D.H. Lawrence's Short Stories Thread

[Janine]

Nice pictures, Janine. I see now the piano candles wouldn't be as much of a fire hazard as I anticipated. I still don't see how they could illuminate your music, though.

The painting is also interesting. It's very Lawrencian with it's pre-Raphaelite sensuality.

Thanks for looking, Quark and posting a comment. I am glad I recalled, that I had told you I would post those candleholders. I don't think much was illuminated by candles back then; I guess people just got used to dim light. I guess the flames threw some light on the keys and you played more by touch.

Yes, indeed the painting is very Lawrencian; right again - the artist is a pre-Raphaelite painter; I love that school of painting myself. I know another artist Lawrence liked greatly was Beardsley; of course, one can figure out just why. He mentions him in several writings and he may have mentioned him in "The White Peacock" or was it "Sons and Lovers"? I am not sure now. Of course, Beardsley is quite an erotic illustrator.

[Janine]

So who is ready for the next story?.....I'll post it soon....

[Dark Muse]

::raises hand::

[Janine]

anymore hands of approval?

[Janine]

Ok, good. I was working on the introduction and will post that this evening. I have various links together, just need to write up something about, when this story was written, a little background information, etc. I am going out for a little while to do some errands, and when I get back I will post the new story, etc; so then you can all get started on your reading.

[Virgil]

And what about asking me if I'm ready. What am I chopped liver?

[Janine]

And what about asking me if I'm ready. What am I chopped liver?

Hi Virgil! ... Well???



PS: did you notice all our emoticons got scrambled from yesterday's mess on here; I can't even find the laugh one...even in "more"

[Virgil]

Hi Virgil! ... Well???



PS: did you notice all our emoticons got scrambled from yesterday's mess on here; I can't even find the laugh one...even in "more"

Yes, and apparently a lot of people couldn't get on to lit net over the weekend. That's why it was so dead. You can find the rest of the smilies by clicking "more".

[Janine]

Yes, and apparently a lot of people couldn't get on to lit net over the weekend. That's why it was so dead. You can find the rest of the smilies by clicking "more".

Oh, then were you able to get on Lit Net? Was it just some people who could not get assess to the site? I thought it was totally 'down' on Sunday (yesterday). I think I was on on Saturday with, no problems. I've been working on the introduction and will post it in a few minutes. I looked for the laughing one under "more" but I did not see it; maybe I just missed it. I know the code by now anyway.

[Virgil]

Oh, then were you able to get on Lit Net? Was it just some people who could not get assess to the site? I thought it was totally 'down' on Sunday (yesterday). I think I was on on Saturday with, no problems. I've been working on the introduction and will post it in a few minutes. I looked for the laughing one under "more" but I did not see it; maybe I just missed it. I know the code by now anyway.

Maybe you don't have the "more" and I do. Yes I had no problem getting on. But I ony tried in the morning and evening.

[Dark Muse]

I cannot remember if I came onto the site Sunday or not. But I think I might have.

[Virgil]

When I finally logged on with my other IP, there were some people on here, but I can't remember who. I didn't post anything, I just logged off. Sprinks and I thought we'd been banned. LOL

You got to be Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to get banned. I cn't see you or Sprinks getting banned.

[Janine]

I could see me, but not sprinks, she's so sweet. I try to stay out of trouble, but even though I'm not quite mad, bad, and dangerous to know, trouble sometimes seems to find me.

Like Virgil said - you would have to be Bad, Mad and Dangerous to get banned on here. Now Virgil might know something about that. You would never get banned, Antiquarian, you are too nice and polite, for that kind of thing; anyway they would give you plenty of warnings first.

I can't believe, I could not get on at all and all of you could somewhat. I could not even attempt to log on. The same page kept coming up, saying the connection was unavailable; this went on all day and into the wee hours of this morning. I was kind of worried - like zap - everything we wrote on here just went up in smoke.

Thank God it all came back. They must have all this backed up, right? Someone told me these sites have two hard-drives they back up everything on them. Can you imagine, if we lost all of our valuable posts? I always desire to copy out all the ones in this thread for posterity and information and then burn them onto a disk. Of course, it will take some work to do all that; I have been procrastinating it. Maybe I could do it story by story and edit out somethings; still would take considerable time.

My next post will be the story announcement....coming very sooooon.....

