The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. Character Analysis Of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk Joe Kanty is very loving and kind hearted to his wife, Lena, because he loves her. Herman Banning Buy the book Zora Neale Hurston: Novels & Stories Their Eyes Were Watching God • 4 other novels • 9 stories • 1,054 pages List price: $40. Spunk was free, but now the excitement begins. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. Zora Neale Hurston's short story "Spunk" was published in 1925. However, in death, Joe attains renown for courage and power which he lacked in life. Tell My Horse is an invaluable resource and fascinating guide. Like much of Zora Neale Hurston’s work, “Spunk” is set in a thinly fictionalized version of her hometown of Eatonville, Florida. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of select short stories by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem. “Spunk,” by Zora Neale Hurston, is a short story about a man who appears masculine and fearless claiming another man’s wife, but the tables turn by the end of the story. for only $0. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston. Joe is out with friends and they bring up his troubles with his wife Lena. Throughout the story, it becomes obvious that the husband does not oblige by the motto, “Do unto others as. It can sometimes be difficult for writers to switch up the. Hurston uses Lena, the story’s only named female character, as a means of showcasing Spunk and Joe’s conflict of masculinity. Hurston’s short story, “Black Death,” tells us that whites consider the negroes in Eatonville ignorant and superstitious, but it is the black community who knows—knows their witch doctor, Morgan, is armed with skills the whites can’t see. When I disembarkedzora neale hurston. Zora Neale Hurston published her first short story and her first poem in 1921. In 1935, Hurston's Mules and Men was published. She is best known for her novels, particularly Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. 99/month or $24. Story-telling in "Spunk". Sweat Hurston Character Analysis. Plot Summary. Joe Kanty. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of select short stories by Zora Neale Hurston. Authors Zora Neal Hurston and Langston Hughes both drastically effected peoples’ views on African American people. Zora Neale Hurston Spunk Essay. Historical Context. Zora Neale Hurston. Submit Search. Wolfe, adapted for the stage from Zora Neale Hurston stories, directed by Sarah Norat-Phillips, through May 29, Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 4 pm, presented by Ujima Theatre, 429 Plymouth Avenue, Buffalo, NY, 14213 716-281-0092 boxoffice@ujimacoinc. Analysis. The process of writing the play led Hughes and Hurston, who had been close friends, to sever their relationship. File:Zora Neale Hurston - Spunk. Mules and Men contains collected folklore, including oral histories. Joe, Lena’s husband, knows about the affair, but is too timid to. 4 Pages. I belonged to them, to the nearby hotels, to the county--everybody's Zora. PDF Cite Share In a small town in central Florida that is populated exclusively by African Americans, Walter Thomas and Elijah Mosley are sitting on the porch of a store. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston Analysis. In 1931, the last surviving captive of an American slave ship was interviewed by Zora Neale Hurston. He might turn him up an' spank him fur gettin' in the way, but Spunk wouldn't shoot no unarmed man. Enhance your understanding of “Spunk” by learning more about Zora Neale Hurston and historical context related to Eatonville. Elijah works at the sawmill with Spunk Banks and admires him greatly for his strength and gumption. Cite this Quote. Zora Neale Hurston. Spunk Introduction + Context. As it first, ampere group of men outside the town’s general store watch as Spunk Banks walks by, with Lena Kanty, the female of next man, Joe Kanty, clinging to his arm. Character Analysis in Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk In life certain incidents can reveal the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual, showing their true character. 1101 Words5 Pages. Frequenting the general store after work, Elijah enjoys gossiping and telling stories to the men there, who often take Elijah’s word as gospel. Spunk Summary "Spunk" was only the third short story Zora Neale Hurston published, and it was immediately successful. Study Guide Study Guide; Summary Full Plot Summary Characters Character List. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. ) Through this ordeal, Spunk is forever changed for this is the moment that caused him to open. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on hoodoo. She pushed the boundaries and writes about black life in a manner that captures the love, pain and humor in life. Americans of the twentieth century had lived through an unprecedented world war. Joe Kanty. In revolt against the perceived waste of human lives and the. They deplored any joyful tendencies in me, but I was their Zora nevertheless. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston had visited Haiti and Jamaica in the 1930s and had become very interested in the practice of voodoo. Netdimes. Liza Schmid How to write an essay? Order on the website - HelpWriting. Search all of SparkNotes Search. Historical Context. Joe Kanty knows about the affair, but is too timid to confront Spunk. Hurston was a relative newcomer on the literary scene when this short story was published, but eventually had. From a general summary to chapter summaries. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston. First, some background: Sweat is a short story published in 1926 that focuses on the lives of a poor black couple in the 1920s. The story, “Spunk”, written by Zora Neale Hurston contains many characters but there’s only one that I find to be very interesting and amazing. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. Lena Kanty. Spunk: The Selected Stories of Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston Snippet view - 1985. With Joe being a coward he would not confront Spunk for what’s his. The short story begins with Spunk, the main character, walking off with Lena Kanty. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Where Written: Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God while doing fieldwork in Haiti in 1936-1937. Hurston opens the chapter by stating that she had been aware of her mother’s ill health for some time. Richard Wright was one of her harshest critics and likened Hurston’s technique “to that of a minstrel show designed to appease a white audience” (the time frame, the Harlem. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of every Shakespeare play. C. Eatonville, located in Central Florida near Orlando, was an all-Black town that Hurston credited with giving her from an early age a sense of herself as a full citizen, not discriminated against for her Blackness but able to live freely and. From the creators of SparkNotes. 1,038 ratings84 reviews. Jeff Kanty. Mychael Rambo rehearse for "Spunk" at Penumbra Theatre. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston. Open Document. Zora Neale Hurston published Their Eyes Were Watching God in 1937 during the Great Depression and long after the 1920s height of the Harlem Renaissance, an artistic and cultural movement during which Black artists asserted their right to self-representation. Even when the setting is not Florida, however, the stories are informed by the life, habits, beliefs, and idioms of the people whom Hurston knew so well, the inhabitants of. Hurston enjoys writing about the celebration of being black in America. Literary Period: Harlem Renaissance. With the help of the community members, Joe finally stands up to Spunk, (the towns strong man. The short story “Sweat” by American author Zora Neale Hurston was first published in 1926 in Fire!!, a single-issue magazine published during the Harlem Renaissance. Spunk Banks is a giant of a man and a bully, and he has taken Joe Kanty's wife, Lena, for his own without regard to Joe's feelings. A landmark gathering of short fiction, spanning the career of Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Were Watching God , and "one of the greatest writers of our time. Most of Hurston's work involved her "Negro. 168,891 literary resources ;. 00. Sykes is selfish, taking the matches needed for. The story opens with Spunk walking boldly past a crowd of villagers, arm in arm with Lena Kanty. Hurston was an anthropologist and writer whose works included many essays on anthropology and folklore focused on African American communities in the American South and the. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of Spunk so you can excel on your essay or test. Zora Neale Hurston Sweat. Hurston. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. Zora Neale Hurston’s “Spunk” tells the tragic tale of two men and their virulent contest for one woman’s love. Zora Neale Hurston: "Magnolia Flower" (1925) Daughter of a Baptist minister, Hurston was raised in Eatonville,. Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama in 1891 to two working class parents. In "Spunk" by Zora Neale Hurston, the main character Joe Kanty's death is the tool used to shape the characters in her story. Zora Neale Hurston Sweat. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1901. These eight stories - which include intense love stories, stories of family. 99/month or $24. This Study Guide consists of. By Zora Neale Hurston. One night a bobcat shows up and Spunk proudly grabs the gun he used to kill Joe with every intention of killing the cat. In the short story “Spunk,” written by Zora Neale Hurston a story that takes place in the village store of a rural, small all-black town. Nevertheless, Hurston’s novel is an important work that. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston. Description. Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1901. Character Analysis Of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk. ”. Chapter 9 Summary: "School Again". At a young age,. After parting from Miss M. Lena’s actions throughout this conflict dictate which man has the upper hand. " "Aw, Ah doan't know. ”. 