Wystan Hugh Auden, had he lived an exceptionally long life, would have been 104 today. He died at the young age of 67 in 1973, leaving an ardent band of young poet followers – and the entire literary canon – bereft. To celebrate Auden’s 104th year, Princeton University Press has three new books out to mark the occasion; among them Aidan Wasley’s THE AGE OF AUDEN: Postwar Poetry and the American Scene. Though Auden was English, it is his overlooked American years that were so formative for U.S. poets like Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, and John Ashbery.

Below you’ll find a teaser from a 1997 interview Wasley had with the esteemed Ashbery, Auden devotee and Titan of postwar poetry. Enjoy!

Q: Do you recall your first meeting with Auden?

John Ashbery: I first met him when he gave a reading at Harvard, I think in the spring of ’47, perhaps. A friend of mine, who was also a poet, George Montgomery—he was a student who was a little older than I was, having been in the war and come back—had a party for Eliot and I met Auden there and chatted with him. All I can remember talking about was asking him whether he liked living in England better than living in America. He said he preferred America, though he preferred the English countryside because it was much tidier looking… And then I remember running into him about a year later at a lunch counter somewhere in Harvard Square and I reintroduced myself. I think at that time I was writing my Senior Paper on him. After I moved to New York, I think I met him maybe a year or so after that at the apartment of John Bernard Myers and then I sort of lost sight of him again. Then when I got to know James Schuyler I would occasionally go over to Auden’s apartment to see Chester [Kallman] because Schuyler and Chester were good friends… I was always a bit intimidated by him, as I think many people were.

Q: Are there any Auden poems that are touchstone poems for you?

JA: Well, I love The Orators and Paid on Both Sides. I can remember first lines: “Consider this and in our time.” Those ballads “Victor” and “Miss Gee” got me interested in rhythms of popular songs and ballads. “Taller to-day,” “Spain,” “Paysage Moralisé,” “A Bride in the 30’s.” In fact, I just wrote a cento that uses “Lay your sleeping head…” (“The Dong with the Luminous Nose,” Wakefulness, 1998). “As I Walked Out One Evening” was one of my favorites. Was “Musée des Beaux Arts” in that little book from Four Weddings and A Funeral? Because that was used in the movie “The Man Who Fell to Earth.” That’s a terrific movie actually, and that poem, as it’s used in the movie, is really worth watching… . “Canzone,” I liked. I always liked the line, “The mouse you banished yesterday / Is an enraged rhinoceros today.” I’ve had a lot of experience with students like that. And then The Age of Anxiety came out when I was fully launched into Auden’s poetry and I liked that. And I always liked his Anglo-Saxon moments.

–New York City, May 1997 – courtesy of Aidan Wasley

For more interesting commentary on Auden, check out Wasley’s 2007 essays for Slate’s Auden Centennial and of course, don’t miss THE AGE OF AUDEN: Postwar Poetry and the American Scene.

How well do you know the presidents of the United States?

Do you know which president sold his personal library of 6,487 books to the Federal government in 1815 to restart the Library of Congress which had been burned during the British invasion of Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812?

Do you know which president suffered a stroke and nearly died while in office?

Do you know which president once served as head of the United States Liaison Office in Beijing?

You can find great books to read about the presidents of the United States by visiting:
http://press.princeton.edu/president11.html

And if you need some clues to answer the above questions, please visit:

http://bit.ly/bt3Bd6
http://bit.ly/hZwbHT
http://bit.ly/9RJmTb

Have a great weekend!

Want to learn more about The Crossley ID Guide? Sign up for our webinar on February 22nd at noon or 2 PM. Click here for details.

Earlier Crossley Unplugged videos:

• Where to go birding?
• In the garden: bird baths and plantings
• In the garden: bird feeders
• Becoming a Better Birder
• ID Tips: Size
• ID Tips: Shape

Congratulations Professor Kenneth Rogoff, coauthor of the latest PUP book, This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly (2009) for the Deutsche Bank Prize in Financial Economics 2011, presented by the Center of Financial Studies (CFS). Kenneth S. Rogoff is the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and professor of economics at Harvard University. He is also the coauthor of Foundations of International Macroeconomics, and a frequent commentator for NPR, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times.

