John Ash (writer)

Infobox Writer


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name = John Ash
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birthdate = birth date and age|1948|6|29
birthplace = Manchester
occupation = poet, writer, travel writer
nationality = English
period = 1978-present
genre =
notableworks =
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website =

John Ash (born June 29, 1948) is an expatriate British poet and writer.

His lifelong interest in Byzantium (especially its achitecture) is a major theme which runs through his poetry, fiction and travel writing, along with family friends and the three major cities he has lived in. As well as his books (largely published by Carcanet), his work has appeared in "The New Yorker", "The New York Times", "The Village Voice", "The Washington Post" and "Paris Review".

Life

John Ash was born in Manchester, England in 1948, the son of schoolteachers. With a brief break to attend the University of Birmingham (B.A. 1969) and to take a post-graduation year in Cyprus, he remained in the city of his birth until 1985, at which time he moved to New York.cite book |last=Head |first=Dominic |title=The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English |pages=46 |year=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0521831792]

In New York, he became associated with the New York School of Poets and formed a strong and lasting friendship with its leading proponent, John Ashbery. After stints teaching at Iowa and Berkeley, in 1996 he moved to Istanbul, where he has lived since, teaching at Boğaziçi University, before moving to Kadir Has University.

During this time, several of his books, including "Selected Works" and "To the City", have appeared in Turkish translation, published by Yapi Kredi Publications, affiliated with the bank of the same name. Deluxe editions of "The Anitolikon", published in a side-by-side English and Turkish edition by Yapi Kredi, featured illustrations by Peter Hristoff, a noted Turkish artist of Bulgarian Christian origin living in New York.

In a review of "To The City", "Poetry", said John Ash "could be the best English poet of his generation". [http://www.poetrymagazine.org/books/contributing/37.html Review: In the City] , "Poetry"] Most recently he was profiled in "The Economist" in an article by Hugh Pope, himself an author and formerly the "Wall Street Journal" correspondent in Istanbul. Pope has suggested that Ash is the leading light in a new "Istanbul School" of English-speaking poets taking their inspiration from the city. [http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RGJSPJD A Byzantine journey] , Hugh Pope, "The Economist", February 15, 2007]

Following "Byzantine Journey", and other travel writing, Ash led tours relevant sites and in 2006 wrote the script for the documentary "Istanbul for Aficionados". [ [http://advertisingmarketing.press-base.com/en/ds/195803/Istanbul_s_First_Guidebook_Documentary.html Istanbul's First Guidebook Documentary] ] He has also appeared on a BBC guide to Istanbul. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/books/medtales/destinations/istanbul.shtml Mediterranean Tales: Istanbul] ]

Bibliography

Poetry

* "The Parthian Stations" (2007, ISBN 1857548728)
* "To the City" (2004, ISBN 1584980370)
* "The Anatolikon" (2002, ISBN 1584980117)
* "Selected Poems" (1996, ISBN 1857541553)
* "The Burnt Pages" (1991, ISBN 067940175X)
* "Disbelief" (1987, ISBN 0856356956)
* "The Branching Stairs" (1984, ISBN 0856355011)
* "The Goodbyes" (1982, ISBN 0856354236)
* "The Bed" (1981)
* "Casino: A Poem in Three Parts" (1978)

Fiction

* "A Byzantine Journey" (1995, ISBN 0679409343)

Travel

* "Turkey, The Other Guide: Western and Southern Anatolia" (2001, ISBN 9750802772)

Articles

* [http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/syruin2.htm Field of Ruins in the Sand] "The New York Times", 1999, on Sergiopolis
* [http://travel2.nytimes.com/mem/travel/article-page.html?res=9A0DE2DF1F38F932A25753C1A96E958260&n=Top%2fFeatures%2fTravel%2fDestinations%2fEurope%2fTurkey The Lost Heads of Balbura] , "The New York Times"
* [http://www.guidetoturkey.com/press/nytimesmag.asp Celebration Istanbul] "New York Times Magazine", 2001
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9C05E2D6113FF931A25756C0A9649C8B63 Death by Drowning] , The New York Times, 2002, on Yusufeli
* [http://travel2.nytimes.com/mem/travel/article-page.html?res=9D07E4DA1439F932A25756C0A961958260&n=Top%2fFeatures%2fTravel%2fDestinations%2fEurope%2fTurkey Istanbul's Glitter Domes] "The New York Times"
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03E1D7113AF931A35756C0A9629C8B63&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=all Bulgaria's Venerable Second City] "The New York Times", 2004, on Plovdiv
* [http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/06/04/specials/koch-edge.html Review: On the Edge] , by Kenneth Koch, "The New York Times"
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/reviews/constantinople.htm Review: Constantinople: City of the World's Desire] , by Philip Mansel, "The Washington Post"

Anthologies

His work has also appeared in a number of anthologies, including:
* The Best American Poetry series:
** "The Best American Poetry 1988" (1988)
** "The Best American Poetry 1990" (1990)
** "The Best American Poetry 1991" (1991)
** "The Best American Poetry 1992" (1992)
* "The Harvill Book of Twentieth-Century Poetry in English" (1999)
* "New British Poetry" (2004)

Awards

* Whiting Writers' Award (1986)

References

External links

* [http://www.carcanet.co.uk/cgi-bin/indexer?owner_id=19 Carcanet profile]
* [http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=2354 Ash's poem "The Middle Kingdom"] , [http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=2346 "The Sweeping Gesture"] and [http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=2347 an overview] from "The North" no. 8 (1990)
* [http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2082884,00.html Review of "The Parthian Stations"] in "The Guardian"