A Blush in Staindrop Church
The poet Christopher Smart (pictured) was born in Kent, but came to Durham at the age of eleven and lived under the wing of the Barnard family at Raby Castle. He attended Durham School in the 1730s and went to Cambridge University in 1739.
Robert Browning was one of Smart's few nineteenth century fans - in fact, he seemed to regard Smart's as the greatest poetic achievement between Milton and Keats and affirmed that Smart, at least on one occasion, 'Had reached the zenith from his madhouse cell'. This positive assessment would find plenty of support today. Browning compared Smart’s ‘Song to David’ to a great cathedral.
Smart suffered from insanity after 1756, though Dr Johnson did not think he should have been locked up for this: 'His infirmities were not noxious to society. He insisted on people praying with him and I'd as lief pray with Kit Smart as anyone else. Another charge laid was that he did not love clean linen, and I have no passion for it.'
Edited by Dr Keith Armstrong, this new Northern Voices publication tells Smart’s story with particular reference to his time in Durham and includes a selection of Smart’s own poetry, along with new poetry by students from the University of Durham and Durham School and older Durham hands like Professor Stephen Regan and Michael Standen.
A NORTHERN VOICES PUBLICATION
ISBN 1 1871536 24 PRICE £5
Supported by Awards for All
LAUNCH EVENTS:
ST CHAD’S CHAPEL, UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM TUESDAY 3RD JUNE 6PM
CLAYPORT LIBRARY, DURHAM WEDNESDAY 11TH JUNE 7.30PM
DURHAM ARTS FESTIVAL, CALMAN CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM SATURDAY 14TH JUNE 7.30 PM
