Happy Alchemy

Last updated
First edition HappyAlchemy.jpg
First edition

Happy Alchemy, first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1997, is a collection of writings by Canadian novelist Robertson Davies. The collection was edited after Davies' death in 1995 by his literary executors: his wife Brenda and daughter Jennifer. [1]

Contents

Happy Alchemy consists of various of Davies' unpublished speeches, book reviews and essays. [2] It touches on themes, subjects and interests that were near to Davies' heart: in particular, theatre, opera and music.

The book

The book opens with a quotation from the English poet Matthew Green:
"By happy alchemy of mind
They turn to pleasure all they find."

Companion Volume

Happy Alchemy was preceded in 1996 by a companion volume, The Merry Heart .

Related Research Articles

Robertson Davies Canadian novelist

William Robertson Davies was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best known and most popular authors and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies gladly accepted for himself. Davies was the founding Master of Massey College, a graduate residential college associated with the University of Toronto.

Ray Davies English singer, songwriter and musician

Sir Raymond Douglas Davies is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave. He has also acted, directed and produced shows for theatre and television. Known for his lyrical fixations on English culture, nostalgia and social satire, he is often referred to as "the godfather of Britpop", though he disputes it. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Kinks in 1990. After the dissolution of the Kinks in 1996, Davies embarked on a solo career.

<i>A Mixture of Frailties</i>

A Mixture of Frailties, published by Macmillan in 1958, is the third novel in The Salterton Trilogy by Canadian novelist Robertson Davies. The other two novels are Tempest-Tost (1951) and Leaven of Malice (1954). The series was also published in one volume as The Salterton Trilogy in 1986.

<i>High Spirits</i> (short story collection)

High Spirits is a collection of short stories by Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist and professor Robertson Davies. It was first published by Penguin Canada in 1982

Walter Kerr American historian

Walter Francis Kerr was an American writer and Broadway theatre critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals as well as the author of several books, generally on the subject of theater and cinema.

Brenda Ethel Davies was an Australian actress and stage manager. She was the wife and literary executor of Canadian novelist Robertson Davies.

Ralph Metzner German-American psychologist and psychotherapy researcher

Ralph Metzner was a German-born American psychologist, writer and researcher, who participated in psychedelic research at Harvard University in the early 1960s with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert. Metzner was a psychotherapist, and Professor Emeritus of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where he was formerly the Academic Dean and Academic Vice-president.

Manly P. Hall Canadian-born American philosopher and writer

Manly Palmer Hall was a Canadian author, lecturer, astrologer and mystic. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures, including two at Carnegie Hall, and published over 150 volumes, of which the best known is The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928).

John Rogan was a British author of Irish descent best known for his books about music and popular culture. He wrote influential biographies of the Byrds, Neil Young, the Smiths, Van Morrison and Ray Davies. His writing was characterised by "an almost neurotic attention to detail", epic length and an ambivalent, sometimes positive and sometimes hostile response, from the subjects of his biographies.

Oliver Ford Davies English actor

Oliver Robert Ford Davies is an English actor and writer, best known for his extensive theatre work, and to a broader audience for his role as Sio Bibble in Star Wars Episodes I to III. He is also known for his role as Maester Cressen in HBO series Game of Thrones.

Sally Davies (artist)

Sally Davies is a painter and photographer, living and working in New York City's East Village since 1983.

Vivek Shraya Musical artist

Vivek Shraya is a Canadian musician, writer, and visual artist. She currently lives in Calgary, Alberta, where she is an assistant professor in the creative writing program at the University of Calgary. As a trans woman of colour, Shraya often incorporates her identity in her music, writing, visual art, theatrical work, and films. She is a seven-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, and considered a Great Canadian Filmmaker of the Future by CBC Arts.

Fern Alma Rahmel was a Canadian writer and educator.

The Vanishing Bridegroom is an opera by composer Judith Weir to a libretto by the composer from work edited by J. F. Campbell of Islay. Commissioned by the Glasgow District Council, the opera was premiered by the Scottish Opera as a part of the 1990 European Capital of Culture celebrations in Glasgow. The United States premiere of the opera was given by the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 1992 with soprano Lauren Flanigan as the Bride/Wife/Mother.

Parthian Books

Parthian Books is an independent publisher based in Cardigan, Wales. It was founded in 1993 by Lewis Davies and Gillian Griffiths. An editorially-led publishing house, Parthian publishes a range of contemporary fiction, poetry, non-fiction and drama, as well as art books. It is also involved in the European literary scene. Parthian's motto is "A Carnival of Voices in Independent Publishing".

<i>A Pleasure to Burn</i> 2010 short story collection by Ray Bradbury

A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories is a collection of short stories by American writer Ray Bradbury, first published August 17, 2010. A companion to novel Fahrenheit 451, it was later released under the Harper Perennial imprint of HarperCollins publishing was in 2011.

Brendan Gall Canadian writer, actor and producer

Brendan Gall is a Canadian writer, actor and producer living in Los Angeles, California.

Sebastian Robertson American writer

Sebastian Robertson is an American non-fiction children's author, musician, composer, and studio engineer.

Donald Robertson, is an artist and a creative director for Esteé Lauder Companies.

Time to Kill (song) 1970 single by The Band

"Time to Kill" is a song written by Robbie Robertson that was first released by the Band on their 1970 album Stage Fright. It was also released as a single off the album, backed with the more famous "The Shape I'm In" and, although it failed to reach the Top 40 in the United States, it peaked at #13 in the Netherlands. It has also been featured on several Band compilation and live albums.

References

  1. Peterman, Michael. "No Miracles Here - Robertson Davies's Posthumous Collection". Books in Canada: The Canadian Review of Books. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  2. "Happy Alchemy: On the Pleasures of Music and the Theatre". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2017-03-17.

See also