taking account of DJ’s childhood haunts and early life, but
abandoned our plans to take a ferry back to central London, in the rain! This walk was
initially inspired by Martin Haggerty, who was responsible for the first walk in
Rotherhithe, and we are also indebted to Juliet Johnston & Vivian Wright
for their in-depth
research and careful organization of this event.
Vivian Wright is well-known as the Leader of the DJ
Harrow Walk, and is
hoping to arrange another Harrow walk next year. This should prepare us for
events that are currently in the pipeline for the anniversary of the Great War
in Harrow, in 2014. Artist Jonathan Hutchins is spearheading this proposal, and has already
gained support from the Leader of Harrow Council, Bill Stephenson, who has received a letter of
support from one of The DJS’s most distinguished members, +Archbishop Rowan
Williams.
As we are all aware, +Rowan will son be standing down from his
arduous position as Head of the Church of England and the Anglican Church. His
tenure has been anything but smooth, yet he has been a guide and a shepherd
whose sincere integrity has been driven by godly wisdom. In following his
conscience he has the courage to voice his convictions, in spite of turbulent
opposition. We wish him every success, and a peaceful transition to his new
appointment in Cambridge in 2013.
Jonathan Hutchins would welcome any proposals that
might advance the commemorations in Harrow, which include obtaining a DJ blue
plaque in 2014. If you would like to contribute to the think tank, then you can
contact Jonathan at jonathan.hutchins@harrow.ac.uk.
With 2014 in mind, it is
hoped to re-publish David Jones: A Fusilier at the Front (formerly published by Seren in 1995). The 1995
edition is incomplete in the number of drawings in this volume, and Derek
Shiel has been
asked to write a new commentary on the 2013-14 edition which will consist of
all 86 sketches. We also hope to exhibit these works in total, and if anyone
can suggest a gallery which might hang this exhibition, then please contact the
DJS.
As Christmas is almost
upon us, I can recommend some cards and presents you may wish to consider. The
first is Thomas Dilworth’s latest well-informed contribution to DJ studies, David Jones in
the Great War
(Enitharmon, 2012), £15.00, ISBN: 978 1 907587-24-5. It’s a wonderful
complement to what we already know of DJ’s situation in the Great War. Apart
from offering us new perspectives on DJ, the text is lavishly illustrated with
photographs of DJ, as well as artworks, including an endpaper with a
reproduction of early drafts from In Parenthesis. What’s more, among the people to whom Tom dedicates
his book is our enthusiastic, erstwhile honorary president, Prof William
Blissett. But don’t
just take my word for it – get a copy for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
Monnow Valley Arts has added a number of new greetings
cards to its portfolio, and you will doubtless find some of interest by going
to www.monnowvalleyarts.org.
If anyone is in the
vicinity of Cardiff over the next season, then visit the National Museum of
Wales to see the
Artist in Focus show featuring Jonah Jones(1919-2004). He was a great admirer of DJ, and
his lettering in particular, may be viewed almost as a tribute to our
poet-painter. 7 Dec – 4 April 2013. And in Chapter Arts Centre, the intriguing exhibition of Joanne
Tatham & Tom O’Sullivan, A Tool for the Making of Signs, features two pieces by David Jones:
the watercolour, Chalice
with Flowers & Seal(1950), and artist Kathryn Ashill reciting The Hunt(1965), 7 Dec- 24 Feb., 2013.
Finally, some exciting
news concerning the David Jones Society: its website and Journal.
I am indebted to ‘Jason And Becky’ who are currently
orchestrating the DJS website. I shall take great delight in informing you all
as soon as we go live. The website domain has been purchased: thedavidjonessociety.org. I am supplying the designers with
material, but also welcome any ideas you may have that will enhance the
website.
And finally, we have
another co-editor for the Journal. Sarah Williams prompted me to fast-forward the
next DJJ, and offered to help edit and collate the contributions I’ve received
over the last 4 years! (Frightening, isn’t it!) I am deeply grateful to Sarah and
have pleasure in reporting that the next Journal should be with you in March
2013. Following on from the Spring issue, the following journal will be devoted
to War, as we have plenty of material on the subject. Given the fact that 2014
is almost in sight, that issue will be on the topic of War. Accordingly, we
welcome further contributions on the subject for consideration in the 2013-14
edition.
As you are aware,
requests for subscriptions to the DJS have been put on hold owing to the fact
that I haven’t published a journal since 2007! (However, I trust you will be grateful for the ‘extras’ I
have included in your postbags when I have sent out the DJ Xmas newsletters.)
Accordingly, I now put out a call for subscriptions to the DJS to cover
2012-13. The cost of joining the DJS remains a paltry £20.00pp, corporate
membership is £40.00. For that, members will receive a copy of the Journal and
hard copies of newsletters and any other material about events and activities
relating to the DJS. If you do not join the DJS, you will still be informed of
DJS activities by email, but will not receive the Journals, or any hard copy. For
anyone paying in Euros, please pay E36 & make your cheques out to Anne
Price-Owen, so that there will be no bank charges on changing currency. For
those living elsewhere, may I suggest you change your own currency into £pounds
sterling and post the cash to the DJS. Alternatively, if you are paying in $US,
then the cost is 45$US, which should cover bank charges. For anyone insisting
on paying by Visa, then please contact me so that we may come to a mutually
beneficial arrangement.
In the cold days of winter, Accendat
in Nobis Dominvs Ignem svi Amoris [may the Lord enkindle in us the fire of His
love …]
And all best wishes for a Happy and Blessed
Christmas, and a peaceful 2013.
Anne
I wish to join/continue membership
of The David Jones Society 2012-13, and enclose a cheque/cash for £20.00,
payable to the DJS.
NAME________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS____________________________________________________________
Email:_______________________________________________________________
Telephone:____________________________________________________________
Tom Berenato, Kathy Staudt and Anne Price-Owen have at last submitted to Bloomsbury the MS for an exciting new edition of previously unpublished writings by David Jones on Religion, Politics and Culture, to be published as part of their Modernist Archives series. The book includes editions and in-depth commentaries on two Jones MSs dealing with politics between the war -- his letter to Neville Chamberlain and his draft essay on Hitler, as well as the drafts of his essay on Hopkins and the transcripts extended and previously unseen video interview with Jones conducted toward the end of his life. The book is due out in June: Here's the information
Dear Friends - I've been long in updating this blog but there is so much going on this summer in the David Jones World. I'm including here the poster for the upcoming conference David Jones: Dialogues with the past - more info is at www.davidjonesdialogues.com. Do note the posting of papers from the 2012 "Culture and Artifice" conference now at www.flashpointmag.com
#/media/File:David_Jones_(artist,_poet).jpg)
