Dylan Thomas: A New Life

by Andrew Lycett

  ‘I, in my intricate image’ Ref 1

  ‘I make this in a warring absence’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  ‘I see the boys of summer in their ruin’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  ‘If I was tickled by the rub of love’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘If my head hurt a hair’s foot’ Ref 1

  ‘In Country Heaven’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘In Country Sleep’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  ‘In my craft or sullen art’ Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3

  ‘In the White Giant’s Thigh’ Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3

  ‘Into her lying down head’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘Lament’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘Light breaks where no sun shines’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5

  ‘Love in the Asylum’ Ref 1

  ‘My hero bares his nerves along my wrist’ Ref 1

  ‘My world is pyramid’ Ref 1

  ‘No man who believes, when a star falls shot’ Ref 1

  ‘Now say nay’ Ref 1

  ‘On the marriage of a virgin’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘On a Wedding Anniversary’ Ref 1

  ‘Once below a time’ Ref 1

  ‘Once it was the colour of saying’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘Osiris, Come to Isis’ Ref 1

  ‘Over St John’s hill’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  ‘Oxford I sing, though in untutored tones, alack!’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘The Parachutist’ Ref 1

  ‘Poem on his Birthday’ Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  ‘Poem in October’ Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4

  ‘A process in the weather of the heart’ Ref 1

  ‘Prologue’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5–Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8

  ‘A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘Request to Leda’ Ref 1

  ‘The Romantic Isle’ Ref 1

  ‘A Saint about to fall’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘See, says the lime, my wicked milks’ Ref 1

  ‘Should lanterns shine’ Ref 1

  ‘Take the needles and the knives’ Ref 1

  ‘That Sanity be kept’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘There was a saviour’ Ref 1

  ‘This bread I break’ Ref 1

  ‘This Side of Truth’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘Twenty-four years’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘Unluckily for a death’ Ref 1

  ‘Upon your held-out hand’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘Vision and Prayer’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘We lying by Seasand’ Ref 1

  ‘When all my five and country senses’ Ref 1

  ‘When, like a running grave’ Ref 1

  ‘Where once the waters of your face’ Ref 1

  ‘Why east wind chills’ Ref 1

  ‘A Winter’s Tale’ Ref 1

  ‘Within his head revolved a little world’ Ref 1–Ref 2

  ‘The Woman Speaks’ Ref 1

  ‘Written in a classroom’ Ref 1

  POETRY COLLECTIONS

  Collected Poems, 1934–52 (1952) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7

  Deaths and Entrances (1946) Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7

  18 Poems (1934) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7–Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11, Ref 12

  In Country Sleep and Other Poems (1952, USA) Ref 1

  New Poems (1934, USA) Ref 1

  Twenty-Five Poems (1936) Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5, Ref 6–Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9

  PROSE AND POETRY COLLECTIONS

  The Map of Love (1939) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6–Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11

  Selected Writings of Dylan Thomas (1946, USA) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5

  The World I Breathe (1939) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  STORIES AND PROSE BROADCASTS

  ‘An Adventure from a Work in Progress’ Ref 1

  ‘Anagram’ see ‘The Orchards’

  ‘Bob’s My Uncle’ (unfinished) Ref 1

  ‘The Burning Baby’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  ‘Extraordinary Little Cough’ Ref 1

  ‘The Fight’ Ref 1

  ‘The Followers’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘Old Garbo’ Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3

  ‘Holiday Memory’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘The Holy Six’ Ref 1

  ‘In the Direction of the Beginning’ Ref 1

  ‘Just Like Little Dogs’ Ref 1

  ‘The Londoner’ (radio drama) Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘The Map of Love’ Ref 1

  ‘Memories of Christmas’ Ref 1

  ‘The Mouse and the Woman’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘One Warm Saturday’ Ref 1

  ‘Opera Story’ (unfinished) Ref 1

  ‘The Orchards’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  ‘Patricia, Edith, and Arnold’ Ref 1

  ‘The Peaches’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘The Phosphorescent Nephew’ Ref 1

  ‘Poor Will’ (unfinished) Ref 1

  ‘Prologue to an Adventure’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  ‘A Prospect of the Sea’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  ‘Quite Early One Morning’ Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5

