A life backwards, by alexander masters the independent. Adaptation of alexander masters critically acclaimed memoir of homeless alcoholic stuart shorter, recounting his complicated life story in reverse. Stuart clive shorter, the subject of this remarkable biography, was a homeless man whom alexander masters, a former physics student, met in. You are an exhomeless, exjunkie psychopath, i do not add. If your cloud dvr fills up, well make space by deleting. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely.
When stuart shorter a homeless alcoholic with a violent past meets writer and charity worker alexander masters, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Sep 23, 2007 when stuart shorter a homeless alcoholic with a violent past meets writer and charity worker alexander masters, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq. The cameras are rolling as filming begins on a production of alexander masters acclaimed cambridgebased novel, stuart. Jan 02, 2006 stuart, a life backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, alexander and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison. This brilliant biography, winner of the guardian first book award, presents a humbling portrait of homeless life, and is. Its available to watch on tv, online, tablets, phone. Alexander stewart this is your life official video duration. As alexander learns more about stuarts complicated life and traumatic childhood, he asks if he can write his story and stuart advises him to tell the story backwards. Scattered with glimpses of the authors friendship with stuart in the years before his death, masters gives us stuarts life in reverse, tracing his route backwards through the postoffice heists and attempts at suicide and the spells inside many of this. Stuart by alexander masters paperback harpercollins. Double bafta awardwinner jack thornes new play tells the story of an unlikely friendship and of stuarts entire life told backwards by. I have rarely been so affected by a book and reading about the life of stuart shorter was a terrifying experience. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely friendship, and a desperate world few ever see.
As alexander learns more about stuarts complicated life and traumatic childhood, he asks if he can write his story and stuart advises him to tell the story backwards, so that its more. Masters, alexander 2011, the genius in my basement, harper collins ome, isbn 9780007445271. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. A writer cumberbatch takes a backwards look at the life of his unlikely friend stuart hardy, a homeless alcoholic who experienced a traumatic event in hi. A life backwards, published in 2005, masters set out to explore the life of a wholly unknown man he had met begging on a street in cambridge. With a keen writers eye, a gift for narrative and a friendship that lasted only four years, masters recounts the life of stuart clive shorter whose untimely death in 2002 inspired this work. Feb, 2014 alexander masters is the author of stuart. It explores how a young boy, somewhat disabled from birth, became mentally unstable, criminal and violent, living homeless on the streets of cambridge. These titles were created a long with animated vignettes throughout this adaptation of alexander masters book.
My only regret or concern is that at the end of the book i was surprised to see that alexander masters did not thank stuart shorter for providing the material for this book. Alexander stewart best damn thing official music video. Apr 07, 2006 stuart, a life backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, alexander and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison. The titles were designed in the same style as stuart a life backwards titles on vimeo. If it wasnt for stuarts full disclosure and willingness to share his life story, there would be no stuart, a life backwards. This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. A life backwards by alexander masters librarything. Alexander was convicted in 2004 of the murder of three state and usda meat compliance officials in 2000. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office. Stuart was homeless, with many of the problems this subsection of english society display. A life backwards bbc2, 9pm by his own admission, stuart clive shorter was the nightmare you frighten your kids with the kind of homeless person you. This brilliant biography, winner of the guardian first book award, presents a humbling portrait of homeless life, and is as extraordinary and unexpected as the man it describes.
Alongside this alexander looks backwards over stuart s adult life and childhood to try and discover what went wrong with his life. And a lot has gone wrong with stuart s life, from gluesniffing, to drug addiction and alcoholism, from minor crime to car theft, robbery, violence and possible charges of attempted murder. A life backwards by alexander masters harpercollins. But you are not an assassin trying to frazzle the president with anthrax bombs, i point out. In a life backwards, stuart gradually takes the author alexander masters and the reader back in time and shows how his life experiences as a child and young adult shaped him into becoming the person that alexander sees which is an unstable adult who eventually looses his life. A life backwards tv movie 2007 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
A life backwards, the 2007 bbc dramatization of his biography of stuart shorter. Shocking, inspiring, and hilarious by turns, stuart. Jan 25, 2011 this website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. A life backwards was a 2007 bbc film based on the award winning biography, penned by alexander masters, of stuart clive shorter a homeless man living on the streets of cambridge in the year 2000. Nov 23, 2006 the cameras are rolling as filming begins on a production of alexander masters acclaimed cambridgebased novel, stuart. As alexander learns more about stuart s complicated life and traumatic childhood, he asks if he can write his story and stuart advises him to tell the story backwards, so that its more. A life backwards, the new book by alexander masters, deserves every accolade that can be awarded. A whodunit journey back in time, it begins with masters meeting a drunken stuart lying on a sidewalk in cambridge, england, and leads through layers of hell.
