Career Dorothy L. Sayers

1 career

1.1 poetry, teaching, , advertisements
1.2 detective fiction
1.3 translations
1.4 other christian , academic work

career
poetry, teaching, , advertisements

sayers s first book of poetry published in 1916 op. blackwell publishing in oxford. second book of poems, catholic tales , christian songs , published in 1918, blackwell. later, sayers worked blackwell s , teacher in several locations, including normandy, france.

sayers s longest employment 1922 1931 copywriter @ s.h. benson s advertising agency, located @ international buildings, kingsway, london. colleague of hers @ agency albert henry ross (1881-1950) better known literary pseudonym frank morison. wrote best-selling christian apologetics book moved stone? explored historicity of trial, crucifixion , resurrection of jesus. sayers later relied on book when composed trial scene of jesus in play man born king.

sayers quite successful advertiser. collaboration artist john gilroy resulted in mustard club colman s mustard , guinness zoo advertisements, variations of still appear today. 1 famous example toucan, bill arching under glass of guinness, sayers s jingle:

sayers credited coining slogan pays advertise! used advertising industry setting of murder must advertise, describes role of truth in advertising:

... the firm of pym s publicity, ltd., advertising agents ...

now, mr. pym man of rigid morality—except, of course, regards profession, essence tell plausible lies money—

how truth in advertising?

of course, there truth in advertising. there s yeast in bread, can t make bread yeast alone. truth in advertising ... leaven, woman hid in 3 measures of meal. provides suitable quantity of gas, blow out mass of crude misrepresentation form public can swallow.

detective fiction

1st edition cover of lord peter wimsey novel murder must advertise

sayers began working out plot of first novel time in 1920–21. seeds of plot body? can seen in letter sayers wrote on 22 january 1921:

my detective story begins brightly, fat lady found dead in bath nothing on pince-nez. why did wear pince-nez in bath? if can guess, in position lay hands upon murderer, s cool , cunning fellow ... (p. 101, reynolds)

lord peter wimsey burst upon world of detective fiction explosive oh, damn! , continued engage readers in eleven novels , 2 sets of short stories, final novel ending different oh, damn! . sayers once commented lord peter mixture of fred astaire , bertie wooster, evident in first 5 novels. however, evident through lord peter s development rounded character existed in sayers s mind living, breathing, human being.

sayers introduced character of detective novelist harriet vane in strong poison. remarked more once had developed husky voiced, dark-eyed harriet put end lord peter via matrimony. in course of writing gaudy night, sayers imbued lord peter , harriet life never able, put it, see lord peter exit stage .

sayers did not content herself writing pure detective stories; explored difficulties of first world war veterans in unpleasantness @ bellona club, discussed ethics of advertising in murder must advertise, , advocated women s education (then controversial subject) , role in society in gaudy night. in gaudy night, miss barton writes book attacking nazi doctrine of kinder, küche, kirche, restricted women s roles family activities, , in many ways whole of gaudy night can read attack on nazi social doctrine. book has been described first feminist mystery novel.

sayers s christian , academic interests apparent in detective series. in 9 tailors, 1 of best-known detective novels, plot unfolds largely in , around old church dating middle ages. change ringing of bells forms important part of novel. in have carcase, playfair cipher , principles of cryptanalysis explained. short story absolutely elsewhere refers fact (in language of modern physics) perfect alibi crime outside light cone, while fascinating problem of uncle meleager s contains literary crossword puzzle.

sayers wrote number of short stories montague egg, wine salesman solves mysteries.

translations

dante shown holding copy of divine comedy, next entrance hell, 7 terraces of mount purgatory, , city of florence, spheres of heaven above

sayers herself considered translation of dante s divine comedy best work. boldly titled hell appeared in 1949, 1 of introduced series of penguin classics. purgatory followed in 1955. third volume (paradise) unfinished @ death, , completed barbara reynolds in 1962.

on line-by-line basis, sayers s translation can seem idiosyncratic. example, famous line rendered abandon hope, ye enter here turns, in sayers translation, lay down hope, go in me. italian reads lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch intrate , , both traditional rendering , sayers translation add source text in effort preserve original length: here added in traditional, , me in sayers. also, addition of me draws previous lines of canto: per me si va ne la città dolente;/ per me si va ne l etterno dolore;/ per me si va tra la perduta gente. (longfellow: through me way city dolent;/ through me way eternal dole;/ through me way people lost. )

the idiosyncratic character of sayers s translation results decision preserve original italian terza rima rhyme scheme, go in me rhymes made 2 lines earlier, , unsearchably 2 lines before that. umberto eco in book mouse or rat? suggests that, of various english translations, sayers best in @ least partially preserving hendecasyllables , rhyme.

sayers s translation of divine comedy notable extensive notes @ end of each canto, explaining theological meaning of calls great christian allegory. translation has remained popular: in spite of publishing new translations mark musa , robin kirkpatrick, of 2009 penguin books still publishing sayers edition,

in introduction translation of song of roland, sayers expressed outspoken feeling of attraction , love for:

... that new-washed world of clear sun , glittering colour call middle age (as though middle-aged) has perhaps better right blown rose of renaissance called age of re-birth .

she praised roland being purely christian myth, in contrast such epics beowulf in found strong pagan content.

she shared enthusiasm dante s work novelist, poet, playwright , lay-theologian charles williams (1886-1945) , contributed essay divine comedy memorial volume essays presented charles williams.

other christian , academic work

sayers s notable religious book mind of maker (1941) explores @ length analogy between human creator (especially writer of novels , plays) , doctrine of trinity in creation. suggests human creation of significance involves idea, energy (roughly: process of writing , actual incarnation material object), , power (roughly: process of reading , hearing , effect has on audience). draws analogies between trinity , theological trinity of father, son, , holy spirit.

in addition ingenious thinking in working out analogy, book contains striking examples drawn own experiences writer, elegant criticisms of writers exhibit, in view, inadequate balance of idea, energy, , power. defends view literary creatures have nature of own, vehemently replying well-wisher wanted lord peter end convinced christian . know of him, nothing more unlikely ... peter not ideal man .

creed or chaos? restatement of basic historical christian doctrine, based on apostles creed, nicene creed, , athanasian creed, similar more densely written c.s. lewis mere christianity. both sought explain central doctrines of christianity, , concisely, had encountered them in distorted or watered-down forms, on grounds that, if going criticize something, had best know first.

her influential essay lost tools of learning has been used many schools in basis classical education movement, reviving medieval trivium subjects (grammar, logic, , rhetoric) tools enable analysis , mastery of every other subject. sayers wrote 3 volumes of commentaries dante, religious essays, , several plays, of man born king may best known.

her religious works did @ presenting orthodox anglican position that, in 1943, archbishop of canterbury offered lambeth doctorate in divinity, declined. in 1950, however, accepted honorary doctorate of letters university of durham.

her economic , political ideas rooted in classical christian doctrines of creation , incarnation, , close chesterton–belloc theory of distributism – although never describes herself distributist.