  ‘Reminiscences of Childhood’ Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘Return Journey’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5, Ref 6

  ‘The Tree’ Ref 1

  ‘The True Story’ Ref 1

  ‘Uncommon Genesis’ see ‘The Mouse and the Woman’

  ‘The Vest’ Ref 1

  ‘A Visit to Grandpa’s’ Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  ‘Welsh Script’ (unfinished) Ref 1

  ‘Who Do You Wish Was With Us?’ Ref 1

  UNDER MILK WOOD

  genesis of idea Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10–Ref 11, Ref 12–Ref 13, Ref 14, Ref 15, Ref 16, Ref 17, Ref 18; Cleverdon encourages DT to finish radio play Ref 1, Ref 2; Llaregubb. A Play for Radio Perhaps Ref 1; The Town That Was Mad or Llaregubb Ref 1; Under Milk Wood title devised for America Ref 1; American readings Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7–Ref 8, Ref 9; DT still working on script Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4; publication plans Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4; delivers script to Cleverdon for BBC Ref 1; BBC Third Programme broadcast Ref 1; Dan Jones finalises text for publication Ref 1–Ref 2; fate of the manuscript Ref 1, Ref 2; copies salvaged Ref 1

  PROSE COLLECTIONS

  Adventures in the Skin Trade Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10

  The Death of the King’s Canary Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6

  The Burning Baby Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8

  Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  FILM SCRIPT WRITING

  Balloon Site Ref 2

  Battle for Freedom Ref 1

  The Bridge of Falesa Ref 1, Ref 2

  A City Re-born Ref 1, Ref 2

  Conquest of a Germ Ref 1

  The Doctor and the Devils Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7

  ‘Home Town – Swansea’ (TV) Ref 1–Ref 2

  Is your Ernie really necessary? Ref 1

  Me and My Bike Ref 1–Ref 2

  New Towns for Old Ref 1

  No Room at the Inn Ref 1

  Our Country Ref 1

  ‘Pattern of Britain’ series Ref 1, Ref 2

  Rebecca’s Daughters Ref 1

  The Shadowless Man Ref 1, Ref 2

  A Soldier Comes Home Ref 1

  These are the Men Ref 1

  Three Weird Sisters Ref 1–Ref 2

  Twenty Years A-Growing Ref 1, Ref 2

  Vanity Fair Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Wales – Green Mountain, Black Mountain Ref 1

  Thomas, Edward Ref 1

  Thomas, Elizabeth Ref 1–Ref 2

  Thomas, Evan (DT’s grandfather) Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5

  Thomas, Florrie (DT�
��s mother)

  marriage to DJ Ref 1, Ref 2; birth of DT Ref 1, Ref 2; domesticity Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3; mollycoddling DT Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3, Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7; relationship with DJ Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3, Ref 4; move to Bishopston Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3; meets Caitlin Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4; move to Blaencwm Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3; move to South Leigh Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3; move to Pelican, Laugharne Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7; and DT’s death Ref 1; on Caitlin Ref 1, Ref 2

  Thomas, Hannah (DT’s great aunt) Ref 1

  Thomas, Jane (DT’s aunt) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Thomas, Lizzie (DT’s aunt) Ref 1

  Thomas, Lizzie (DT’s cousin) Ref 1

  Thomas, Llewelyn Edouard (DT’s son) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8–Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11, Ref 12–Ref 13, Ref 14, Ref 15, Ref 16–Ref 17, Ref 18, Ref 19, Ref 20, Ref 21, Ref 22, Ref 23, Ref 24–Ref 25, Ref 26, Ref 27, Ref 28

  Thomas, Mary Emerson Ref 1

  Thomas, Mary Marles (DT’s aunt) Ref 1

  Thomas, Minnie (DT’s cousin) Ref 1

  Thomas, Nancy see Summersby, Nancy Thomas, R.S. Ref 1

  Thomas, Stuart Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  Thomas, Theodore Ref 1

  Thomas, Thomas (DT’s great-uncle) Ref 1, Ref 2

  Thomas, William (DT’s great-grandfather) Ref 1

  Thomas, William (Gwilym Marles)