[Dark Muse]

LOL I am probably the most likely canditate from being banned form anywhere

[Janine]

Our new story is:
The Old Adam

You can find the full-online text to story here:
Collected Short Stories (A Project Gutenberg of Australia compliation)

http://gutenberg.net.au/pages/lawrence.html

This story can be found in the first volume of the
“Collected Short Stories of D.H.Lawrence”

One can purchase the audio CD or Download:

http://www.amazon.com/Old-Adam-D-H-L.../dp/B000Y91ZDS
For download, look here:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Old-Adam/d...music_cd_album

Note: download costs only $1.98 from Amazon;
you can sample the narration before buying.

Here is some information and background on the story:


This story was begun in 1911 and yet the publication date is 1934, four years after Lawrence’s death. Note: ‘Witch a la Mode’ was also published that year, but written (conceived of) during this same (earlier) period.

In 1911 these events were documented in Lawrence’s life. Italics are Lawrence own words in his diary entries or letters to friends, family, associates, etc.

From: D.H.Lawrence, A calender of his works, by Sagar

SUMMARY …and, in the sick year after [the death of his mother], the collapse of me of Miriam [Jessie Chambers], of Helen [Corke], and of the other woman, the woman of ‘Kisses in the Train” and ‘Hands of the Betrothed’ Louie Burrows]. Then, in that year, for me, everything collapsed, save the mystery of death, and the haunting of death in life. I was twenty-five, and from the death of my mother, the world began to dissolve around me, beautiful, iridescent, but passing away substanceless. Till I almost dissolved away myself, and was very ill.

Lawrence continued to work on Paul Moral. He wrote the first versions of the stories, ultimately known as ‘The Witch a la Mode’, ‘The Old Adam’, ‘Daughters of the Vicar’, ‘Second Best’, ‘Shades of Spring’ and rewrote most of his earlier stories.

Interesting to note, is the fact that we have discussed two of these stories, soon to be a third. I also am considering the remaining two, for later dates. I know that ‘Daughters of the Vicar’ is a very noteworthy Lawrence story, but it is much longer than we have encountered, so far. However, when we all have the time, I think that fine story would be well worth discussing.

Another interesting thing I noticed when browsing through the timeline book, is that at this time, Lawrence was doing a lot of painting. I found this direct reference to the painting I posted above, ‘Idyll’, by Greiffenhagen:

27 MARCH To Ada Clarke: I’ve painted you a little Idyll, about 14 by 7. Do you remember? I began to draw it the night mother died, and I said I should never finish it. Now I’ve done a big one for Louie, and a little one for you.

29 MARCH I began a new sketch, but have spoiled it through not being in the painting humour. Strange, when I can write I can’t paint, and vice versa.

14 JUNE I’ve worked quite hard: begun a picture, long promised, for Mac., and written a short story, 32 pages long, in two nights. Smart work, eh? …By the way, I’ve got a ‘Swan’ number of the Studio. Rather a nice tiger.
Lawrence saw Louie Burrows at Whiteuntide and apparently showed her his story ‘The Old Adam’ (Why mustn’t I write Old Adams?). But the only surviving holograph MS of the ‘The Old Adam’ is only 27 pp. Possibly the 32 –pp. MS was the first draft of ‘Two Marriages’.

1 SEPT: In the account for this day, apparently, Lawrence’s publisher Harrison accepted one of two stories Lawrence send to him – ‘Second Best’ and he returned ‘The Old Adam’. Then Lawrence forwarded the story to his other publisher, Garnett, “describing it as ‘wicked’ but ‘clever’. It was assumed he was referring to ‘ The Old Adam’.

Now oddly enough, this story must have gone through several re-writes or revisions and wasn’t published, until after Lawrence’s death in 1934; Lawrence died in March of 1930 at the age of 44.

Michael Black briefly comments on the story here:

Readers of the earlier stories also become aware of this tendency to be attracted towards a rival, who is threadening because he also wants, or has won, the chosen girl, and yet is somehow very winning as a male: indeed he is seen as through a girl’s eyes. An extreme variant of the motif is seen in ‘The Old Adam’, where the hero, Edward Severn, is like Lawrence living in Croydon with the Jones family, who gave him lodging. Severn is briefly attracted by the landlady – there is a moment of wordless magnetism activated by a thunderstorm.

That is all I am going to say about the story for now; I thought this would be enough to pique all of your interest. So have fun reading it; or listening to the audiofile, if you have the inclination to download it. I am hoping to myself. I think this story is interesting, in that the setting and the atmosphere it evokes is a bit different, taking place during a lightening and thunderstorm.

Have fun reading or listening to the audiofile!