David Herbert Lawrence was born today, September 11, in 1885. He was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic, and painter. Some of the issues Lawrence explored were sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity, and instinct. Among his notable works are Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, and Lady Chatterley's Lover.
While writing Women in Love, Lawrence developed a possibly romantic relationship with a Cornish farmer named William Henry Hocking. Although it is not clear if their relationship was sexual, his wife, Frieda Weekley, said she believed it was. Lawrence's fascination with the theme of homosexuality, which is overtly manifested in Women in Love, could be related to his own sexual orientation.
In a letter written during 1913, he wrote, "I should like to know why nearly every man that approaches greatness tends to homosexuality, whether he admits it or not ..." He is also quoted as saying, "I believe the nearest I've come to perfect love was with a young coal-miner when I was about 16." However, given his enduring and robust relationship with Frieda it is likely that he was primarily bicurious, and whether he actually ever had homosexual relations remains an open question.
