James Simmons
Encyclopedia
James Simmons was a poet
, literary critic and songwriter
from Derry
, Northern Ireland
.
in Belfast
before moving to the University of Leeds
to read for a degree in English. He married Laura Stinson and returned to Northern Ireland to teach at Friends' School Lisburn for five years. His final foreign excursion was a position at Ahmadu Bello University
in Nigeria
, where he worked for three years. During this time they had five children: Rachel, Sarah, Adam, Helen and Penelope. He returned to Northern Ireland in 1968, accepting a position at the recently-opened New University of Ulster
in Coleraine
, where he remained there until his retirement in 1984.
During the early '70s - the bloodiest times of all in NI - he was the inspiration and leading light for The Resistance Cabaret, a satirical revue combining song, poetry and political comment on 'the troubles' and life in general, written and performed by Simmons and some of his students. Arguably, Simmons - whose passion for poetry was equalled only by his yearning to make it accessible to all the people - felt most at home in this setting, connecting with an audience that was moved to talk back.
Near the end of his teaching career at the University of Ulster, Simmons and his first wife Laura divorced. He married Imelda Foley , the sister of Derry poet and fiction writer Michael Foley
, and had one child, Anna. After this marriage to Imelda ended, he had a son Ben with his third wife, fellow-poet Janice Fitzpatrick. Simmons and Fitzpatrick started The Poets' House, initially in Islandmagee
in County Antrim
, later in Falcarragh
in County Donegal
.
he took part in The Belfast Group
, together with such notables as Michael Longley
, Seamus Heaney
and Derek Mahon. In 1968, with his nephew Michael Stephens, Simmons went on a tour of universities in England. When he returned to Ireland, he established The Honest Ulsterman
, the most important Irish literary journal of the next 35 years . Simmons served as the editor for 17 of the first 19 issues; he then passed control of the magazine onto a series of younger editors. The Honest Ulsterman published a series of more than 30 poetry chapbooks, including the first collections of work by Paul Muldoon
("Knowing My Place"), Michael Foley ("The Acne and the Ecstasy"), and Michael Stephens ("Blues for Chocolate Doherty"). Members of the Belfast Group frequently published in The Honest Ulsterman.
Whereas John Hewitt, the Ulster poet whom Simmons called 'the grandaddy of us all', ground out his truth by placing himself in the mortar and pestle of nature, Simmons ground his out by placing himself under a self-imposed public scrutiny. Using his own life for material, he explored his frailties in his poetry with the clinical detachment of a laboratory technician, the humour of a big soul, and the vulnerability of a lover. Perhaps his best epitaph is his own:
"Hiding in humility,
In irony, and wit,
It would be very hard to prove
That Simmons is a shit"
He won several prizes for his poetry including the Gregory and Cholmondeley Award
s.
He also wrote a critical biography of Sean O'Casey
(London: Macmillan).
Throughout his career Simmons wrote and performed exquisitely provocative, yet hilarious and humane, songs about every aspect of contemporary life. In 1970 he founded a new platform for bringing these to a wider audience, the satirical revue - The Resistance Cabaret - with Garvin Crawford, Victor Thompson, David Templeton, Eithne Murphy, Jim Brown, Mike Graves, Jon Marshall and Heather Hutchinson. In varying line-ups, they performed their unique repertoire regularly at venues throughout Northern Ireland until 1976. His poetry collection, West Strand Visions, contains some of the repertoire. He recorded three collections of his own songs - City & Eastern, Love In The Post, The Rostrevor Sessions - and produced a Resistance Cabaret album with the other members. He also set a number of Yeats' poems to music which he released on tape cassette.
Since his death Simmons' work has been increasingly marginalised - few anthologies include him - and a 'Collected Poems' is yet to appear. His songs, however, continue to challenge and delight appreciative audiences of The Resistance Cabaret.