00 Save 25%, free shipping Web Store price: $30. 99/month or $24. ”. shy, introverted, understanding. The novel follows Janie’s quest for love and freedom, beginning with her sexual awakening as a teenage girl, continuing through marriages to men who. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of select short stories by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. All the loungers at the village store watch as Spunk and Lena come walking down the street. In Spunk, the story takes place in a rural small black city in Central Florida. Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial! Unlock your FREE Trial! Sign up and get. In addition to significant plot changes from the story—including adding a happy ending—Hurston’s script incorporates a detailed sense of setting and local customs. Published Feb. Enhance your understanding of “Spunk” by learning more about Zora Neale Hurston and historical context related to Eatonville. Hurston’s short story, “Black Death,” tells us that whites consider the negroes in Eatonville ignorant and superstitious, but it is the black community who knows—knows their witch doctor, Morgan, is armed with skills the whites can’t see. The novel applies a number of different motifs and themes commonly addressed in African-American culture, subverting. Asked by iris b #344286. . ”. eNotes - SpunkMoses, Man of the Mountain is a 1939 novel by African-American novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. Filter Results. 1 Hurston, who both mastered and toyed with generic conventions, was interested in aZora Neale Hurston is most famous for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). SPUNK, by George C. Plot Summary. In a new collection of her short. She also wrote over 50 short stories, plays, and. Other resolutions: 187 × 240 pixels | 375 × 480 pixels | 600 × 768 pixels | 800 × 1,024 pixels | 1,312 × 1,679 pixels. Chapter 6 Summary: "Wandering". Zora Neale Hurston wrote the play Spunk in 1935, 10 years after publishing a short story by the same name. Boyd herself. Elijah summons an image of Spunk reacting to any attack from Joe by spanking him, contributing to the image of Joe as weak and childlike. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Spunk Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. Zora was described to have a fiery, yet bubbly spirit. They sought to publish new writing without pressure from white patrons, or older Black intellectuals, to. Lena’s only line of dialogue is. Ah’m goin’ tuh de white folks bout you, mah young man, de very nex’ time you lay yo’ han’s on me. Description. : Greenwood Press, 1997. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and. Word Count: 247. " How It Feels To Be Colored Me " (1928) is an essay by Zora Neale Hurston published in World Tomorrow as a "white journal sympathetic to Harlem Renaissance writers", [1] illustrating her circumstance as an African-American woman in the early 20th century in America. spunk's personality. Compiled by a librarian, this is an exhaustive annotated guide to books, dissertations. Zora Neale is best known for her works, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Dust Tracks on a. Hurston’s essay is her explanation of how. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. 1618 Words. Zora Neale Hurston has earned such an indelible place as a novelist that we sometimes forget that she was educated as an anthropologist. In recent times, “Spunk” has been adapted into a stage play. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Plot Summary. Delia has been married to Sykes for fifteen years. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Size of this JPG preview of this PDF file: 468 × 599 pixels. Dialect. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. 70/week. Elijah Mosley. Seawater as nature appears as potentiality of form. The role of guilt in "Spunk" by Zora Neale Hurston In "Spunk" by Zora Neale Hurston‚ the main character Joe Kanty’s death is the tool used to shape the characters in her story. The protagonist of the story, Joe Kanty is nervous, awkward and physically inferior to Spunk Banks, his rival. He’d go after anything he wanted the same way. ゾラ・ニール・ハーストン（Zora Neale Hurston; 1891年1月7日 - 1960年1月28日）はアメリカ合衆国の作家、民俗学者。 アフリカ系アメリカ人作家として1920年代から40年代にかけて活躍したが、その後約30年間、著書が絶版になっていた。1975年、同じ黒人女性作家のアリス・ウォーカーに再発見され. A summary of Chapters 3-4 in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. . Important quotes by Joe Kanty in Spunk. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston Analysis. “Spunk,” by Zora Neale Hurston, is a short story about a man who appears masculine and fearless claiming another man’s wife, but the tables turn by the end of the story. Criticism. 