  (DT’s great-uncle) Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5

  Thomas, Willie (DT’s uncle) Ref 1

  Thompson, Dunstan Ref 1

  Thompson, Francis Ref 1

  Thompson, Jack Ref 1

  Tillyard, Prof. E.M.W. Ref 1

  Time Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5–Ref 6

  Time and Tide Ref 1, Ref 2

  ‘Time for Verse’ Ref 1

  Tindall, William York Ref 1

  Tizard, Sir Henry Ref 1

  Todd, Jody Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  Todd, Ruthven Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6–Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11, Ref 12–Ref 13, Ref 14, Ref 15, Ref 16, Ref 17, Ref 18–Ref 19–Ref 20, Ref 21, Ref 22, Ref 23–Ref 24, Ref 25

  Toklas, Alice B. Ref 1

  Toynbee, Philip Ref 1

  transition Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  Tredegar, Lord (Evan Morgan) Ref 1

  Treece, Henry Ref 1, Ref 2

  Trevelyan, Julian Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Trevor-Roper, Hugh Ref 1

  Trick, Bert Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5, Ref 6–Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11, Ref 12, Ref 13, Ref 14, Ref 15, Ref 16, Ref 17, Ref 18, Ref 19, Ref 20, Ref 21, Ref 22, Ref 23, Ref 24, Ref 25

  Trick, Nell Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Trick, Pamela Ref 1

  Troy, Bill Ref 1

  Tunnard, John Ref 1

  Tutuola, Amos Ref 1

  Twentieth Century Ref 1

  Twentieth Century Verse Ref 1, Ref 2

  Tynan, Kenneth Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Under Milk Wood see Thomas, Dylan:

  UNDER MILK WOOD

  Valentine, Rev. Lewis Ref 1

  Vancouver Ref 1

  van Velde, Geer Ref 1

  Varda, Jean Ref 1–Ref 2

  Varner, Velma Ref 1

  Vassar College Ref 1

  Vaughan-Thomas, Spencer Ref 1

  Vaughan-Thomas, Wynford Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6

  Veale, John Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5

  Vice Versa Ref 1

  Vidal, Gore Ref 1

  Viking Press Ref 1

  Vogue Ref 1, Ref 2

  Wagoner, David Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 5, Ref 6

  Wain, John Ref 1

  Wales Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5, Ref 6–Ref 7

  Wall, Bernard and Barbara Ref 1

  Walter, Eugene Ref 1

  Walton, William Ref 1, Ref 2

  Warhol, Andy Ref 1

  Warlock, Peter Ref 1

  Warner, Tom Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8

  Washington DC Ref 1, Ref 2

  Washington, University of Ref 1

  Watkins, Gwen Ref 1, Ref 2

  Watkins, Mike Ref 1

  Watkins, Vernon Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9; godfather to Llewelyn Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4; DT fails to turn up at his wedding Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7; DT uses as a poetic sounding board Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7–Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11, Ref 12; as DT’s trustee Ref 1

  Watkins Jones, Canon J.H. Ref 1

  Watson, Boris Ref 1

  Watson, Peter Ref 1

  Watts, Alan Ref 1

  Waugh, Alec Ref 1

  Waugh, Evelyn Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5–Ref 6, Ref 7

  Wayne State University Ref 1

  Webb, Kaye Ref 1–Ref 2

  Webster, John Ref 1

  Week, The Ref 1

  Weeks, Edward Ref 1

  Wellesley College Ref 1

  Wells, H.G. Ref 1

  Welsh Review, The Ref 1

  Wentworth Studios Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  West, Ray B. Ref 1

  Western Mail Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4–Ref 5, Ref 6

  Weybright, Victor Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  Wheatsheaf pub Ref 1, Ref 2; DT first meets Caitlin at Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6

  White, Antonia Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5

  White, Lyndall Ref 1

  Wickham, Anna Ref 1, Ref 2

  Wickwire, Nancy Ref 1

  Wilbur, Richard Ref 1

  William Morris agency Ref 1–Ref 2

  William Morrow publishers Ref 1

  Williams, Amy Ref 1, Ref 2

  Williams, Ann (Anna) (DT’s grandmother) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Williams, Ann (Florrie’s cousin) Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3

