James McAuley facts for kids
James Phillip McAuley (born October 12, 1917 – died October 15, 1976) was a well-known Australian writer, poet, and teacher. He also worked as a journalist and wrote about books. James McAuley became a Roman Catholic later in his life. He is also famous for being involved in a clever trick called the Ern Malley poetry hoax.
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Early Life and Education
James McAuley was born in Lakemba, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. He went to Fort Street High School and then studied at the University of Sydney. At university, he focused on English, Latin, and philosophy.
From 1937 to 1941, James McAuley was the editor of Hermes. This was the yearly magazine for students at the University of Sydney Union. Many of his first poems were printed in this magazine.
Time in the Army and New Guinea
In 1943, James McAuley joined the Australian Army as a lieutenant. He worked in Melbourne and Canberra during World War II. After the war, he spent time in New Guinea. He felt a special connection to New Guinea, calling it his "second spiritual home."
The Ern Malley Hoax
James McAuley became well-known because of something called the Ern Malley hoax. This happened in 1943–1944. McAuley and another poet, Harold Stewart, created sixteen poems that were meant to be nonsense. They wrote them in a style that seemed like modern poetry.
They sent these poems to Max Harris, who was a young editor of a magazine called Angry Penguins. Max Harris quickly published the poems. This made the Ern Malley hoax one of Australia's most famous literary tricks. Some people, like Peter Coleman, believed this hoax showed how silly some modern poetry and political ideas could be.
Becoming a Catholic
In 1952, James McAuley became a Roman Catholic. This was a very important change in his life. He had a strong spiritual experience at a Catholic mission in New Guinea, which led to his conversion.
Later, he met an Australian musician named Richard Connolly. They worked together to create many important Catholic hymns for Australia. Their collection was called "Hymns for the Year of Grace."
Later Career and Beliefs
During his university years, James McAuley had been interested in different ideas, including communism and anarchism. However, he later became strongly anti-communist.
In 1956, he helped start a literary and cultural magazine called Quadrant. He was the main editor of Quadrant until 1963. From 1961, he worked as a professor of English at the University of Tasmania.
A painting of James McAuley by Jack Carington Smith won the famous Archibald prize in 1963.
Death
James McAuley passed away from cancer in 1976. He was 59 years old and died in Hobart.
Sources
- Malley, Ern (2017). The Darkening Ecliptic. Los Angeles: Green Integer. ISBN 978-1-55713-439-4.
- Ritchie, John, ed. McAuley, James Phillip (1917–1976). Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150192b.htm?hilite=James%3BMcAuley.
