I did not know her work, but your comments & that blog certainly show
forth a person of great courage, compelling awareness...
My condolences to all who did know her, & must feel a great loss...
Doug
On 15-Apr-05, at 5:32 PM, Joanna Boulter wrote:
> The poet, novelist and playwright Julia Darling died peacefully on
> Wednesday afternoon, 13 April, after a 10-year battle with cancer.
> Throughout that time she was incredibly productive in respect of her
> own work, and incredibly supportive of other people's work. She was 48
> years old. She was a person of incredible warmth, kindness and
> courage, and I feel very privileged to have known her.
>
> Julia published two novels, Crocodile Soup (longlisted for the Orange
> Prize) and The Taxi-Driver's Daughter, set in her beloved Newcastle
> and longlisted for the Booker Prize; she had to leave her third novel
> unfinished, to her great annoyance. Her two books of poetry, Sudden
> Collapses in Public Places and Apology for Absence, are both published
> by Arc. She also wrote plays for theatre and radio. In 2003 she was
> the recipient of the £60,000 Northern Rock Award, a most deservedly
> popular accolade.
>
> Her blog is at http://www.juliadarling.co.uk/ and gives a moving
> account of her life over the last 3 years, humorous and totally
> without self-pity or sentimentality.
>
> Last night I attended the launch of her postcard project First Aid Kit
> for the Mind, which she had so hoped to be able to attend. There was
> much sadness, but the evening was undoubtedly a celebration of Julia's
> life and work. Writing and writers in the North-East of England will
> miss her badly.
>
> In memoriam: a lovely person.
>
> best joanna
>
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E5 Canada
(780) 436 3320
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
Hand and mind
and heart one
ground to walk on,
field to plough.
Robert Creeley
|