  Williams, Billy Ref 1, Ref 2

  Williams, Bob (DT’s uncle) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6

  Williams, Charles Ref 1

  Williams, D.J. Ref 1

  Williams, Dan (DT’s great-uncle) Ref 1, Ref 2

  Williams, David Ref 1

  Williams, Ebie Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6

  Williams, Emlyn Ref 1

  Williams, Esther Ref 1

  Williams, George (DT’s grandfather) Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4

  Williams, Hugh Ref 1, Ref 2

  Williams, Ivy Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6

  Williams, J.D. Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6

  Williams, John (DT’s uncle) Ref 1, Ref 2

  Williams, John Morys Ref 1

  Williams, Oscar Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6–Ref 7, Ref 8, Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11, Ref 12–Ref 13, Ref 14, Ref 15–Ref 16, Ref 17, Ref 18, Ref 19, Ref 20, Ref 21, Ref 22, Ref 23, Ref 24, Ref 25, Ref 26, Ref 27

  Williams, Polly (DT’s aunt) Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5, Ref 6, Ref 7

  Williams, Robert Ref 1

  Williams, Thomas (DT’s uncle) Ref 1, Ref 2

  Williams, Tudor Ref 1

  Williams, William Ref 1

  Williams, William Carlos Ref 1

  Williams, William Crwys Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3

  Wilmot, Lorna Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4

  Winters, Shelley Ref 1–Ref 2

  Wishart, Ralph Ref 1, Ref 2

  Witt-Diamant, Ruth Ref 1, Ref 2–Ref 3–Ref 4, Ref 5–Ref 6, Ref 7, Ref 8–Ref 9, Ref 10, Ref 11, Ref 12

  Wohlleben, Ernie Ref 1

  Wolfe, Humbert Ref 1

  Woolley, Janetta Ref 1

  World Review Ref 1

  Wright, David Ref 1

  Wyndham, Dick Ref 1, Ref 2

  Wyndham, Joan Ref 1–Ref 2

  Yaddo Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Yale University Ref 1

  Year’s Poetry, The Ref 1, Ref 2

  Yeats, W.B. Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3

  Yellowjacket Ref 1

  Yorke, Henry Ref 1–Ref 2, Ref 3

  Ziegler
, Philip Ref 1

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  Dylan’s father, David John, known as Jack or D.J., as a young schoolmaster

  Dylan’s mother, Florence (née Williams), as a young woman

  Dylan as a child

  Dylan’s mother’s family (the Williamses): (from left) (standing) John Williams, the Reverend David Rees, the Reverend Thomas Williams, Bob Williams; (seated) Florrie, Dosie Williams, Polly Williams

  Dylan’s father’s family (the Thomases) outside the Poplars in Johnstown, Carmarthen, c. 1909: (from left) (standing) Tom Thomas, his wife, Arthur Thomas, Florrie Thomas, D.J. Thomas, (seated) Evan Thomas, young Nancy Thomas, Ann Thomas

  Dylan’s cousin Idris (Jones)

  Dylan’s Aunt Annie (Jones)

  Dylan and sister Nancy on the beach at Swansea

  Dylan’s uncle Gwilym ‘Marles’ Thomas

  DYLAN THE ACTOR

  In his school play, Strife, in spring 1931, with his friend Charles Fisher (fourth from right) in the female lead

  (Seated centre) The boily boy, in a Little Theatre production of Hay Fever, 1934

  Dylan and his mother

  Dylan – studio portrait taken at Arding & Hobbs, Clapham Junction, 1934

  Dylan and his first love, Pamela Hansford Johnson

  American in London: Emily Holmes Coleman

  Runia Tharp (painting by Charles Tharp)

  Bert Trick

  Fooling around in Laugharne: Vernon Watkins and Dylan

  A youthful Dan Jones

  Swansea society: (from left) Fred Janes, unknown, Vera Phillips and Charles Fisher

  Nautical girl: Dylan’s sister Nancy

  Caitlin Macnamara – studio portrait, 1936

  Young Caitlin

  Caitlin – party scene

  Dylan and Caitlin – newly married at Blashford

  Dylan and Caitlin – on a beach in Dorset

  Dylan, Caitlin and their new-born son, Llewelyn

  Dylan at the Salisbury pub in Saint Martin’s Lane, London, 1941