Paul Bowles

Paul Bowles (1910-1999)
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Born in Jamaica, Brooklyn, NY. Student of University of Virginia, where he was interested in Prokofiev, Duke Ellington, Gregorian chants and Blues (plus T.S.Eliot). Dropped twice. Years spent in Paris, where he was in Gertrude Stein's circle (so Lost Generation). Life friend of Aaron Copeland. Most of his life lived in Tangiers, Morocco. A noted musician, writer, and translator of Moroccan authors. His importance as musician overshadowed by his writings. The reverse is also true (at least for Musica Nova connoisseurs). He was obsessed by ultimate experiences (Eros, Thanatos, whatever) in ultimate countries: whatever one writes is in a sense autobiographical, of course - not factually so, but poetically so - the key to understand The Sheltering Sky.

• A Song Among the Sheltering Years
• The Tangier of Paul Bowles as viewed by Truman Capote

(A Life in Books)