According to the Deutsche Bank website, “[t]he jury has chosen Professor Kenneth Rogoff for his pioneering contributions in the field of international finance and macroeconomics, including research on exchange rates and central bank credibility. His work on sovereign default and debt restructuring, global imbalances, and the history of financial crises is highly relevant for understanding and addressing today‘s global challenges.” This academic prize, sponsored by the Deutsche Bank Donation Fund, awards €50,000 biannually by the CFS in partnership with Goethe University Frankfurt. This prize in Financial Economics, honors “internationally renowned economic researchers whose work has a marked influence on research concerning questions of financial economics and macroeconomics, and has led to fundamental advances in economic theory and practice.” Dr. Josef Ackermann will present the prize as part of an academic symposium in Frankfurt on September 22, 2011.

“Kenneth Rogoff’s work on sovereign default and debt restructuring, global imbalances, and the history of financial crises is highly relevant for understanding and addressing today‘s global challenges. Professor Rogoff has not only contributed pioneering work of the greatest academic importance, he has also made his findings accessible to a broad public,” said Jury Chairman and CFS Director Uwe Walz.

Again, many congratulations to Professor Rogoff!

To see other recent award-winning PUP books, please click here.

The language of winning is so ingrained in the culture that we Americans don’t even notice it. Does all this competition make us happier? Of course not. Listen along as Francesco Duina, author of Winning: Reflections on an American Obsession, joins David Phillippi on the Office Hours podcast. Their lively discussion touches on subjects from popular culture ranging from sports to children to celebrities, including why it makes sense for Budweiser to crown itself “The King of Beers” while the Danish brand Carlsberg is happier to be “Probably the Best Beer in the World.”

Felix Salmon of Reuters sat down with PUP author Noah Horowitz (ART OF THE DEAL on sale now) to chat about the return of art as an investment market. Check out the video of their conversation below:

Natural History titles dominate this issue of Princeton Global Science. This is completely understandable with the launch of The Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds. Recent posts have highlighted some great reviews, another Crossley Unplugged video, and also invited readers to attend a webinar on February 22nd where Richard Crossley will discuss the philosophy behind the book and the beautiful artwork of the plates. We also celebrated Darwin Day in a huge way with Q&As with Thalia Grant and Greg Estes, John Kricher, and David Reznick; an original post from George Levine, editor of The Joy of Secularism; and an exclusive excerpt from Janet Browne’s definitive Darwin biographies. Jerry Liguori, author of the forthcoming identification guide for hawks, Hawks at a Distance, provided his top identification tip. And, lastly, we found another sneak peek at some of the artwork that will grace Mark Witton’s new book on pterosaurs.

Like Princeton Global Science? Subscribe to our RSS Feed here: http://press.princeton.edu/blog/category/pgs/feed/.

Read the complete article here.

Vanderbilt University Professor of Astronomy David A. Weintraub will present a two-part lecture series titled “How Old is the Universe?” at the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory. The first lecture will take place on Tuesday, March 8, and the second lecture on Tuesday, May 3. Both lectures take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The lecture series will examine just how astronomers have determined that the universe is 13.7 billion years old. Weintraub, author of the just-published How Old is the Universe? and also of Is Pluto a Planet?, explains it all for astronomy buffs in an engaging way.

For location and more details, please visit Vanderbilt News.

Identifying hawks is particularly difficult because they are mostly seen at great distances. Many birders focus on markings and plumage, but at distances of several hundred feet, even with the best binoculars, these can be difficult to see. I asked Jerry Liguori (author of both Hawks at a Distance and Hawks from Every Angle) for his tips for identifying hawks in these situations. Happily he has written this short note and provided a photo of a mystery hawk for us to practice our skills. The bird will be identified after the jump.

