User:Edward Gerald Black

I graduated MA Hons at Edinburgh University in 1963, Certificate of Education Cambridge 1964, Docteur de l'Univ. de Caen 1966, MA in Applied Linguistics London University 1980. I taught French & Spanish at Oundle School 1964/79, during which time I was Poetry Lecturer & Tutor at Randolph Quirk's famous London University Summer School of English. I escaped from Oundle to the London School of Economics & Political Science where I ended up Head of English Language & Literature. A passion has been New Orleans jazz in which I have played a role in supporting bands particularly Ken Colyer, Sonny Morris & Ashley Keating's Louisiana Shakers in Melbourne. Ken gave me his autobiography a couple of years before he died. I then set up the Ken Colyer Trust (at LSE) to publish the book. The Trust has now folded with the publication of a volume of materials for a biography, after 25 years of providing work for musicians and educational school visits, and finally donating 60,000 pounds to charities. I write on Jazz - reviews & articles - for "Just Jazz" magazine and I write poems. I live in Church Point, New South Wales, Australia and Pauanui New Zealand. So my main expertise is modern English poetry (particularly Thomas Hardy and the now sadly forgotten John Wain) and traditional jazz: articles written on Louis Armstrong, Ken Colyer, Sonny Morris, Philip Larkin's Jazz. I would be happy to help your cause in any way I can, writing or editing, but for the latter I don't appear to have the proofs you need as I have been 'retired' but not retiring since 1997! Do I qualify ?!