365:
27:
153:, London. Their affair lasted 18 years; Smart bore four of the 15 children Barker had by four different women. In the novel, her multiple pregnancies are reduced to one and other details of the affair are omitted. The narrator's lover is barely described, as Smart focuses on her own experience and feelings, which was rare for the
273:, from "the desire that no daughter of mine should ever be in a position to be able to write BY GRAND CENTRAL STATION I SAT DOWN AND WEPT, exquisite prose though it might contain. (BY GRAND CENTRAL STATION I TORE OFF HIS BALLS would be more like it, I should hope.)"
229:, Ingrid Norton stated "the power of emotion to transform one’s perspective on the world is the theme of this wildly poetic novel", calling it "a howl of a book, shot through with vivid imagery and ecstatic language, alternately exasperating and invigorating".
236:
were printed on its initial publication in 1945, and it did not achieve popularity at its initial release. Smart's mother, Louise, led a successful campaign with government officials to have its
240:. She bought up as many copies as she could find of those that made their way into the country and had them burned. Barker himself, in a letter to Smart, described the novel as "
172:, to have their first child, Georgina, while continuing to write the book. Barker tried to visit her, but Smart's family ensured that he was turned back at the border for "
181:
188:, she sailed to England to join Barker, where she gave birth to their second child, Christopher. She completed the novel while working for the
91:
189:
552:
409:
494:
547:
438:
26:
618:
598:
541:
353:
The album 'Humber Dogger
Forties' by John Mouse contains a track called 'By Cardiff Central Station I Sat Down and Wept'.
628:
633:
623:
556:
480:
326:
237:
130:
127:
37:
613:
608:
571:"Anarchist Surrealism & Canadian Apocalyptic Modernism: Allusive Political Praxis in Elizabeth Smart’s
185:
456:
225:
134:
603:
378:
286:
150:
535:
208:), contains words denoting exalted or intensified states (grandeur, centrality, weeping), and
98:
86:
383:
333:
177:
169:
585:
documentary by Laura Barton, on the relationship between
Elizabeth Smart and George Barker
277:
described the novel as "one of the half-dozen masterpieces of poetic prose in the world".
173:
241:
201:
165:
133:(1913–1986). The work was inspired by Smart's passionate affair with the British poet
592:
370:
274:
262:
252:
248:
154:
292:
270:
257:
247:
The book was reissued in 1966 by
Panther Books, with an introduction by the critic
180:, to support herself, her daughter, and her writing by working as a file clerk for
123:
346:
duo, Heavy Bell (made up of Matt Peters and Tom Keenan) released an album titled
340:, which includes the track "Love, Stuff and Nonsense", credited as Smart's work.
582:
350:(2018), which they called "a paean to the novel: a song of praise and triumph".
343:
307:
570:
364:
360:
296:
266:
579:
319:
213:
285:
The novel remains in print. It is widely regarded as a classic of women's
265:
blasted by lightning” but later wrote privately to her friend, the critic
217:
209:
205:
105:
306:(1991), an hour-long documentary of the writer, written and directed by
302:
Excerpts from the novel, and other of the author's writings, feature in
164:
In 1941, after becoming pregnant, Smart returned to Canada, settling in
561:
508:
216:("By the waters of Babylon we lay down and wept ...") which indicates
119:
543:
By Grand
Central Station I Sat Down and Wept: The Novel as a Poem
318:
The novel has been referenced many times by the
British singer
200:
The title, as a foretaste of Smart's poetic techniques, uses
99:
495:"Ashley Hutchings: By Gloucester Docks, I Sat Down and Wept"
481:"Ashley Hutchings: By Gloucester Docks I Sat Down and Wept"
439:"A Year with Short Novels: Elizabeth Smart, Queen of Sheba"
157:
of that day. Barker documented the affair in his own novel
269:, that it inspired her to found the feminist publisher
145:
Smart discovered Barker's poetry—specifically his poem
410:"The poems and punch-ups of By Grand Central Station"
97:
85:
77:
69:
59:
51:
43:
33:
403:
401:
399:
573:By Grand Central Station I Sat Down And Wept"
220:significance for the novel's subject matter.
20:By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
8:
234:By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
115:By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
19:
329:in the song "On Tooting Broadway Station".
304:Elizabeth Smart: On The Side of the Angels
25:
18:
192:, which fired her after its publication.
433:
431:
395:
338:By Gloucester Docks I Sat Down and Wept
555:at Literary Manuscripts Collection of
149:—in the late 1930s in Better Books on
16:Prose poetry novel by Elizabeth Smart
7:
553:Elizabeth Smart: Manuscript Gallery
437:Norton, Ingrid (October 1, 2010).
325:The title was adapted by the band
14:
363:
408:Barton, Laura (March 6, 2013).
299:, but this remains unproduced.
184:. In 1943, in the midst of the
548:Studies in Canadian Literature
1:
455:Schiff, Amanda (2008-12-02).
