Richard Marius - 1933
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Tennessee State University, Tennessee
I. Introduction
Richard Marius is a teacher of writing whose own works are based on his upbringing in Eastern Tennessee. He was born in Martel, Tennessee. He is a historian, essayist, playwright, and novelist. His historical works include biographies of religious figures, Sir Thomas More and Martin Luther. His essays discuss writing on historical topics. He has an essay titled Confutations which was published in the Yale University Press. He had his first experience in playwriting in The Coming of Rain and reviewed and discussed the play A Man for All Seasons. His novels include Bound for the Promised Land, An Affair of Humor, and After the War. Throughout all of Marius's writing, he has used his life as a setting.
II. Biography
On July 29, 1933, Marius was born to Henri and Eunice (Henck) Marius in Martel, Tennessee. He is a Greek-American. Mr. Henri Marius was a foundryman and Mrs. Eunice Marius was a journalist. In 1954, Marius received a B.A. from the University of Tennessee. On June 28, 1955, Richard married Gail Smith. They had two children named Richard and Fred. He attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary graduating in 1958. He then went on to receive an M.A. from Yale University in 1959 and a Ph.D. in 1962. Gail and Richard later divorced and on March 21, 1970, Richard married Lanier Smythe. They had a son named John.
Marius was a newspaper reporter while attending college. He also worked at odd jobs to pay for further education. Richard attended Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. From 1962-1964, Marius was an assistant professor of history at Gettysburg College. In 1964, Richard became a member of the American Association of University Professors. Marius later worked at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville as an assistant professor from 1964-1968, an associate professor from 1968-1973, and a professor of history from 1973-1978. In 1978, at Harvard University, Marius became the director of expository writing. He is a member of the Authors League of America and the Authors Guild.
III. Literary Works, the Civil War, and Critics
Marius' The Columbia Book of Civil War Poetry paints the background of the conflict and its literature in Richard Marius's renowned prose, with each poem introduced by a compelling vignette. What emerges is an unparalleled pageant of the war in all its power and sentimentality, the anger of its participants and their yearning for peace.
From the time of the conflict to the present day, the Civil War has been engraved in the collective memory of Americans, inspiring a legion of poetic sentiments from Union and Confederate soldiers, as well as from America's finest men and women poets both black and white. Nineteenth-century poets such as Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote notable works on a subject all too close to their hearts and minds; but so too have such formidable recent writers as John Updike and Derek Walcott. Yet, this rich tradition of Civil War poetry—spanning more than a century and a half—has never before been chronicled in one comprehensive volume. Collected here are other horrors of the war, the common nobility of the soldiers taking part, the moral fervor of abolition, the eerie stillness of the field after battle, and Lincoln's legacy—all recorded in verse and dramatically illustrated by photographs from the Matthew Brady Collection of the National Archives.
The Columbia Book of Civil War Poetry is a unique anthology that collectors, gift-givers, and general readers fascinated by American lore will all appreciate. It is an eloquent, original commemoration of the American Civil War, captured in meter and light.
Marius wrote several historical works that include biographies of religious figures, Martin Luther and Sir Thomas More. A review was done by Mr. Diarmaid MacCulloch of The Times [UK] about Martin Luther . He states, "Richard Marius has written a biography of Luther from which all readers—believers and unbelievers—will profit… It is a masterpiece: a lifetime's study turned into a panoramic consideration of what the whole Christian story implies. If anyone seeks to understand Luther, here he is, in one of the best English portraits of the 20th century."
"Marius has written an unusual biography that makes important contributions on severe levels. The crucial events of Luther's life are carefully explored here, as well as Luther's theology and its impact on the society and Roman Catholic Church of the time. What make this book special; however, is the way Marius characterizes Luther's inner being by demonstrating the emotional and psychological impact those events and Luther's beliefs had on him. Marius accomplishes this by exploring relevant writings and correspondence from Luther's friends and enemies as well as Luther's own writings. Marius's attention to detail and his thoroughness made his characterizations fascination… As [he] explores areas such as Luther's early years, his lectures on the Psalms, the controversy over indulgences, his discovery of the Gospel, his marriage, and his attack on Erasmus, a powerful engaging profile emerges. An important contribution to scholarship on Luther; highly recommended." David Bourquin, Library Journal.
