Alexander Trocchi
Alexander Trocchi was a Scottish artist and author, born on July 30, 1925, in Glasgow. He served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1946 before transitioning to a literary and artistic career. Trocchi co-founded Merlin magazine in 1952, where he served as editor until 1955, and was influential in avant-garde circles, particularly through his reviews of prominent authors like Jean Genet and Samuel Beckett. Notably, he also edited the Paris Quarterly and was involved in the international cultural project, Project Sigma, aimed at fostering cultural innovation.
Trocchi is perhaps best known for his novels, such as "Young Adam" (1954) and "Cain's Book" (1960), which explore themes of identity, addiction, and societal marginalization. His work often reflected his personal experiences and garnered both praise and criticism, particularly for its candid portrayal of drug use. "Cain's Book" was notably banned in the UK and France. In addition to his literary contributions, Trocchi was a sculptor and painter and held a position as a guest lecturer in sculpture at St. Martin's School of Art in London. He passed away on April 15, 1984, leaving behind a legacy that resonated with the counterculture movements of the 1950s and 1960s, and gave voice to marginalized segments of society.
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Subject Terms
Alexander Trocchi
Fiction Writer
- Born: July 30, 1925
- Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
- Died: April 15, 1984
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Alexander Trocchi was born on July, 30, 1925, in Glasgow, Scotland, to Alfredo Luigi and Annie Jack (Robertson) Trocchi. An overall artist, Trocchi was a known sculpture and painter as well as a writer. Before he began his parofessional career, Trocchi enlisted and served in the Royal Navy from 1943 through 1946. In 1952, he cofounded Merlin magazine and worked as its editor in chief until 1955. While at Merlin, Trocchi reviewed such authors as Jean Genet, Samuel Beckett, and Henry Miller. From 1952 through 1955 he also edited the Paris Quarterly and the London-based Moving Times. In London, Trocchi went on to found Project Sigma or The Invisible Insurrection, an international cultural engineering project.
Trocchi served as a guest lecturer in the sculpture department at the St. Martin’s School of Art in London. He also worked as a scow captain on the Hudson River from 1956 until 1959. In 1956, Trocchi married Lyn Hicks and the couple had a son, Mark Alexander.
Trocchi was known in avant-garde circles and is best remembered for his involvement with the counterculture movements of the 1950’s and 1960’s. He was once noted as being the second most famous “junk (heroin) author,” second only to William Burroughs. To support himself and Merlin, Trocchi wrote pornographic novels for Olympia Press in France under the pseudonym of Frances Lengel.
Trocchi’s first major work, Young Adam (1954), received mixed reviews. The story centers upon Joe Taylor, a barge worker, who is implicated in a young woman’s murder. The novel evolves into a plea against the death penalty. While some saw the novel as a vivid and experimental piece of writing, others saw it as being poorly constructed and found the constant interruptions by the author distracting.
His follow up novel, Cain’s Book (1960), is thought to be more autobiographical than fictitious. The novel tells the story of a young author addicted to heroin and is filled with strikingly honest personal accounts. Again, the novel received mixed criticism, with some praising its daring honesty, while others condemned its portrayal of drug use. Cain’s Book was banned in Great Britain and France. Trocchi’s collection of short stories, The Outsiders (1961), is about a handful of characters who have no ambition, live devoid of plans or goals, and survive in the fringes and degenerate realms of society.
Alexander Trocchi died on April 15, 1984. He had the ability to write honestly and personally. His greatest literary achievement was his ability to give voice to a segment of a generation that was under represented.