James Keir Baxter (29 June 1926 â€" 22 October 1972) was a New Zealand
poet and playwright. He was also known as an activist for the
preservation of MÄ ori culture.Baxter was born in Dunedin[1] to
Archibald Baxter and Millicent Brown and grew up near Brighton, 20 km
south of Dunedin city. He was named after James Keir Hardie, a founder
of the British Labour Party. His father had been a conscientious
objector during the First World War. His mother had studied Latin,
French and German at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, the
University of Sydney and Newnham College, University of Cambridge.On
his first day of school, Baxter burned his hand on a stove and later
used this incident to represent the failure of institutional
education. As a child he contrasted the social order represented by
his maternal grandfather with the clan mentality of his Scottish
father and frequently drew analogies between the Highland clans and
the MÄ ori tribes. Baxter stated that he began writing poetry at the
age of seven, and he accumulated a large body of technically
accomplished work both before and during his teenage years.
poet and playwright. He was also known as an activist for the
preservation of MÄ ori culture.Baxter was born in Dunedin[1] to
Archibald Baxter and Millicent Brown and grew up near Brighton, 20 km
south of Dunedin city. He was named after James Keir Hardie, a founder
of the British Labour Party. His father had been a conscientious
objector during the First World War. His mother had studied Latin,
French and German at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, the
University of Sydney and Newnham College, University of Cambridge.On
his first day of school, Baxter burned his hand on a stove and later
used this incident to represent the failure of institutional
education. As a child he contrasted the social order represented by
his maternal grandfather with the clan mentality of his Scottish
father and frequently drew analogies between the Highland clans and
the MÄ ori tribes. Baxter stated that he began writing poetry at the
age of seven, and he accumulated a large body of technically
accomplished work both before and during his teenage years.
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