Brian Hooker (poet)
Encyclopedia
William Brian Hooker was an American
poet, educator, lyricist, and librettist. He was born to Elizabeth Work and William Augustus Hooker who was a mining engineer for the New York firm of Hooker and Lawrence. His family was well known in Hartford, Connecticut
having descended from Thomas Hooker
, a prominent Puritan religious and colonial leader who founded the Colony of Connecticut. He attended Yale College
in the class of 1902, writing for the Yale Record humor magazine. His poetry was published in The Century Magazine
, The Forum, Hampton's Magazine, Harper's Magazine
, McClure's Magazine, Scribner's Magazine
, The Smart Set, and The Yale Review
.
He is most famous for co-writing the libretto
and lyrics for Rudolf Friml
's 1925 operetta The Vagabond King
, and is especially noted for his 1923 English translation of Edmond Rostand
's Cyrano de Bergerac
, especially prepared for actor Walter Hampden
. The translation, written in blank verse
rather than the Alexandrine
s of the original play, was highly acclaimed as being one of the finest translations of a play in verse into English, and for many years, until Anthony Burgess
published his own translation, was virtually the only English rendition of the play used. An unusual aspect of Hooker's translation is that it never uses the word panache
at all, perhaps because Hooker realized that its double meaning in the play's final scene is untranslatable into English (the word means plume in French in addition to its usual definition, which is, roughly, bravery or daring).
José Ferrer
played Cyrano in a highly acclaimed 1946 Broadway version of the play winning a Tony award for his efforts. Ferrer then won an Oscar as Best Actor for the 1950 film adaptation
and would go on to voice a highly truncated cartoon version of the play for an episode of The ABC Afterschool Special in 1974. Ferrer would don the nose and costume as Cyrano for a last time in a TV commercial in the mid-1970s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet, educator, lyricist, and librettist. He was born to Elizabeth Work and William Augustus Hooker who was a mining engineer for the New York firm of Hooker and Lawrence. His family was well known in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
having descended from Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker was a prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts...
, a prominent Puritan religious and colonial leader who founded the Colony of Connecticut. He attended Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
in the class of 1902, writing for the Yale Record humor magazine. His poetry was published in The Century Magazine
The Century Magazine
The Century Magazine was first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City as a successor to Scribner's Monthly Magazine...
, The Forum, Hampton's Magazine, Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, McClure's Magazine, Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly...
, The Smart Set, and The Yale Review
Yale Review
The Yale Review is the self-proclaimed oldest literary quarterly in the United States. It is published by Yale University.It was founded originally in 1819 as The Christian Spectator. At its origin it was published to support Evangelicalism, but over time began to publish more on history and...
.
He is most famous for co-writing the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
and lyrics for Rudolf Friml
Rudolf Friml
Rudolf Friml was a composer of operettas, musicals, songs and piano pieces, as well as a pianist. After musical training and a brief performing career in his native Prague, Friml moved to the United States, where he became a composer...
's 1925 operetta The Vagabond King
The Vagabond King
The Vagabond King is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic play If I Were King...
, and is especially noted for his 1923 English translation of Edmond Rostand
Edmond Rostand
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism, and is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand's romantic plays provided an alternative to the naturalistic theatre popular during the late nineteenth century...
's Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac (play)
Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play bears very scant resemblance to his life....
, especially prepared for actor Walter Hampden
Walter Hampden
Walter Hampden is the artist name of Walter Hampden Dougherty was a U.S. actor and theatre manager. He was the younger brother of the American painter Paul Dougherty ....
. The translation, written in blank verse
Blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the sixteenth century" and Paul Fussell has claimed that "about three-quarters of all English poetry is in blank verse."The first...
rather than the Alexandrine
Alexandrine
An alexandrine is a line of poetic meter comprising 12 syllables. Alexandrines are common in the German literature of the Baroque period and in French poetry of the early modern and modern periods. Drama in English often used alexandrines before Marlowe and Shakespeare, by whom it was supplanted...
s of the original play, was highly acclaimed as being one of the finest translations of a play in verse into English, and for many years, until Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
published his own translation, was virtually the only English rendition of the play used. An unusual aspect of Hooker's translation is that it never uses the word panache
Panache
Panache is a word of French origin that carries the connotation of a flamboyant manner and reckless courage.The literal translation is a plume, such as is worn on a hat or a helmet, but the reference is to King Henry IV of France...
at all, perhaps because Hooker realized that its double meaning in the play's final scene is untranslatable into English (the word means plume in French in addition to its usual definition, which is, roughly, bravery or daring).
José Ferrer
José Ferrer
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón , best known as José Ferrer, was a Puerto Rican actor, as well as a theater and film director...
played Cyrano in a highly acclaimed 1946 Broadway version of the play winning a Tony award for his efforts. Ferrer then won an Oscar as Best Actor for the 1950 film adaptation
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950 film)
Cyrano de Bergerac is a 1950 black-and-white feature film based on the 1897 French Alexandrine verse drama Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. It uses poet Brian Hooker's 1923 English blank verse translation as the basis for its screenplay...
and would go on to voice a highly truncated cartoon version of the play for an episode of The ABC Afterschool Special in 1974. Ferrer would don the nose and costume as Cyrano for a last time in a TV commercial in the mid-1970s.
External links
- Selected poetry, fiction and essays by Brian Hooker, from the archives of Harper's MagazineHarper's MagazineHarper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
. - Books by Brian Hooker at Google Books.