An Imagined Life: Life and Times 1959-91
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Author Description
"A Local Habitation" and "A Sort of Clowning" traced Richard Hoggart's life to 1959. In this final part of his autobiography, he recalls the changes in his life which followed the publication of his "Uses of Literacy", his pronouncement to a shocked court during the Lady Chatterley trial that Lawrence was "puritanical", his involvement with the Pilkington report on broadcasting and UNESCO, and his rewarding time as Warden of Goldsmith's College, London (during which time he engaged in broadcasting, film, print, adult education, and battles against censorship of the arts). Famous names move across the pages - T.S. Eliot, E.M. Forster, W.H. Auden - and Hoggart's career traces and assesses a changing world. But it is to his private life, and to his childhood, that this trilogy returns for its conclusion. This book should be of interest to readers of contemporary English autobiography, and those who enjoyed Hoggart's other works.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume examines the intersection of personal experience and public intellectual life in Britain between 1959 and 1991. Richard Hoggart, a prominent cultural critic and academic, utilizes his own career trajectory to document the shifting social and institutional landscapes of the mid-to-late 20th century. He argues that the evolution of British cultural policy, education, and censorship is best understood through the lens of those who navigated its most significant institutional turning points.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed accounts of the Lady Chatterley trial and the Pilkington report on broadcasting.
- Reflections on the administrative and intellectual challenges of serving as Warden of Goldsmith's College.
- Observations on the influence of figures such as T.S. Eliot, E.M. Forster, and W.H. Auden.
Scope Limits
- The narrative focuses primarily on the author's professional and public life, with private reflections serving as a secondary thematic anchor.
- The text does not provide an exhaustive history of the period, but rather a subjective account of specific institutional engagements.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and readers frequently cite this work as a vital primary source for understanding the development of British cultural studies and the institutional history of the era. The prose is noted for its reflective, measured tone, providing a clear window into the intellectual climate of post-war Britain.
Page Count:
316
Publication Date:
1993-02-18
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192831127
ISBN-13:
9780192831125
Biography
Autobiography
Memoir
British History
Literary Criticism
20th Century
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