Edward Thomas, His Pocket Watch and His Death

In the afterword to his fine book, Touch and Intimacy in First world War Literature, Santanu Das relates the sad details of the connection between the poet Edward Thomas, his pocket watch and his death:

The hands of this watch are fixed at 7:36 am, a timeless testimony to Thomas’s death by an explosion that left no visible marks on his body: a mute companion to the last, the clock had faithfully recorded the moment when its master’s heart stopped beating. 

Das then asks the question, why do objects like Thomas's pocket watch, preserved at the Imperial War Museum in its final state, marking the death of its owner, 'move and disturb us so much'?

He answers thus: '[t]hese objects not only congeal time but also conceal processes of touch’ and further, they

evoke the body of the user, traces of hands, quiescent but palpable. […] [T]hese objects have a precious, living quality for they are the archives of touch and intimacy – they have once held, protected or brushed against the bodies of their possessors in their youths or in the trenches and the hospitals, and through this intimate caress, these mute, insensate objects seem to have been touched to life, bequeathed with the very pulse of their owners’ being.

This final comment – the metaphorical animation of an ‘insensate object’ - is, perhaps, a step too far, nice though it is.  However, Das does make an intuitive and thought-provoking statement on our love and fascination with historical artefacts – not just from the First World War, but in general – and how these objects can, somehow, bring us into closer contact with the subjects of history, in this case a soldier and poet who lost his voice through his untimely death in the trenches. 

It is a simple and obvious point, but one that only occurs after you have read it.  There in lies its power.

Parading on the BBC

Parade's End Coming to the BBC

 An article from The Guardian and a blurb in The Times - both from earlier this year - reveal that the screenwriter and playwright Tom Stoppard (pictured) is currently working on an adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End to be shown on the BBC.

The Times states that Ford's quadrilogy will be split over five parts, The Guardian says it will be six.  I guess which one you believe might be down to your own political swaying.  Either way, much content will have to be cut out to fit in with the TV format.

For example, the majority of Parade's End is focalized through the eyes and minds of the characters who populate Ford's complex narrative and this is difficult to recreate on screen.  One of the consequences of Ford's approach is a fractured timeline where the narrative constantly shifts back and forth in time as the characters' contemplate the past while situated in the present events of the story.

What we may well see is a more straightforward approach - the end result becoming a social and historical period drama with events unfolding either in chronological order or with information filled in via flashbacks.

Whatever the outcome, I look forward to viewing the end results but can't help thinking that much of the complex psychological content of the novels will be lost in translation.  That said, it is good to see the First World War being given some screen time instead of being overlooked in favour of its younger (and somewhat Americanized) brother.

Siegfried Sassoon Collection Now Online

I received the following email through my subscription to the World War One literature google group and it revealed some excellent news:





The First World War Poetry Archive is pleased to announce that the Siegfried Sassoon collection is now live at:


http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/sassoon


This draws from collections at Oxford, Cambridge, New York Public Library, and the Harry Ransom Center. The primary focus is on manuscript variants of Sassoon's 'war poetry' contained in the collections 'The Old Huntsman', 'Counter-Attack', and 'Picture Show'.You are free to use the images for educational purposes (see http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/permitteduse.html).


In effect this represents the last collection that will be going live,as part of the project. The funding for this two-year initiative came from the Joint Information Systems Committee as part of their Digitisation Programme.


Please feel free to pass this on,


The First World War Poetry Archive Team

University of Oxford





What this means is that an incredible resource just got even better. I am sure that access to this material will benefit many researchers and anyone with a keen interest in literature, the First World War, or Siegfried Sassoon himself.



It may even save some people the time and money needed for a costly research trip!

Birdsong

I noticed on imdb.com that Sebastian Faulk's novel, Birdsong, is currently under production and due for release next year (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127876/).

It looks like a British production, with Michael Fassbender playing Stephen Wraysford and Paddy Considine taking on the role of Jack Firebrace.

Birdsong was a book I enjoyed, and one that I made quick work of when reading it several years ago. At the time, I did think the book would be an excellent candidate to make the transition from page to screen and am actually a little surprised it has taken quite so long.

I would have two main concerns with this particular project. First of all, like with any literary adaptation, there is the problem of what stays and what goes. Although War films often approach, and even encroach, the 3 hour mark, it would be a tall order to cram an entire novel into this time frame (my edition, by Vintage, is 503 pages). Therefore editing is inevitable and, if handled correctly, could lead to a thoroughly entertaining film. If dealt with poorly then the result is obvious.

Secondly, I would have a concern over the film's budget. Any period piece requires substantial funds to ensure accurate costumes, props, and set design. But a film dealing with the First World War, and including several action sequences, will require a large amount of money towards special effects in order that the film achieves historical accuracy, captures the scale of the conflict, and the destructive force of the combat. Failure in this area would leave the film open to critical attack and commercial failure.

That said, I eagerly await the finished article as it seems to me there has been a shortage of films dealing with WW1 in recent years (it is highly probable there have been some and I am not aware of them). The only one worthy of note, and that comes to mind, is Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement (2005). However, with the the centenary of the Great War approaching, I am almost certain that Birdsong will be the first in a fairly long line of films, TV shows, radio productions, newspaper features, etc. to deal with this hugely important and significant subject.

The First World War Conference

I attended the First World War: Music, Literature and Memory conference at King's College, Cambridge last weekend (11/12th July) and found the experience most rewarding.

Although my inferiority complex, propensity for timidity, and strong Scottish accent prevented me from speaking to as many people as I would have liked to, the event was definitely beneficial. As someone who will need to present a paper, at some point in the not-too-distant future, it was of great value to be in the position purely of observer.

It was re-assuring to see how supportive, receptive, and attentive fellow delegates were towards those giving papers. Praise was awarded when due, and perceptive questions were asked, and answered, creating spots of lively debate. There was a definite sense of support, or camaraderie, extended to all who attended, and there was, thankfully, an absence of aloofness.

In terms of content, the papers delivered were, on the whole, enlightening, engaging, and varied in their subject matter. I enjoyed all the papers I was able to see (some sessions had papers running concurrently), where topics included: Wagner's music in Mrs Dalloway; the 'musical microcosm' of British prisoners of war at Ruhleben Camp; and an insight into the First World War literature of Austria.

In conclusion, the conference provided me with fresh ideas and perspectives both in terms of authors and research avenues (more on this later). As well as being informative, the conference provided me with valuable insight into how these sort of things operate. In this respect it was most rewarding because I discovered that presenting a paper, in front of a knowledgable audience, will not be as terrifying an experience as I had pictured in my mind...

Yes, it will only be moderately horrific.