Λονδίνο, Φεβρουάριος του 1995. Στο σπίτι του Martin Amis. Φωτ. Σ.Σ. (για το περιοδικό "01").
Mε την Julie Kavanagh, συγγραφέα του βιβλίου My Life with Martin Amis, στο οποίο αναφέρεται στη σχέση της με τον Martin Amis στη δεκαετία του '70.
"It was the beginning of 1974. I was 21, living with my journalist boyfriend in his South Kensington flat, and working as London editor of the American fashion bible Women’s Wear Daily and its more glamorous big sister W. One of my earliest feature ideas was a profile of “London’s newest novelist”, whose first book “The Rachel Papers” was due to be published in America in the spring. Thanks to my half-sister Pat Kavanagh, who was the literary agent of both Amis father and son, I’d been sent an uncorrected proof the previous autumn, which I devoured in a single session, finding its derisive tone, street-smart images and obnoxious humour so stunningly original that it eclipsed any other contemporary fiction I’d read. If I was already ensnared by the writing, when I saw the photograph on the back flap of the published edition I was seriously smitten; the Jagger lips, moody monobrow and fag between two fingers exactly fitted the image I’d formed of a coldly alluring Martin Amis. And even sexier was the discovery that, having left Oxford with a first-class honours degree in English he was, as his protagonist dubs himself, “fucking clever”.
Picture credit: Julie Kavanagh. Βλ. Intelligent Life Magazine, Summer 2009.
Money (1984), το πιο γνωστό βιβλίο του Martin Amis μαζί με το London Fields (1989). Εδώ η πρώτη έκδοση με την υπογραφή του συγγραφέα. Βλ. jamesgrahambookseller.com .
Φωτογραφίες της Angela Gorgas από την έκθεση Martin Amis & Friends στη National Portrait Gallery (2009). Η Angela Gorgas πρωτοσυνάντησε τον Martin Amis το 1977.
Αριστερά, αυτοπορτρέτο της Angela Gorgas (1973). Δεξ., η ίδια με τον Martin Amis (1978). Βλ. npg.org.uk.
Ο Martin Amis (1978). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"When we first met, in 1977, Martin was living in a small flat in Kensington Gardens Square. The nickname that we had for the flat was ‘the Sock’ due to its small size and bachelor ‘feel’. There was never any food in the fridge, we ate out every night and the flat was kept neat and tidy by a cleaning lady called Ana" (η λεζάντα αυτή, όπως και οι υπόλοιπες που ακολουθούν στα αγγλικά, είναι της Angela Gorgas).
Η συγγραφέας Candia McWilliam (1977). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"Candia and I were great pals when we shared a house with Ammy. We often conducted our friendship through an exchange of scribbled notes left scattered around the house. Hers were written with such flair and humour that I still have them today."
Ο ιστορικός Count Adam Zamoyski (1977). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"Photographed in front of a seventeenth-century Belgian tapestry in his London flat. He was at the time writing his first book, a biography of Chopin."
Kingsley Amis (πατέρας του Martin, γνωστός συγγραφέας και ο ίδιος. Συμπεριλαμβάνεται, όπως και ο γιος του, στη λίστα των Τάιμς με τους 50 καλύτερους μεταπολεμικούς βρετανούς συγγραφείς), Martin Amis, Pat Kavanagh, Julian Patrick Barnes. Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
O Martin Amis (1977). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"Martin had a strict routine of writing. Starting at 8.00am, working solidly until lunchtime with the afternoons often devoted to reading."
Ο αγγλοαμερικανός συγγραφέας Christopher Hitchens, γνωστός για τον αντιθρησκευτικό λιβελλό του God Is Not Great, ο βρετανός ποιητής James Fenton και ο Martin Amis (1980). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"Martin and the Hitch were very close friends and still are. Martin commented: "My friendship with the Hitch has always been perfectly cloudless. It is a love whose month is ever May" ('You ask the Questions' The Independent,15 January 2007).
Ο ηθοποιός Bruce Robinson (1975). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"I first met Bruce when I was asked to deliver a film script to him by a director friend. At this time he was an actor as well as a writer. We spent several hours chatting about his latest writing venture and I left in the early hours of the morning clutching the original manuscript of Withnail and I with Bruce saying ‘Do tell me what you think.’ Several years later the film was released and it now has the following that it deserves."
Ο Martin Amis το 1977. Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"The mini was referred to as ‘the ashtray’ for reasons that became obvious to any passenger as the ashtrays were invariably overflowing with cigarette ends. The car was also strewn with various newspapers and copies of the New Statesman of which Martin was the literary editor."
Ο ιστορικός της τέχνης και παρουσιαστής του BBC Dan Cruickshank (1978). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
Martin Amis (1978). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"The graffiti ‘Ange’ was already on the wall. Martin was taking part in the annual New Statesman cricket match dressed in cricket ‘whites’.
Martin Amis (1977). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"One of the most pleasant features of weekends in Suffolk were the wonderful walks. This was taken after lunch on an overcast, wintry afternoon."
Ο συγγραφέας και σεναριογράφος Ian McEwan (1980). Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"Ian came to stay with us while we were living in Paris. Martin and Ian sat up chatting into the small hours. This photograph was taken after breakfast at our local café."
Η Victoria Rothschild (λέκτορας στο Queen Mary College του Λονδίνου και κόρη του 3ου βαρόνου Rothschild) με τον καλλιτεχνικό διευθυντή Mark Boxer (δημιουργό το 1962 του ενθέτου των Sunday Times που άφησε εποχή) το 1979. Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"We were invited to stay at a villa in the South of France owned by the Guinness family. Martin and I drove from Paris with gifts for our hosts carefully placed on the back seat. It was Easter and I had chosen a variety of Belgian chocolates, all beautifully wrapped. Much to our embarrassment they had completely melted by the time we arrived. Mark and Tory were amongst our fellow house guests."
Ο Christopher Hitchens. Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
Η Victoria Rothschild το 1977. Φωτ. Angela Gorgas. Βλ. Martin Amis & Friends, npg.org.uk.
"Tory and I spent a summer in a small rented cottage on the Essex coast. She was preparing to start a new job as a lecturer in Medieval Literature at London University; she was only twenty-four years old."
Βλ. pbagalleries.com.
Βλ. bp2.blogger.com και amazon.com.
Βλ. bp2.blogger.com και npr.org.
Βλ. Constable & Robinson και Cipher Magazine.
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