James Moore (Cornish author)
Encyclopedia
James Harry Manson Moore (born 16 December 1929) in Saltash
, Cornwall
, United Kingdom
is a Cornish author.
and leading authority on G. I. Gurdjieff
, Moore became active in practical and thematic Gurdjieff studies in 1956, after studying with Kenneth Walker and later with Henriette H. Lannes
("Madame Lannes") as his Gurdjieffian teacher and mentor between October 1957 and December 1978. His first major study, Gurdjieff and Mansfield (1980), examines the lives of Gurdjieff and the noted short story writer Katherine Mansfield
. Moore's thorough book lays to rest the persistent misconception that Gurdjieff was somehow responsible when Mansfield, who arrived at Gurdjieff's institute in France suffering from terminal tuberculosis and died within a few months while still his guest.
From 1981 to 1994, Moore was responsible for gathering and leading new students in the Gurdjieff Society in London
. He contributed to research for the 363 page "Gurdjieff: an Annotated Bibliography" (1985) compiled by J. Walter Driscoll and the Gurdjieff Foundation of California. During this period he was also a pupil of Henri Tracol and Maurice Desselle.
A confessed admirer of Gurdjieff and active Gurdjieffian for his entire adult life, Moore is the author of the biography, Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (1991) It was republished in 1999 with a revised introduction, under the title Gurdjieff: A biography.
In 1994 Moore published "Moveable Feasts: the Gurdjieff Work" in "Religion Today," challenging certain significant innovations in Gurdjieffian theory and practice introduced worldwide by Jeanne de Salzmann
, the Gurdjieff Foundation's de facto leader. (See external links for text of this article.) Moore was excommunicated from the Foundation's Gurdjieff Society in London. and has since led a Gurdjieff Studies group independently.
In Gurdjieffian Confessions (2005), Moore briefly sketches his personal life and provides candid and vivid glimpses of his 38 years as a member of The Gurdjieff Society in London, between 1956 to 1994.
In 2011 Moore published "Eminent Gurdjieffians: Lord Pentland." John Pentland was John Sinclair, 2nd Baron Pentland (1907–1984). Moore's 100 page biography is written in the style of Lytton Strachey's compact 1918 classic "Eminent Victorians." John Pentland was a follower of P. D. Ouspensky for more than a decade then associated with G. I. Gurdjieff in Paris during his last two years, 1948-1949. Lord Pentland was President of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York between its founding in 1953 and his death in 1984.
James Moore currently resides in London.
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is a Cornish author.
Biography
A fellow of the Royal Asiatic SocietyRoyal Asiatic Society
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established, according to its Royal Charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia." From its incorporation the Society...
and leading authority on G. I. Gurdjieff
G. I. Gurdjieff
George Ivanovich Gurdjieff according to Gurdjieff's principles and instructions, or the "Fourth Way."At one point he described his teaching as "esoteric Christianity."...
, Moore became active in practical and thematic Gurdjieff studies in 1956, after studying with Kenneth Walker and later with Henriette H. Lannes
Henriette H. Lannes
Henriette H. Lannes or Madame Lannes Pupil of G. I. Gurdjieff and teacher of Gurdjieff's system, mainly to English pupils in the Gurdjieff Foundation of Paris and London...
("Madame Lannes") as his Gurdjieffian teacher and mentor between October 1957 and December 1978. His first major study, Gurdjieff and Mansfield (1980), examines the lives of Gurdjieff and the noted short story writer Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp Murry was a prominent modernist writer of short fiction who was born and brought up in colonial New Zealand and wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. Mansfield left for Great Britain in 1908 where she encountered Modernist writers such as D.H. Lawrence and...
. Moore's thorough book lays to rest the persistent misconception that Gurdjieff was somehow responsible when Mansfield, who arrived at Gurdjieff's institute in France suffering from terminal tuberculosis and died within a few months while still his guest.
From 1981 to 1994, Moore was responsible for gathering and leading new students in the Gurdjieff Society in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He contributed to research for the 363 page "Gurdjieff: an Annotated Bibliography" (1985) compiled by J. Walter Driscoll and the Gurdjieff Foundation of California. During this period he was also a pupil of Henri Tracol and Maurice Desselle.
A confessed admirer of Gurdjieff and active Gurdjieffian for his entire adult life, Moore is the author of the biography, Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (1991) It was republished in 1999 with a revised introduction, under the title Gurdjieff: A biography.
In 1994 Moore published "Moveable Feasts: the Gurdjieff Work" in "Religion Today," challenging certain significant innovations in Gurdjieffian theory and practice introduced worldwide by Jeanne de Salzmann
Jeanne de Salzmann
Jeanne Matignon de Salzmann born Jeanne Allemand often addressed as Madame de Salzmann was a close pupil of G. I. Gurdjieff, recognized as his deputy by many of Gurdjieff's other pupils...
, the Gurdjieff Foundation's de facto leader. (See external links for text of this article.) Moore was excommunicated from the Foundation's Gurdjieff Society in London. and has since led a Gurdjieff Studies group independently.
In Gurdjieffian Confessions (2005), Moore briefly sketches his personal life and provides candid and vivid glimpses of his 38 years as a member of The Gurdjieff Society in London, between 1956 to 1994.
In 2011 Moore published "Eminent Gurdjieffians: Lord Pentland." John Pentland was John Sinclair, 2nd Baron Pentland (1907–1984). Moore's 100 page biography is written in the style of Lytton Strachey's compact 1918 classic "Eminent Victorians." John Pentland was a follower of P. D. Ouspensky for more than a decade then associated with G. I. Gurdjieff in Paris during his last two years, 1948-1949. Lord Pentland was President of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York between its founding in 1953 and his death in 1984.
James Moore currently resides in London.
Works
- (1980) Gurdjieff and Mansfield
- (1991) Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth, ISBN 1-85230-450-2
- (2005) Gurdjieffian Confessions: a self remembered
- (2011) Eminent Gurdjieffians: Lord Pentland ISBN 0-9545470-1-0
External links
- James Moore's website
- http://www.gurdjieff-bibliography.com/Current/20_link-to-pg23.doc Moveable Feasts: the Gurdjieff Work, first published in Religion Today, Vol. IX No. 2, Spring 1994
- Gurdjieff Studies Group
- http://www.gurdjieff.org.uk/GurdjieffBrill.htm Moore's concise encyclopedia article on Gurdjieff
- Moore's article "P. D. Ouspensky: an Appreciation"
- gurdjieff-bibliography.com contains several articles by James Moore, excerpts from his books and a bibliography of his Gurdjieffian writings