Gerald Strauss states, "This is a wonderfully written book, with lively scenes told picturesquely, splendid characterizations of major and minor figures in the Luther story, and interesting speculative comments. Vivid images abound. These features allow Marius to convey this erudition with the lightest of touches. He gives the reader an immense amount of information, but the book's narrative drive never lets up. Marius's account of Luther's writings—including many works rarely covered in less comprehensive treatments of the reformer's career—is so detailed that the reader gets a rich picture of the development of Luther's thought on the great religious questions that came to define the Reformation. On many of these questions, Marius lets Luther himself speak, quoting him in his own vigorous and expressive translation."
Hans J. Hillerbrand from Duke University reviewed Marius's Martin Luther. He states, "Marius has mastered the formidable corpus of Martin Luther's writings and he puts the reformer into a broad, intellectual context, offering detailed and distinctive interpretations of Luther's writings not found in most Luther biographies, as well as a provocative thesis, namely that Martin Luther was a human being torn by a fear of death."
Marius also wrote a biography of Thomas More . This biography is about a martyr and brilliant public figure that was looked up to. Thomas More and Richard Marius shared human qualities identifiable in all ages—pride, love, ambition, generosity, hypocrisy, and greed. More was less than common because he was witty and a great storyteller, the best between Chaucer and Shakespeare.
Jack Miles of the Los Angeles Times Book Review reviewed the biography of Thomas More. Miles states, "Richard Marius's Thomas More will be the definite popular biography. Custody of the popular memory of a figure like More is of some real importance, and Marius's custody is exemplary. His book is accessible enough to be read by a wide audience but complete and original enough to merit reading by a specialized audience. It is as subtle and satisfying a portrait as I have encountered in years."
Paul Johnson of the New York Times Book Review reviewed Thomas More. He states, "Richard Marius's principal claim as a biographer is an unrivaled knowledge of More's works. This serves him very well, in my view. For instance, he is the first writer to stress the central importance of More's unfinished biography of Richard III."
I was unable to get a personal interview from Richard Marius. He is a retired faculty member of Harvard University. Marius has cancer and is unable to work. When he works, he only works on his upcoming novel.
IV. Works by Marius
Marius's works include novels, essays, biographies, and playwrights. His novels are titled Bound for the Promised Land (1976) and After the War (1992). He is currently working on another novel, An Affair of Humor . His essay is titles Confutations. He has written two biographies titled Sir Thomas More and Martin Luther. He first experienced playwriting with The Coming of Rain and reviewed and discussed the play A Man for All Seasons. His other works include Luther and another novel The Immigrant (work in progress).
V. Bibliography
Bourquin, David. "Review of Richard Marius's Martin Luther" Library Journal
. Elton, G. R. "Review of Richard Marius's Thomas More" New York Review of Books. Hillerbrand, Hans J. "Review of Richard Marius's Martin Luther"
Johnson, Paul. "Review of Richard Marius's Thomas More" New York Times Book MacCulloh, Diarmaid. "Review of Richard Marius's Martin Luther" The Times [UK] Marius, Richard.
A Man for All Seasons. Play. Film Review and Discussion.
Marius, Richard. After the War. novel.1st ed. New York: Knopf: Distributed by Random House, 1992. Marius, Richard.
Bound for the Promised Land. novel. 1st Amer. ed., New York: Knopf. 1976. Marius, Richard. The Columbia Book of Civil War Poetry. Columbia University Press, October 1994.
Marius, Richard. The Coming of Rain. play. New York: Knopf, 1969. Marius, Richard. Confutations. Yale University Press, in press. Contributor to Scholarly Journals. Marius, Richard. Luther
. Philadelphia, Lippincott; 1974. Marius, Richard. Martin Luther: The Christian between God and Death. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1999. VI. Works Cited Johnson, Paul. "Review of Richard Marius's Thomas More" New York Times Book Review.
Miles, Jack. "Review of Richard Marius's Thomas More" Los Angeles Times Book Review. http://hupress.harvard.edu/s99books/reviews/martin_luther_R.html
Riley, Carolyn.
Contemporary Authors. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company. 1971. This essay was submitted by a student of Judith Broadbent, a teacher at Tennessee State University in Tennessee.