A Splendid Intelligence: The Life of Elizabeth Hardwick

Elizabeth Hardwick was a prominent intellectual elite member who left Kentucky for New York City in 1939. Her life included poverty, romantic escapades, and dustups with authors. She formed lasting friendships with literary notables, and her writing was shaped by her turbulent marriage to Robert Lowell. Hardwick emerged from a literary controversy with clarity and wisdom, and her essays remain original, fierce, and exquisitely wrought. A Splendid Intelligence offers an intimate portrait of an exceptional woman who forged her own identity on and off the page.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2023
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Elizabeth Hardwick, born in Kentucky in 1916, embarked on a journey to New York City in 1939, where she quickly established herself as a prominent figure within the intellectual elite. Her life was marked by a series of remarkable experiences, including periods of severe poverty, romantic escapades, and confrontations with authors she openly criticized in her role as a cofounder of The New York Review of Books. Through her friendships with notable literary figures such as Mary McCarthy, Adrienne Rich, and Susan Sontag, Hardwick cultivated a reputation for her sharp wit, love of gossip, progressive politics, and appreciation for great literature.

Hardwick's life and writing were deeply influenced by her tumultuous marriage to the poet Robert Lowell, whom she adored and supported through his struggles with bipolar illness. Lowell's decision to publish excerpts from her private letters in The Dolphin caused a significant literary controversy, but Hardwick emerged from the scandal with remarkable clarity and wisdom, which is evident in her masterpiece, Sleepless Nights. This bold, lyrical, and insightful collage of reflections and glimpses of people from different walks of life offers a profound exploration of deprivation and privilege.

A Splendid Intelligence: The Life and Writing of Elizabeth Hardwick, written by Cathy Curtis, is a groundbreaking biography that finally recognizes Hardwick as one of the preeminent cultural critics of the postwar era. Spanning a wide range of topics, from the portrayal of women in classic novels to the civil rights movement, theater in New York, and life in Brazil, Kentucky, and Maine, Hardwick's essays remain strikingly original, fiercely opinionated, and exquisitely crafted. Curtis provides an intimate portrait of an exceptional woman who fiercely forged her own identity both on and off the page.

In conclusion, Elizabeth Hardwick's life was a testament to her resilience, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to her craft. Through her writing and friendships, she left an indelible mark on the literary world, challenging societal norms and advocating for social justice. A Splendid Intelligence: The Life and Writing of Elizabeth Hardwick is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of literature, women's studies, and cultural criticism.

Weight: 316g
Dimension: 138 x 210 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781324052081