Cholmondeley Award
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, literary critic and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
from Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Biography
He was born into a middle-class Protestant family in Derry in 1933 and attended Campbell CollegeCampbell College
Campbell College is a Voluntary Grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The College educates boys from ages 11–18. It is one of the eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and is a member of the Independent Schools Council.The school occupies...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
before moving to the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
to read for a degree in English. He married Laura Stinson and returned to Northern Ireland to teach at Friends' School Lisburn for five years. His final foreign excursion was a position at Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University is the largest university in Nigeria and second largest in Africa, second only to Cairo University, Egypt. It is situated in Zaria. It was founded on October 4, 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria....
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, where he worked for three years. During this time they had five children: Rachel, Sarah, Adam, Helen and Penelope. He returned to Northern Ireland in 1968, accepting a position at the recently-opened New University of Ulster
University of Ulster at Coleraine
The University of Ulster at Coleraine is the Coleraine campus of the University of Ulster. It houses the administrative headquarters of the university and is the most traditional in outlook, with a focus on science and the humanities. It was founded in 1968 as the New University of Ulster...
in Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
, where he remained there until his retirement in 1984.
During the early '70s - the bloodiest times of all in NI - he was the inspiration and leading light for The Resistance Cabaret, a satirical revue combining song, poetry and political comment on 'the troubles' and life in general, written and performed by Simmons and some of his students. Arguably, Simmons - whose passion for poetry was equalled only by his yearning to make it accessible to all the people - felt most at home in this setting, connecting with an audience that was moved to talk back.
Near the end of his teaching career at the University of Ulster, Simmons and his first wife Laura divorced. He married Imelda Foley , the sister of Derry poet and fiction writer Michael Foley
Michael Foley
Michael Foley is a former hooker for the Australia national rugby union team and current head coach of the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby tournament.-Playing career:...
, and had one child, Anna. After this marriage to Imelda ended, he had a son Ben with his third wife, fellow-poet Janice Fitzpatrick. Simmons and Fitzpatrick started The Poets' House, initially in Islandmagee
Islandmagee
Islandmagee is a peninsula on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Larne and Carrickfergus. It is part of the Larne Borough Council area and is a sparsely populated rural community with a long history since the mesolithic period.As part of an...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, later in Falcarragh
Falcarragh
An Fál Carrach , sometimes called Na Crois Bhealaí is a small Gaeltacht town and townland in northwest County Donegal, Ireland. The settlement is in the old parish of Cloughaneely.-Etymology:...
in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
Career
When Simmons returned to Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
he took part in The Belfast Group
The Belfast Group
The Belfast Group was a poets' workshop which was organized by Philip Hobsbaum when he moved to Belfast in October 1963 to lecture in English at Queen's University....
, together with such notables as Michael Longley
Michael Longley
Michael Longley, CBE is a Northern Irish poet from Belfast.-Life and career:Longley was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and subsequently read Classics at Trinity College, Dublin, where he edited Icarus...
, Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
and Derek Mahon. In 1968, with his nephew Michael Stephens, Simmons went on a tour of universities in England. When he returned to Ireland, he established The Honest Ulsterman
The Honest Ulsterman
The Honest Ulsterman was a long running Northern Ireland literary magazine that was established by James Simmons in 1968. It was then edited for twenty years by Frank Ormsby....
, the most important Irish literary journal of the next 35 years . Simmons served as the editor for 17 of the first 19 issues; he then passed control of the magazine onto a series of younger editors. The Honest Ulsterman published a series of more than 30 poetry chapbooks, including the first collections of work by Paul Muldoon
Paul Muldoon
Paul Muldoon is an Irish poet. He has published over thirty collections and won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the T. S. Eliot Prize. He held the post of Oxford Professor of Poetry from 1999 - 2004. At Princeton University he is both the Howard G. B. Clark ’21 Professor in the Humanities and...
("Knowing My Place"), Michael Foley ("The Acne and the Ecstasy"), and Michael Stephens ("Blues for Chocolate Doherty"). Members of the Belfast Group frequently published in The Honest Ulsterman.
