As many of you are aware Robin Wood died on 18 December 2009 at the age of 78 after an exceptionally productive and engaged life. Robin's creativity and industry were not restricted to film criticism. He also wrote novels and screenplays, which were of a piece with his film criticism, both being centrally concerned with the ways in which the current structures of society are inimical to the full flowering of people's lives, are inimical to, indeed, Life itself, as Robin (and Dr. Leavis) defined that term in their respective writings.
Robin's estate will be privately publishing one of Robin's novels, the one that appears to have been most personal to him and, perhaps for that reason, the one he was proudest of. The novel will be sold by reservation, and publication is scheduled for 01 June 2011. The novel will be published in quality paperback with an introduction by his long-time friend John Anderson. The price has yet to be determined (although it is expected to be in the vicinity of CDN$30.00 including shipping).
For those who wish to reserve a copy of the novel, please notify either Gary McCallum or Richard Lippe by means of the contact information below or the comment box on this blog. Once the price has been determined, purchasers will be notified and payment requested in advance of shipment.
Gary J. McCallum Richard Lippe
Barrister & Solicitor 705 - 40 Alexander Street
18 Aitken Place Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario Canada, M4Y 1B5
Canada, M5A 4E5 T: 416-964-3534
T: 416-862-7435 E. rlippe@yorku.ca.
E: garyjmccallum@gmail.com
Robin's estate will be privately publishing one of Robin's novels, the one that appears to have been most personal to him and, perhaps for that reason, the one he was proudest of. The novel will be sold by reservation, and publication is scheduled for 01 June 2011. The novel will be published in quality paperback with an introduction by his long-time friend John Anderson. The price has yet to be determined (although it is expected to be in the vicinity of CDN$30.00 including shipping).
For those who wish to reserve a copy of the novel, please notify either Gary McCallum or Richard Lippe by means of the contact information below or the comment box on this blog. Once the price has been determined, purchasers will be notified and payment requested in advance of shipment.
Gary J. McCallum Richard Lippe
Barrister & Solicitor 705 - 40 Alexander Street
18 Aitken Place Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario Canada, M4Y 1B5
Canada, M5A 4E5 T: 416-964-3534
T: 416-862-7435 E. rlippe@yorku.ca.
E: garyjmccallum@gmail.com
Robin Wood in a chapter entitled “Fascism/Cinema” in his collection of essays Sexual Politics and Narrative Film: Hollywood and Beyond (1998) describes Yo-Yo Ma as being an exemplar of the fully alive person, praising his “openness and generosity of spirit, his rich enjoyment of music, of others, of life... Let him stand as a perfect paradigm of the human being in his/her fully creative flowering, from which all taint of the fascist mindset is totally absent”.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe it would be inapt to describe Robin Wood in similar if not the same terms. Robin’s generosity of spirit and his love and rich enjoyment of music (see “Renoir and Mozart” in Sexual Politics and Narrative Film and his numerous references to Stravinsky and Janaĉek throughout his writings, in for example the Introduction to Hitchcock’s Films Revisited: Revised Edition (2002)), of literature (see Wings of the Dove (2000) or “Levin and the Jam: Realism and Ideology” in Personal Views), of cinema (see everywhere), and of other people (see the many tributes from his colleagues and students posted on the Internet following his death) pervade and distinguish his work. This was a man who loved life, loved others and was loved in return. At one point he invoked Albert Schweitzer’s phrase “reverence for life” as an essential component of the fully alive person. Robin displayed this reverence for life in every sentence he wrote, in his every act, in his every breath.
Robin Wood can stand, without undue exaggeration, beside Yo-Yo Ma as a “perfect paradigm of the human being in his/her fully creative flowering, from which all taint of the fascist mindset is totally absent”. We will miss you, Robin.