James Merrill: Life And Art

"James Merrill: Life and Art" can be appreciated on many levels. The book is an extensive and exceedingly well-written biography, and a vivid analysis of poetry created by James Merrill... or, the book can be looked upon as a reflection of the societal mores and trials of homosexuality in the mid-to-late part of the 20th Century. Author Langdon Hammer has a dedicated and diligent eye in presenting all of these aspects through the life of one thoroughly intriguing man, James Merrill.

James Merrill was the son of a very prominent and rich Charles Merrill, co-founder of the financial institution of Merrill-Lynch. James (or "Jimmy") Merrill's childhood was spent in many plush surroundings. He was also the child of divorce, and discovered his love of opera, puppetry and prose at a very young age. This flair for the dramatic and a lack of symmetry on male-dominated traits led the lad into a world of his own creation. The tell-tale signs of alienation and his homosexuality are intricately brought to light by Langdon Hammer.

As a "trust fund" young and gay man... what do you do with your life? That was Jimmy's predicament. As he was quoted saying, "I merely live to work." Merrill discovered in his work as a writer (his poems are now exceptionally well-received), that he was able to gather and revise his life in the written words and emotions of his poetry. Of course, Merrill was never a struggling artist, in a financial sense. Yet, that didn't deter him from always setting goals to accomplish with regards to his writing.

His father's money enabled Merrill to travel the world and keep his lovers, and eventually his longtime companion David Jackson, at a safe distance from the family's eye (even though parents Charles and Hellen initially fought many a verbal battle over his sexual proclivities).

A world traveler through most of his adult life, Merrill found a muse of sorts in his interaction and fascination with the "other" world and the Ouija Board. Ephraim is the name of the familiar spirit whom James and his partner David spoke to countless times over the years. This odd and unsettling interaction was a record of their time spent speaking to Ephraim... with Merrill creating 26 poems in correlation with the "A to Z" of the Ouija Board. Thus, in one of his most notable poems, "The Book of Ephraim" was created. This poem, and numerous others, remain relevant to this day.

It must be said that author Langdon Hammer has done a remarkable job of utilizing all of James Merrill's letters, personal papers, journals and writings to create this brilliant portrait of Merrill's life in rich detail. This biography majestically draws the reader into the realities of James Merrill's life until his death in 1995, at age 68, of a heart attack which was brought on by an AIDS-related illness.

"James Merrill: Life and Art"
Langdon Hammer
Knopf
$29.42