Visa For Avalon

In this chilling futuristic novel, four men and women attempt an escape to legendary Avalon after "the Movement" threatens the liberty and comforts they have taken for granted. Visa for Avalon takes place in an unnamed country and an unnamed time. In it, Bryher uses her knowledge of history and psychology to examine the eruption of a political crisis in a surprisingly familiar setting. First published in 1965, it resonates profoundly in the U.S. in 2004. The style is understated and tense as Bryher subtly suggests that closing our eyes to growing restrictions and loss of liberties does not protect us. And she offers a provocative commentary about the "paradise" of King Arthur's legendary Avalon, as well. This is a wake-up book that will encourage readers of all ages and backgrounds to defend democracy and get out and vote.

". . . An enchantment-a journey and warning into the future . . . There is no one writing English fiction today who can say so much within a few magnificently chosen words."-Horace Gregory

Bryher (1894-1983) was born in England and spent most of her adult life in Switzerland and in London. Her numerous novels and memoirs received high critical praise during her lifetime. However, nearly all of her work has been neglected during the past thirty years. Bryher was the partner of H.D., and she was the benefactor of many writers and thinkers, from Marianne Moore to Walter Benjamin. She was deeply involved in politics, film, and psychology, as well as literature. In addition to writing prolifically, she was the publisher of Contact Publishing, Life and Letters Today, and Close Up, and she helped to support the intellectual sanctum, Shakespeare and Company.