Along the way he met stuart, a homeless, drugaddicted excon. A life backwards has been shortlisted for the samuel johnson. Dec 15, 2006 my only regret or concern is that at the end of the book i was surprised to see that alexander masters did not thank stuart shorter for providing the material for this book. This brilliant biography, winner of the guardian first book award, presents a humbling portrait of homeless life, and is as extraordinary and unexpected as. Stuart, a life backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, alexander and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a.
A writer cumberbatch takes a backwards look at the life of his unlikely friend stuart hardy, a homeless alcoholic who experienced a traumatic event in his childhood. I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that i hardly know where to begin. A life backwards kindle edition by masters, alexander. A writer benedict cumberbatch documents the life of a homeless alcoholic tom hardy who has a violent past. Stuart, a life backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, alexander and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Tom hardy benedict cumberbatch nicola duffett 2007 a writer benedict cumberbatch documents the life of a homeless alcoholic tom hardy who has a violent past.
Told backwards stuart s idea it starts with a deeply troubled thirtytwoyearold and ends with a happy pdfgolucky little boy of twelve. A life backwards starring tom hardy in this drama on directv. Stuart charles the sausage king alexander march 22, 1961 december 27, 2005 was an american businessman and heir of the santos linguisa sausage factory, which was founded by a late great aunt, pia santos, and her husband, antonio, in san leandro, california in 1921. Buy stuart by alexander masters with free delivery. September 2011, manchesterborn singer alexander stewart released his debut album all or nothing at all to critical acclaim. My friend stuart alexander masters has won the guardian first book award for his biography of a psychopathic homeless man. A life backwards by alexander masters in this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely friendship, and a desperate world few ever see. Hes after a bestseller, like what tom clancy writes. A life backwards 1st harper perennial edition by alexander masters isbn.
Racing through the proof copy, i took it at first to be a blackly comic novel. Alexander stewart best damn thing official music video get best damn thing here. A life backwards, by alexander masters, a portrait of a. As the title of both book and film suggests, the book took the unusual approach of detailing stuarts life from his adult life down through to his childhood. Alexander masters has been portrayed by benedict cumberbatch in stuart. I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that i hardly.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading stuart. The stellar blend of original material, clever rearrangements of some famous standards, alongside great pop songs, became a surefire hit, confirming a place for alexander stewart in the heart of the uk music scene. You can watch recordings anytime, anywhere with your cloud dvr. Stuart, a life backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, alexander and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison. A life backwards by alexander masters in djvu, epub, fb2 download ebook. Told backwards stuarts idea it starts with a deeply troubled thirtytwoyearold and ends with a happygolucky little boy of twelve. Told backwards stuarts idea it starts with a deeply troubled thirtytwoyearold and ends with a happy pdfgolucky little boy of twelve. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Alexander masters, or as his subject stuart shorter calls him, middle class c, narrates the life story of a man most of us would literally step over on the street, with no overt solution on how he may be rescued. A backwards life revealed in stuart alexander masters spent five years working in hostels for the homeless. Stuart shorters brief life was one of turmoil and chaos.
Terrifying because, written backwards as it is, i knew i was coming closer with every page to some kind of explanation for what happened to stuart in his early life. In this remarkable book, a masterful act of biographical restoration, alexander masters retraces stuart s troubled journey. Alexander stewart backwards piano version duration. Alexander masters is an author and homeless worker. A gripping whodoneit journey back in time, it begins with masters meeting a drunken stuart lying on a sidewalk in cambridge, england, and. Get free shipping on stuart by alexander masters, from. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait. And a lot has gone wrong with stuarts life, from gluesniffing, to drug addiction and alcoholism, from minor crime to car theft, robbery, violence and possible charges of. A life backwards is a writers quest to give voice to a man who, beneath his forbidding exterior, has a message for us all. Dec 09, 2005 my friend stuart alexander masters has won the guardian first book award for his biography of a psychopathic homeless man. A life backwards, the biography of a cambridge homeless man could also go by the title stuart. Mar 05, 2014 a writer cumberbatch takes a backwards look at the life of his unlikely friend stuart hardy, a homeless alcoholic who experienced a traumatic event in hi.