Branwell by Douglas Martin
Branwell by Douglas Martin, graduate, the MFA in Creative Writing at The New School.
Soft Skull Press, 2006
Barnes & Noble: As the only son, Branwell Bronte—brother of Charlotte, Emily and Anne—is expected to make the fortune for the family and immortalize the Bronte name. Given no formal education, he is painstakingly tutored by his father, and writes endless stories and poems with his sisters in their small parsonage home. Haunted by the early deaths of his mother and sister, both named Maria, Branwell is unable to reach his heart’s desire: to be a great artist. He roams from job to job, as painter, railway man, and tutor, constantly writing and sketching as his sisters spin and fume on the dark moor with the stories that will immortalize them.
Douglas Martin uncovers Branwell’s lost loves and thwarted talent, and circles around his unnamable sexuality. Maintaining the haunting quality of childhood memory throughout, Branwell is a poignant exploration of the tragic figure of the Bronte brother and the dismal, dazzling landscape that inspired his sisters to greatness.