99/year as selected above. As Lena mourns for Spunk with “lamentations [that] were deep and loud,” the rest of the community discuss who will “be Lena’s next. The short story “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston is about a man who steals another man’s wife from him, and shoot and kills the husband then dies from being in an accident at the mill. As the eponymous character, Spunk could be understood as the story’s protagonist. Her father, a pastor, moved them to Florida when her mother died; she was very young at. The text is a short story by Zora Neale Hurston describing a little girl filled with joy and is constantly doing things that she wants without letting the color of her skin hold her back from living her childhood days to the fullest. Zora Neale Hurston’s “Spunk” tells the tragic tale of two men and their virulent contest for one woman’s love. The story explores themes of Sex, Physical Desire, and Marriage, The Function and Morality of Money, and Appearance Versus Reality. 174 books4,407 followers. By. As with Their. ”. Elijah Mosley Character Analysis. 45. She is known to be one of the most influential novelist of the twentieth century in African America literature. In Spunk, the story takes place in a rural small black city in Central Florida. Zora Neale Hurston. Ultimately Spunk is killed supposedly by Joe’s evil spirit. 99/year as selected above. Spunk Quotes | Explanations with Page Numbers | LitCharts. Perez. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Climbing up to the porch, she finds him eating breakfast alongside another man and addresses him by his African name, Kossula. Lena’s reputation as a “good” woman has been sullied through her adulterous relationship with Spunk. Join the discussion about Zora Neale Hurston: Short Stories. She is introduced when walking through the village “clinging lovingly” to Spunk. 45. Zora Neale Hurston tends to change her tone in the writing of “Books and Things”. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Mules and Men” by Zora Neale Hurston. This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. The Power of Collective Perception. Lena’s husband. Authors have changed people and their views continually throughout time. Related Characters: Elijah Mosley (speaker), Spunk Banks, Joe Kanty. Zora’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. Analysis of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk Zora Neale Hurston’s use of language in her short story Spunk allows the reader to become part of the community in which this story takes place. Zora Neale Hurston, a folklorist writer closely connected with the Harlem Renaissance, was born in 1891 in the small Alabaman town of Notasulga. Zora Neale Hurston. Zora Neale Hurston’s desire to dramatize the folklore she collected in the late 1920s is well known. The book offers an account of Hurston’s life up. Description. Last Updated on September 5, 2023, by eNotes Editorial. Read an in-depth analysis of Spunk Banks. Students will examine the role that folk groups play in both their own lives and in the novel. Hemenway, first published in 1977 by the University of Illinois Press. She is introduced when walking through the village “clinging lovingly” to Spunk. to get revenge and kill spunk with a razor but spunk shoots him with a gun instead. --from “Spunk,” by Zora Neale Hurston “Spunk” tells a supernatural tale of African-American folklife, the story of a “fearless, fightin’ and hard-livin’ man, who rides the circle saw. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. This guide is based on the 1996 Harper Perennial edition of her original text. "Tain’t cause Joe’s timid at all, it’s cause Spunk wants Lena. Zora Neale Hurston: Short Stories essays are academic essays for citation. Key Facts about Spunk. The story includes commentary from the men gathered at Joe Clarke’s store, men known in “Spunk” as the loungers. Joe Kanty. Compton English 2202-001 Date: April. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. $25. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The novel is a semi-autobiographical novel following John Buddy Pearson and his wife, Lucy. This point of view also allows Hurston to present the supernatural aspects of the story without the third-person narration making a statement about whether the ghosts are literally real in the story. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “How It Feels To Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. Zora had an unusual life; she was a child that was forced to grow up to fast. Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891: 17 : 5 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. Told from a third person omniscient point of view, the story is about a man named Spunk Banks who has an affair with a married woman. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. When Tes’ Miller got cut to giblets on that circle-saw. Style. Discussion of themes and motifs in Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk. Size of this JPG preview of this PDF file: 468 × 599 pixels. 99/year as selected above. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and. Background to Sweat and Hurston. Analysis. Jonah's Gourd Vine is Zora Neale Hurston's 1934 debut novel. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Zora Neale Hurston, the author of "Sweat" "Sweat" is a short story by the American writer Zora Neale Hurston, first published in 1926, in the first and only issue of the African-American literary magazine Fire!!. The Pursuit of Happiness and The Veil. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Their Eyes Were Watching God and what it means. Missie May runs to the door and searches the yard in. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem. . " The Gilded Six-Bits " is a 1933 short story by Zora Neale Hurston, who is considered one of the pre-eminent writers of 20th-century African-American literature and a leading prose writer of the Harlem Renaissance. Analysis of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk Zora Neale Hurston’s use of language in her short story Spunk allows the reader to become part of the community in which this story takes place. His masculinity is called into. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston uses her own life experiences to characterize Joe and Missy May and their marriage. As she dresses, she hears her husband Joe tossing silver dollars in the open doorway, heralding his arrival home from work. Hurston collected folklore and songs from the South, including the area of rural Florida where she grew up, which serves as the model for the setting of “Spunk. Poetry May 7, 2018 4:27 PM EST. Zora Neale Hurston’s ‘Spunk’ gets revived with flair, and all of it has heart. Zora Neale Hurston: Short Stories study guide contains a biography of Zora Neale Hurston. The short story begins with Spunk, the main character, walking off with Lena Kanty. 1099 Words3 Pages. To echo this, Hurston uses relaxed, conversational English to reveal the dialect stereotypically used by folks in this locality, ethnic group, community, and. Lucy Hurston, Zora's mother, was a small, frail woman. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Report. She had been encouraged to come to New York City by Charles S. A major figure of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, Zora Neale Hurston published more books in her lifetime than any other African-American woman, spoke at major universities and received honorary doctorates, and was described in the New York Herald Tribune as being one of the nation's top writers. Lena is also the subject of. short story titled “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston about two men fighting for the woman that they love. Lucy had gone to Alabama to nurse a sick sister who ultimately died, gotten into a bitter conflict with her mother. She does this effortlessly with the use of diction, syntax, parallelism, and metaphors. In addition to being a renowned writer, Zora Neale Hurston was an anthropologist, trained at Columbia University by Frank Boas, who is considered the father of American anthropology. For select classroom titles, we also. Unfortunately, Joe is shot and killed by Spunk after trying to stab him from behind, and Spunk quickly claims his. 100% Success rate. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk. Hurston majored in anthropology, graduating with a B. Next, Zora used setting to help the reader get an illustration of what is happening in the story. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. Genre: Short story, African American literature, Black feminist fiction. Yale University Library, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. 18. Johnson, the editor of the National Urban League's influential magazine, Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, because Johnson had published her second story,. Open Document. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Published 1933. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. 99/year as selected above. Summary: “The Gilded Six-Bits”. Spunk Banks Character Analysis. Sykes is selfish, taking the matches needed for. Spunk: traditionally manly, stole Lena, all talk, seemed afraid of Joe after his death. Lena Kanty. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. In "Sweat", Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of a broken marriage between a hard-working. Find all available study guides and summaries for Spunk by Zora Neale Hurston. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston. Sweat Hurston Character Analysis. Hurston collected folklore and songs from the South, including the area of rural Florida where she grew up, which serves as the model for the setting of “Spunk. Lena is also the subject of. The third person narrator reveals that Jeff would… read analysis of Jeff Kanty. "…. Novels, including Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), and nonfiction writings of American folklorist Zora Neale Hurston give detailed accounts of African American life in the South. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston 44 minutes read Zora Neale Hurston Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1925 A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes,. S. The focus is on the three protagonists, two males and one female. 99/year as selected above. Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary. Zora Neale Hurston’s use of language in her short story Spunk allows the reader to become part of the community in which this story takes place. Isabel Paterson (January 22, 1886 – January 10, 1961) was a Canadian-American libertarian writer and literary critic.