Sussex University

Paul Tiessen, the Canadian scholar and Laura Marcus -from Sussex University, lecturing at the Conference. June 27th 2007. The encounter was called Malcolm Lowry: 50 years on. Paul Tiessen, profesor canadiense y Laura Marcus de la universidad de Sussex ofreciendo una conferencia en el encuentro llamado: "Malcolm Lowry: 50 años de camino", celebrado el 27 de junio del 2007.
Paul Tiessen, professor canadiano, e Laura Marcus, da Universidade de Sussex, durante uma conferência no encontro "Malcolm Lowry: 50 anos de caminho", que teve lugar a 27 de Junho de 2007.

Downtown Brighton

This is a picture showing downtown Brighton, Sussex, England, summer 2007. The sea looks beautiful.
Esta es una foto del centro de Brighton, Sussex Inglaterra, tomada en el verano del 2007 con el mar al fondo. Ripe es una pequeña villa a unos 20 o 30km de ahí.
Fotografia do centro de Brighton, Sussex, Inglaterra, tirada no Verão de 2007, com o mar ao fundo. Ripe é uma pequena vila a uns 20 ou 30 km de distância.

life and letters: day of the dead

Life and Letters

Day of the Dead

Malcolm Lowry’s mysterious demise.

by D.T. Max December 17, 2007

After Lowry published “Under the Volcano,” in 1947, he was hailed as a successor to Joyce. His wife, Margerie, edited the book.

Malcolm Lowry died in his cottage in the village of Ripe, in Sussex, late at night on June 26, 1957, or early the next morning. He was forty-seven years old. His wife, Margerie, found his body upstairs, on the floor of their bedroom. An autopsy revealed that Lowry, an alcoholic, had been drunk, and the doctor who examined the body found that he had swallowed a large number of barbiturates and had inhaled some half-digested food from his stomach. An inquest was held, at which a police officer, the Lowrys’ landlady, and Margerie testified. The coroner ruled the fatality a “misadventure”—that is, an accident. Lowry had choked to death on his own vomit.

(to continue reading click in the link above)

ritual

I droped some mezcal in Lowry's tomb and drank some for myself. Some other scholars who were there had a shot too. I placed an Alas cigarrete over the tombstone and it consumed over completely, people were impressed by the fact that it seemed that Lowry was actually smoking it, in that very moment there was a thunder and it began a tender rain. I droped also the beer completely and some anis shots, I left the complete bottle for him to drank slowly. For us Mexicans it is completely normal to do this kind of things and offer the things the dead liked when alive but the English were very surprised to see me talking Lowry and giving him those presents... cultural matters.
Vertí un poco de mezcal sobre la tumba de Lowry y bebí un poco yo mismo, algunos otros académicos que estaban ahí bebieron también. Puse un cigarro Alas sobre la lápida y rápidamente se consumió todo, la gente se quedó impresionada al ver lo que parecía Malcolm Lowry fumando en ese preciso momento se escuchó un rayo y empezó una lluvia tenue. También vertí una cerveza oscura completa y un poco de anís del mono, dejé la botella completa para que la bebiera despacio. Para los mexicanos es completamente normal hacer este tipo de ofrendas a los muertos, las cosas que les gustaban en vida, pero los ingleses estaban muy sorprendidos de verme hablando con Lowry y darle presentes... cuestiones culturales.

Lowry's epitaph

Malcolm Lowry
Late of the Bowery
His prose was flowery
And often glowery
He lived, nightly, and drank, daily,
And died playing the ukelele.

Lowrianitems

During the lectures in Sussex University there was a small exhibition taken by Rebollo showing Ultramarine mezcal, Mexican Indio dark beer, Alas cigarretes, Anis del mono, ungüento 666 -a vapor rub- and some copies of the documentary "Malcolm Lowry in Mexico" by the Mexican director Oscar Menéndez. The beer and mezcal were droped in Lowry's grave.
Durante las conferencias en la Universidad de Sussex monté una pequeña exhibición con mezcal ultramarina, cerveza oscura indio, cigarros alas, anís del mono, ungüento 666 (un vaporub) y unas copias del documental Malcolm Lowry en México del director mexicano Oscar Menéndez. La cerveza y el mezcal fueron vertidos en la tumba.

restrooms

This picture was taken inside the Lamb restrooms, this is the pub where Lowry drank before he died, this is still the only pub in Ripe. A curious picture.
Esta fotografía fue tomada en el interior del pub llamado "the lamb" (el cordero) que fue donde bebió Lowry sus últimas copas antes de morir, por cierto sigue siendo el único bar del pueblito de Ripe. ¡Curiosa decoración!

volcanoes

The two volcanoes seen from Cuernavaca in a clear day in 1925, nowadays pollution doensn't allow us to see them frecuently. What a shame! But in Lowry's times surely the landscape was this moving and this wonderful.
Los volcanes vistos desde Cuernavaca en un día claro de 1925, hoy en día la contaminación no nos permite admirarlos frecuentemente. ¡Qué pena! Pero en tiempos de Lowry seguramente el paisaje era así de maravilloso.

Rivera

Diego Rivera's famous mural dedicated to the Day of the Dead, it depicts a bit about the traditions and was the cover of the book during some time.
Famoso mural de Rivera en el cual muestra las tradiciones del día de muertos. Fue portada del libro durante algún tiempo.

white cottage

This is the house where Lowry died on the second floor. Gordon Bowker, his biographer, suspects he may have been murdered by Margerie, although his death will always be a mistery.
Esta es la casa donde murió Lowry, murió en el segundo nivel. Gordon Bowker, su biógrafo, sospecha que pudo haber sido asesinado por Margerie, aunque su muerte siempre será un misterio.

Ripe

A plaque in Ripe East Sussex England where Lowry died.
Placa colocada en la casa donde vivió y murió Lowry en Ripe, East Sussex, Inglaterra.