Whereas John Hewitt, the Ulster poet whom Simmons called 'the grandaddy of us all', ground out his truth by placing himself in the mortar and pestle of nature, Simmons ground his out by placing himself under a self-imposed public scrutiny. Using his own life for material, he explored his frailties in his poetry with the clinical detachment of a laboratory technician, the humour of a big soul, and the vulnerability of a lover. Perhaps his best epitaph is his own:
"Hiding in humility,
In irony, and wit,
It would be very hard to prove
That Simmons is a shit"
He won several prizes for his poetry including the Gregory and Cholmondeley Award
Cholmondeley Award
The Cholmondeley Award is an annual award for poetry given by the Society of Authors in the United Kingdom. Awards honour distinguished poets, from a fund endowed by the late Dowager Marchioness of Cholmondeley in 1966...
s.
He also wrote a critical biography of Sean O'Casey
Seán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
(London: Macmillan).
Throughout his career Simmons wrote and performed exquisitely provocative, yet hilarious and humane, songs about every aspect of contemporary life. In 1970 he founded a new platform for bringing these to a wider audience, the satirical revue - The Resistance Cabaret - with Garvin Crawford, Victor Thompson, David Templeton, Eithne Murphy, Jim Brown, Mike Graves, Jon Marshall and Heather Hutchinson. In varying line-ups, they performed their unique repertoire regularly at venues throughout Northern Ireland until 1976. His poetry collection, West Strand Visions, contains some of the repertoire. He recorded three collections of his own songs - City & Eastern, Love In The Post, The Rostrevor Sessions - and produced a Resistance Cabaret album with the other members. He also set a number of Yeats' poems to music which he released on tape cassette.
Since his death Simmons' work has been increasingly marginalised - few anthologies include him - and a 'Collected Poems' is yet to appear. His songs, however, continue to challenge and delight appreciative audiences of The Resistance Cabaret.
- Ballad of a Marriage (1966)
- Late but in Earnest (London: Bodley Head; 1967)
- Ten Poems (1969)
- In the Wilderness (London: Bodley Head; 1969)
- No Ties (1970)
- Energy to Burn (London: Bodley Head; 1971)
- The Long Summer Still to Come (Belfast: Blackstaff Press; 1973)
- West Strand Visions (Belfast: Blackstaff Press; 1974)
- Judy GarlandJudy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
and the Cold War (Belfast: Blackstaff Press; 1976) - The Selected James Simmons (Belfast: Blackstaff Press; 1978)
- Constantly Singing (Belfast: Blackstaff Press; 1980)
- From the Irish (Belfast: Blackstaff Press; 1985)
- Poems, 1956-1986 ([Introduction by Edna Longley] Dublin, The Gallery/UK, Bloodaxe 1986)
- At Six O'Clock In The Silence Of Things (Belfast: Lapwing PublicationsLapwing PublicationsLapwing Publications is a publisher based in Belfast. It specialises in poetry. It was founded in 1988 by Dennis and Rene Greig. Since then it has published over a hundred and fifty poetry collections. It is known for its openness with regards to publishing innovative poetry.Lapwing mainly...
; 1993) - Sex, Rectitude and Loneliness (Belfast: Lapwing PublicationsLapwing PublicationsLapwing Publications is a publisher based in Belfast. It specialises in poetry. It was founded in 1988 by Dennis and Rene Greig. Since then it has published over a hundred and fifty poetry collections. It is known for its openness with regards to publishing innovative poetry.Lapwing mainly...
; 1993) - Mainstream (Galway: Salmon Poetry; 1995);
- The Company of Children (Galway: Salmon Poetry; 1999)
- Kill The Children (Belfast Bombing)
Prizes
Cholmondeley Award
Cholmondeley Award
The Cholmondeley Award is an annual award for poetry given by the Society of Authors in the United Kingdom. Awards honour distinguished poets, from a fund endowed by the late Dowager Marchioness of Cholmondeley in 1966...