T. S. Eliot In his 1934 pageant play "The Rock", Eliot distances himself from Fascist movements of the Thirties by caricaturing Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts, who 'firmly refuse/ To descend to palaver with anthropoid Jews'. The 'new evangels' of totalitarianism are presented as antithetic to the spirit of Christianity. Craig Raine, in his books "In Defence of T. S. Eliot" (2001) and "T. S. Eliot" (2006), sought to defend Eliot from the charge of anti-Semitism. Reviewing the 2006 book, Paul Dean stated that he was not convinced by Raine's argument. Nevertheless, he concluded, "Ultimately, as both Raine and, to do him justice, Julius insist,
John Cunningham (poet and dramatist) John Cunningham (poet and dramatist) John Cunningham (1729–1773) was a Dublin born playwright, poet and actor, who spent much of his life in, and according to Allan, "whose name and fame will for ever be identified with Newcastle." John Cunningham was born in 1729 in Dublin, Ireland. His parents, who were of Scottish descent, had won a lottery, risen up the social ladder, become bankrupt, and moved back down the social ladder. John went to Drogheda Grammar School, Drogheda, but had to leave when his father's wealth disappeared. Early in life he was attracted to the stage and the acting