The most important aspects regarding identifying distant hawks are shape and flight style. Yes, general plumage is important, but shape and flight style are more reliable traits, especially when plumage is difficult to judge. Most birds I see in the field, I identify before I see plumage details. These days, people concentrate on the finer details of plumage. It’s only natural, many guides show pretty pictures, and the Internet is full of beautiful bird portraits that reveal incredible feather detail. I enjoy close-up photos too. However, if you are looking for a fine plumage detail in the field, chances are you will overlook the obvious ID traits such as shape, flight style, or the manner in which a bird holds its wings.

Quite frankly, the “trick” being adept at identifying flying raptors in the field is to LEARN THE BASICS WELL before tackling the minutiae. Besides, it’s a whole ‘nother ball game to learn and apply the finer details accurately…that takes years and years of practice.

Take a look at the photo above. It is difficult to see specific plumage markings, but the overall shape is clear –broad, fairly long wings with wing tips that project only slightly past the back of the wings, and a relatively medium-lengthed tail.

Clearly, this bird is a…

Here’s the love with wine and flowers!

Why are we giving away two books this week? First of all, our Facebook Page reached the 2,000 fans milestone over the weekend and 2nd, it’s Valentine’s Day. So to everyone, here’s “the love” and our thanks with some wine and flowers: Ancient Wine by Patrick E. McGovern and Orchids of Australia by John J. Riley.

“Ancient Wine tells a dramatic, factual story of wine’s beginnings at the dawn of civilization 8,000 years ago, bringing to life what I have long believed-wine has been an essential part of the gracious way of life for many cultures. Patrick McGovern takes us on a fascinating journey back to the first experiments in making this marvelous beverage. He shows the central role of wine in human history, with insights drawn from archeology, chemistry, gastronomy, and the arts. Ancient Wine will please everyone who enjoys wine. I heartily recommend it.”–Robert Mondavi, winemaker

“Vast in scope and amazing in detail, this comprehensive guide highlights a different type of orchid on each pair of beautifully designed pages. . . . Banks’ and Riley’s passion for the native orchids of Australia has clearly resulted in one of today’s finest contemporary orchid books. Well written and wonderfully illustrated, Orchids of Australia is one of the most interesting and beautiful guides available.”–The Botanical Artist

Anyone who has or who LIKES us on Facebook this week is in the draw on Friday.

Ancient Wine by Patrick E. McGovern and Orchids of Australia by John J. Riley.

While The Merchants of Culture is exclusively about trade publishing, according to Peter Dougherty, there are at least three lessons for university press publishers to be found in its pages.

Dougherty writes,

For the first part, he supplies an extremely useful tutorial in thinking about book publishing as a field, a kind of gravitational ecology in which there are few gains to be made without at least a few sacrifices. As economists would put it, there are no free lunches.

Second, by providing such a careful historical and empirical anatomy of the business, he presents a sobering X-ray of the factors that impinge on our publishing, as well as that of the trade. In his one mention of university presses he explains how a certain subset of us have stepped in to fill the breach in trade publishing created by the concentration of the industry, which has made us attractive publishers for mainly academic authors who might have opted for commercial houses a generation ago. Fair enough. But his account of the risks entailed in competing for sales in such a heavily concentrated marketplace reinforces what most of us university press publishers already know: that trade publishing is hardly a panacea for the challenges we face as scholarly publishers.

…

Thompson’s third and final lesson for us in our activities as university presses and as publishers is more hopeful than the zero-sum maneuvers we learn by studying the ecology of the field: we should remain positive and resourceful in our outlook. The quotation above, “Good publishers…are market-makers in a world where it is attention, not content, that is scarce…” is a useful watch phrase. It is our capacity to see what another fine scholar, Ronald Burt, describes as the “structural holes” in our respective disciplines, and to perceive these openings in the scholarly landscape as opportunities for new books, that inspires us as publishers.

Read the complete review here in the AAUP’s monthly newsletter. (If you prefer a PDF version, try page 4 in this document: http://aaupnet.org/programs/publications/exchange/2011_winter.pdf)