Description: William Palmer is a British novelist and poet. His published output consists of six novels (including The Good Republic), four collections of poems (including The Water Steps) , a book of short stories, and In Love with Hell, a study of alcoholism and writers. Many poems and stories have appeared in literary journals and on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and he has also been a regular reviewer of books for the Independent, Literary Review, London Magazine and many other journals
poetry (4316) leporello (26) the good republic (1) the devil is white the contract the india house four last things the pardon of st anne the island rescue an instruction from madam s
Why do some writers destroy themselves by drinking alcohol? Before our health-conscious age it would be true to say that many writers drank what we now regard as excessive amounts. Graham Greene, for instance, drank on a daily basis quantities of spirits and wine and beer most doctors would consider as being dangerous to his health. But he was rarely out of control and lived with his considerable wits intact to the age of eighty-six. W. H. Auden drank the most of a bottle of spirits a day, but also worked h
He looks at Patrick Hamilton ('the feverish magic that alcohol can work'); Jean Rhys ('As soon as I sober up I start again'); Charles Jackson ('Delirium is a disease of the night'); Malcolm Lowry ('I love hell. I can't wait to go back there'); Dylan Thomas ('A womb with a view'); John Cheever ('The singing of the bottles in the pantry'); Flann O'Brien ('A pint of plain is your only man'); Anthony Burgess ('Writing is an agony mitigated by drink'); Kingsley Amis ('Beer makes you drunk'); Richard Yates ('The
Rack Press has just published my latest collection of poems, The Water Steps , which collects together work from three previous books and much new work. Many of the poems have been published in journals, including London Magazine , Poetry Review , The Rialto, The Times Literary Supplement .