Arthur Crew Inman
Encyclopedia
Arthur Crew Inman was a reclusive and unsuccessful American poet
whose 17-million word diary
, extending from 1919 to 1963, is one of the longest English language diaries on record.
Inman was born in 1895 in Atlanta to one of the city's wealthiest families. His father Samuel Martin Inman owned part of the Atlanta Constitution but derived his wealth from cotton trade and manufacturing.
He left Atlanta to attend the Haverford School
and then Haverford College
leaving college after 2 years because of a nervous breakdown, and he never returned to the South after 1915.
He married Evelyn Yates in 1923.
Inman published several volumes of undistinguished poetry. A critic has described Inman as "a mediocre talent, wholly lacking in the sophisticated literary and philosophical education of the Ransom generation."
In 1928 he edited and published Soldier of the South: General Pickett's War Letters to his Wife.
He moved to Boston
, where he became increasingly obsessed with his health. He lived for much of his life in dark, soundproofed apartments. He owned several apartments in order to surround himself with noiseless spaces. Having inherited wealth, he was able to cater to his hypochondria and other eccentric ways and afford servants and others hired to come and talk with him. His wife, Evelyn, appears to have accepted that he would have sex with some of these so-called "talkers." He attempted suicide on several occasions. One December 12, 1963, when he found the noise from the construction of the Prudential Tower
near his apartment unbearable, he committed suicide with a revolver in Brookline, Massachusetts
. According to one theory, he suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy
and may have been experiencing aspects of reality that the normal brain filters out.
He left 155 handwritten volumes of the diary when he died, entirely unpublished. Inman's diary is not only considered unique by some but historian David Herbert Donald
called it "the most remarkable diary ever published by an American." Through its many volumes, Inman provides a panoramic record of people, events, and observations from more than four decades of the twentieth century. The extent of his writing suggests he suffered from hypergraphia
.
His wife Evelyn died in June 2004.
Harvard professor of English and American literature Daniel Aaron
published a two-volume edition of selections in 1985. A one-volume version appeared in 1996. Reviewing the two-volume edition, Time
described Inman as a "megalomaniacal bigot misogynist Peeping Tom hypochondriac," who "who hated Jews, Italians and Roosevelt while admiring Hitler." The reviewer for the New York Times enjoyed Inman's many portraits of working class and middle class visitors with interesting stories, but thought less of his self-revelations, "that mostly meant giving vent to bristling prejudices about lesser breeds (lesser than Nordic, that is to say)."
Lorenzo DeStefano authored a play based on the diaries, Camera Obscura, which has been performed at the Seattle Repertory Theatre
(2001) and at London's Almeida Theatre
(2002). English director Jonathan Miller
directed both of those productions.
The Inman Diaries, an opera by Thomas Oboe Lee
, based on the diary and DeStefano's play, was commissioned and produced by Intermezzo Opera of Boston. The world premiere took place there in September 2007.
Lorenzo DeStefano's film version of his play, Hypergraphia, starring John Hurt
, is in development.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
whose 17-million word diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
, extending from 1919 to 1963, is one of the longest English language diaries on record.
Inman was born in 1895 in Atlanta to one of the city's wealthiest families. His father Samuel Martin Inman owned part of the Atlanta Constitution but derived his wealth from cotton trade and manufacturing.
He left Atlanta to attend the Haverford School
The Haverford School
The Haverford School is a private, non-sectarian, all-boys college preparatory day school, junior kindergarten through grade twelve. Founded in 1884 as The Haverford College Grammar School, it is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, nine miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Philadelphia's historic...
and then Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
leaving college after 2 years because of a nervous breakdown, and he never returned to the South after 1915.
He married Evelyn Yates in 1923.
Inman published several volumes of undistinguished poetry. A critic has described Inman as "a mediocre talent, wholly lacking in the sophisticated literary and philosophical education of the Ransom generation."
In 1928 he edited and published Soldier of the South: General Pickett's War Letters to his Wife.
He moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he became increasingly obsessed with his health. He lived for much of his life in dark, soundproofed apartments. He owned several apartments in order to surround himself with noiseless spaces. Having inherited wealth, he was able to cater to his hypochondria and other eccentric ways and afford servants and others hired to come and talk with him. His wife, Evelyn, appears to have accepted that he would have sex with some of these so-called "talkers." He attempted suicide on several occasions. One December 12, 1963, when he found the noise from the construction of the Prudential Tower
Prudential Tower
The Prudential Tower, also known as the Prudential Building or, colloquially, The Pru, is a skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, a part of the Prudential Center complex, currently stands as the 2nd-tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower. The Prudential Tower was...
near his apartment unbearable, he committed suicide with a revolver in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
. According to one theory, he suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy
Temporal lobe epilepsy
Temporal lobe epilepsy a.k.a. Psychomotor epilepsy, is a form of focal epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. Over 40 types of epilepsies are known. They fall into two main categories: partial-onset epilepsies and generalized-onset epilepsies...
and may have been experiencing aspects of reality that the normal brain filters out.
He left 155 handwritten volumes of the diary when he died, entirely unpublished. Inman's diary is not only considered unique by some but historian David Herbert Donald
David Herbert Donald
- Career :Majoring in history and sociology, Donald earned his bachelor degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned his PhD in 1946 under the eminent, leading Lincoln scholar, James G. Randall at the University of Illinois...
called it "the most remarkable diary ever published by an American." Through its many volumes, Inman provides a panoramic record of people, events, and observations from more than four decades of the twentieth century. The extent of his writing suggests he suffered from hypergraphia
Hypergraphia
Hypergraphia is an overwhelming urge to write. It is not itself a disorder, but can be associated with temporal lobe changes in epilepsy and mania in the context of bipolar disorder.-Causes:...
.
His wife Evelyn died in June 2004.
Harvard professor of English and American literature Daniel Aaron
Daniel Aaron (academic)
Daniel Aaron is an American writer and academic. Aaron helped found the Library of America in 1978.In 1937, Aaron became the first to graduate with a degree in "American Civilization" from Harvard University....
published a two-volume edition of selections in 1985. A one-volume version appeared in 1996. Reviewing the two-volume edition, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
described Inman as a "megalomaniacal bigot misogynist Peeping Tom hypochondriac," who "who hated Jews, Italians and Roosevelt while admiring Hitler." The reviewer for the New York Times enjoyed Inman's many portraits of working class and middle class visitors with interesting stories, but thought less of his self-revelations, "that mostly meant giving vent to bristling prejudices about lesser breeds (lesser than Nordic, that is to say)."
Lorenzo DeStefano authored a play based on the diaries, Camera Obscura, which has been performed at the Seattle Repertory Theatre
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Seattle Repertory Theatre is a major regional theatre located in Seattle, Washington, at the Seattle Center. It is a member of Theatre Puget Sound and Theatre Communications Group. Founded in 1963, it is led by Artistic Director Jerry Manning and Managing Director Benjamin Moore...
(2001) and at London's Almeida Theatre
Almeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
(2002). English director Jonathan Miller
Jonathan Miller
Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE is a British theatre and opera director, author, physician, television presenter, humorist and sculptor. Trained as a physician in the late 1950s, he first came to prominence in the 1960s with his role in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe with fellow writers and...
directed both of those productions.
The Inman Diaries, an opera by Thomas Oboe Lee
Thomas Oboe Lee
Thomas Oboe Lee is a Chinese American composer.- Life :He and his family left Communist China in 1949, and lived in Hong Kong for ten years until 1959, when he moved to São Paulo, Brazil. He emigrated to the USA in the summer of 1966.His musical education began in Brazil during the Bossa Nova craze...
, based on the diary and DeStefano's play, was commissioned and produced by Intermezzo Opera of Boston. The world premiere took place there in September 2007.
Lorenzo DeStefano's film version of his play, Hypergraphia, starring John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
, is in development.
Sources
- Georgia Encyclopedia: Hugh Ruppersburg, "Arthur Crew Inman (1895-1963)", accessed December 21, 2010
- Lewis P. Simpson, "The Last Casualty of the Civil War: Arthur Crew Inman," The Fable of the Southern Writer (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994), 155-82
- Bob Summer, "An Inman's Private Life Becomes Public," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 13, 1985
- Philip Zaleski, "The Inman Diary," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 27, 1985