E.M. Forster finished writing his novel Maurice in 1913
On this day in 1913 author E.M. Forster finished work on the first draft of his novel Maurice.
The book tells the tale of Maurice Hall a young man who develops a romantic relationship with his university friend Clive Durham. His heart is broken when Clive marries, leading Maurice to explore various avenues to cure himself of homosexuality. He later falls in love with Alec Scudder, one of the workers on Durham’s estate. The novel explores class difference and attitudes towards homosexuality, while at its core being a same-sex love story.
Forster showed the novel to only a few close confidants and it was not published until 1971 after his death. He revised the work several times, first in 1932 and then again in 1959 – 60.
The author felt it was not publishable due to negative attitudes towards homosexuality in Britain. Forster passed away in 1970 aged 91, the novel was found with a note attached reading “Publishable, but worth it?”
During his life Forster found success with many other books including A Room With a View, Passage to India, Howards End, Where Angels Fear to Tread and The Longest Journey. He also authored many short stories, plays, travel essays and literacy criticism.
Maurice was adapted into a feature film in 1987, it was one of the first film roles for Hugh Grant who played Clive, James Wilby portrayed Maurice, while Rupert Graves took on the role of Alec.
Singer Janis Joplin died in 1970 at just 27 years of age
Singer Janis Joplin is remembered for her powerful voice and the hard partying which lead to her early death at the age of just twenty-seven.
In the years since her passing, it’s also been recognised that Joplin was bisexual and had many relationships with both men and women.
Born in Texas in 1943, Joplin suffered bullying during her school years and found solace in the music of blues greats including Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Lead Belly. She began performing blues numbers with school friends, and when she went to college, she joined a folk trio.
In 1962 she dropped out of college and hitchhiked to San Francisco. She began recording music, but also struggled with addiction to methamphetamine, heroin and psychogenic substances. Friends banded together to buy her a bus fare home to Texas where with the help of her family she returned to good health.
By 1966 she had returned to San Francisco where she joined psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. The band toured the west coast of America and began building up a loyal fanbase and the following year released their debut album. Soon the band was being billed with Joplin’s name out the front.
In 1968 the band covered the song Piece of My Heart, which was originally recorded the previous year by Erma Franklin, the older sister of soul singer Aretha Franklin. The song became Joplin’s signature tune.
Joplin had gone solo by the time she appeared at the legendary Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. By this stage the singer’s drinking and drug taking was growing again and at times it seriously affected her ability to perform. The singer continued to tour and spend time in the studio working on her next album, but she was increasingly reliant on alcohol and drugs.
Joplin was found dead on the floor of her hotel room at the Landmark Motel in Los Angeles on this day in 1970, her body discovered by her road manager and close friend John Byrne Clarke. The coroner later ruled her death was a heroin overdose and that alcohol was also a factor, describing in her passing as an accidental death.
In 1970 the posthumous album Pearl became the biggest of her career and included her take on Me and Bobby McGee, a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, that had first been performed by Roger Miller.
Joplin’s death at 27 shocked music fans and followed just a month after the death of Canned Heat singer Alan Wilson. Just sixteen days after Joplin’s death, guitarist Jimi Hendrix also passed away. All three were 27 years old at the time of their passing.
The collective deaths are often referred to as the 27-club, an informal list of actors, artists and musicians who have died from overdoses. The following year The Doors’ Jim Morrison would overdose at the same age, and the Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones would also be added to the list. In later years Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, artist Jean Michel Basquiat and singer Amy Winehouse would also be 27 years old at the time of their passing.
Joplin left behind four studio albums, two with Big Brother and the Holding Company, and two solo records. Over the years several live recordings have also been released. She is remembered as one of the best rock singers of all time.
Monty Python star Graham Chapman died in 1989
Comedian Graham Chapman who was a co-founder of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, died of throat cancer at the age of 48, on this day in 1989. He was survived by his partner of 23 years, David Sherlock, and John Tomiczek who the couple adopted as a teenager in 1971.
Chapman had played the lead role in several of the comedy troupe’s films including Holy Grail and The Life of Brian. He first came out during an appearance on a television show in 1972. He was a vocal spokesperson for gay rights and one of the few prominent celebrities who spoke about being gay.
Famous people born on this day
Former Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir celebrates her 82nd birthday, internationally acclaimed theatre director Robert Wilson is also 83 today, while Chris Lowe from Pet Shop Boys is 66 today.