538:at The Literary Encyclopedia
251:. At that time the novelist
238:publication banned in Canada
557:Library and Archives Canada
327:The Kitchens of Distinction
650:
332:The title was adapted by
314:References in other media
24:
564:By Grand Central Station
348:By Grand Central Station
457:"Laura Lamson Obituary"
255:praised the novel in a
155:male-centric literature
546:by Alice Van Wart, in
186:Battle of the Atlantic
619:Novels about writers
599:1945 Canadian novels
443:Open Letters Monthly
287:Modernist literature
232:Just 2000 copies of
226:Open Letters Monthly
629:Feminist literature
580:"Rhymes of Passion"
196:Style and reception
190:Ministry of Defence
182:the British embassy
141:Genesis and writing
21:
634:Virago Press books
624:Literary modernism
151:Charing Cross Road
497:. 8 January 2014.
242:a Catherine wheel
111:
110:
92:978-0-586-09039-8
70:Publication place
641:
576:by James Gifford
523:
522:
520:
519:
505:
499:
498:
491:
485:
484:
477:
471:
470:
468:
467:
452:
446:
435:
426:
425:
423:
421:
405:
384:New Apocalyptics
379:Nouveau réalisme
373:
368:
367:
334:Ashley Hutchings
261:review as “like
223:In an essay for
178:Washington, D.C.
176:." She moved to
170:British Columbia
159:The Dead Seagull
101:
61:Publication date
29:
22:
649:
648:
644:
643:
642:
640:
639:
638:
589:
588:
532:
527:
526:
517:
515:
507:
506:
502:
493:
492:
488:
479:
478:
474:
465:
463:
454:
453:
449:
436:
429:
419:
417:
407:
406:
397:
392:
369:
362:
359:
316:
283:
204:(it is largely
198:
174:moral turpitude
143:
131:Elizabeth Smart
128:Canadian author
78:Media type
62:
55:Editions Poetry
38:Elizabeth Smart
17:
12:
11:
5:
647:
645:
637:
636:
631:
626:
621:
616:
614:Censored books
611:
609:Canadian poems
606:
601:
591:
590:
587:
586:
577:
568:
559:
550:
539:
531:
530:External links
528:
525:
524:
500:
486:
472:
447:
427:
394:
393:
391:
388:
387:
386:
381:
375:
374:
358:
355:
336:for his album
315:
312:
282:
279:
197:
194:
166:Pender Harbour
142:
139:
137:(1913–1991).
109:
108:
103:
95:
94:
89:
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
71:
67:
66:
63:
60:
57:
56:
53:
49:
48:
45:
41:
40:
35:
31:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
646:
635:
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
596:
594:
584:
581:
578:
575:
574:
569:
567:by Heavy Bell
566:
565:
560:
558:
554:
551:
549:
545:
544:
540:
537:
534:
533:
529:
514:
510:
504:
501:
496:
490:
487:
482:
476:
473:
462:
458:
451:
448:
444:
440:
434:
432:
428:
415:
411:
404:
402:
400:
396:
389:
385:
382:
380:
377:
376:
372:
371:Novels portal
366:
361:
356:
354:
351:
349:
345:
341:
339:
335:
330:
328:
323:
321:
313:
311:
309:
305:
300:
298:
295:authored the
294:
290:
288:
280:
278:
276:
275:Brigid Brophy
272:
268:
264:
263:Madame Bovary
260:
259:
254:
253:Angela Carter
250:
249:Brigid Brophy
245:
243:
239:
235:
230:
228:
227:
221:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
195:
193:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
162:
160:
156:
152:
148:
140:
138:
136:
135:George Barker
132:
129:
125:
121:
117:
116:
107:
104:
102:
96:
93:
90:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
39:
36:
32:
28:
23:
572:
563:
542:
516:. Retrieved
512:
503:
489:
475:
464:. Retrieved
461:The Guardian
460:
450:
442:
420:September 8,
418:. Retrieved
414:The Guardian
413:
352:
347:
342:
337:
331:
324:
317:
303:
301:
293:Laura Lamson
291:
284:
271:Virago Press
256:
246:
244:of a book."
233:
231:
224:
222:
218:metaphorical
199:
163:
158:
146:
144:
124:prose poetry
114:
113:
112:
583:BBC Radio 4
536:Book review
344:Chamber pop
308:Maya Gallus
604:1945 poems
593:Categories
518:2019-03-11
513:Heavy Bell
466:2008-12-03
390:References
297:screenplay
267:Lorna Sage
206:anapaestic
118:is a 1945
320:Morrissey
214:Psalm 137
52:Publisher
416:. London
357:See also
258:Guardian
161:(1950).
147:Daedalus
106:26314482
44:Language
562:Album:
509:"About"
210:alludes
126:by the
47:English
281:Legacy
73:Canada
34:Author
202:metre
120:novel
81:Print
422:2019
100:OCLC
87:ISBN
65:1945
322:.
289:.
212:to
122:in
595::
511:.
459:.
441:.
430:^
412:.
398:^
310:.
168:,
521:.
483:.
469:.
445:.
424:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.