Al Alvarez (Alfred Alvarez) Biography

British critic, poet, and novelist, born in London, educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. In addition to his work as a freelance writer, he has held numerous visiting posts at American universities. The Shaping Spirit (1958), a discussion of modern English and American poetry, was the first of his critical works. Subsequent studies include The School of Donne (1961) and The Savage God (1971), which contained his controversial treatment of the suicide of Sylvia Plath; Beyond All This Fiddle (1968) is a collection of his essays. He edited the widely read anthology The New Poetry (1962) and The Faber Book of Modern European Poetry (1992). His poetry collections include The End of It (1958), Apparition (1971), and Autumn to Autumn and Selected Poems 1953–1976 (1978). His concentrated verse forms are vehicles for poetry of unusual emotional intensity. Hunt (1978), notable for the rapidity of its witty dialogue, and Day of Atonement (1991), an urgent evocation of London's underworld, are among his novels. Alvarez's other works include The Biggest Game in Town (1983), which draws on his enthusiasm for poker; Feeding the Rat (1988), a biography of the British mountaineer Mo Anthoine; and Night (1995), an exploration of night life, night language, sleep, and dreams.