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Birth
Paul Frederic Bowles was born on this date in Jamaica, New York City, United States to Claude Bowles and Rena Winnewisser. He taught himself literacy at the age of two and begins to produce stories at age 3. Bowles produces his first poem at age four. -
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Life of Paul Bowles
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Beginning of Education
At age 6, Bowles begins his education in second grade at the Model School in Jamaica. -
Graduation
Bowles graduates Model School in 1924 and attends three semesters at Flushing High School and is then transferred to Jamaica High School. -
Begins Writing Crime Stories
During a summer he spent with his aunt, Bowles begins to write crime stories based on a character called "The Snake Woman." -
First Publication
Bowles achieves his first literary publication for the Jamaican High School Magazine, The Oracle. He is also introduced to Buckminster Fuller. -
First Poem Publication
Bowles publishes his first surrealist poem, "Spire Song" and becomes almost obsessed with blues music. Bowles graduates from from Jamaica High School in 1928 and enters a four month program at the School of Design and Liberal Arts in NYC and wins two awards. In September 1928, he enters the University of Virginia at Charlottesville. -
Bowles absconds to France
Bowles absconds to France without telling his parents. He was given the chance to meet Sergei Prokofiev, one of the blues artists he admired, but he took fright and fled to the French-German border. After absconding to France Bowles had $25 left and worked as a telephone switchboard operator and then in the foreign exchange department. Bowles leaves Paris on July 24, 1929. -
Back to Paris!
Bowles meets Gertrude Stein in Paris and then has the opportunity to meet more people through him. He then travels to Berlin to further his study in music composition. -
Arrival in Morocco
Bowles arrives to Fes with his companion Aaron Copeland. He then traveled to Spain and then back to Paris. -
Sickness
Bowles becomes terribly ill after skiing in the Italian Alps and required hospitalization in Turin. -
Composes Memnon
Memnon is a song cycle based on texts by Cocteau, who was a French writer, designer, artist, playwright and filmmaker. -
All-Bowles Concert
Bowles joins the World Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Music Project as a research assistant. He also begins to write music for people. -
Marriage
Paul Bowles married Jane Auer in Manhattan and began their honeymoon March 1, 1938. They brought with them 27 suitcases, 2 wardrobe trunks, a typewriter and a record player along the Japanese freighter. They went to Panama, then Costa Rica and Guatemala then Barbados. -
Move to New York
After writing music for the Group Theatre's production, him and his wife moved into a farmhouse near Prince's Bay, Staten Island, NY. -
Achievements and Resignation
Bowles resigns his job as a music critic and has completed incidental music pieces fora total of 5 Broadway plays. -
Moves to Fes, Morocco
Bowles moves to Fes and checks into a hotel and begins working on his novel "The Sheltering Sky", which was a New York Times best-seller and critiqued very positively. He then sends a letter to his wife telling her to move to Tangier, Morocco, where he eventually bought living quarters for only $500. -
Departure to Tangier and Completion of Book
Bowles completes his novel "The Sheltering Sky" in 1948 and departs to Tangier on this day. -
Published Books
Bowles publishes "The Delicate Prey and Other Stories". -
Composition of more novels...
Bowles and Moroccan artist Ahmed Yacoubi sail to New York where they spend most of their winter. He begins to compose "Cantata" and "In the Summer House". -
Return to New York
Bowles returns to New York to write music for the Tennessee Williams play "Sweet Bird of Youth" and Jane Bowles is hospitalized. -
Return to Morocco
Bowles returns back to Tangier and moves into his summer house at the beginning of May. Bowles begins writing "Up Above the World". -
Up Above the World is Published
Bowles' book "Up Above the World" is published by Simon and Schuster. -
Death of Parents
Bowles' mother died in June 1966 and his father passed away a few days later. -
Composing Music
Bowles composes music for the American School of Tangier in this period of time, and his wife's, Jane's, healh is declining. Because of this, she never returns to Tangier. -
Death of Jane Bowles
Jane Bowles died in Malaga, Spain on this day due to her declining health. -
Composing Music
Bowles composes "Cross Country" for two pianos. -
Release of motion-picture
On this date, Bowles' famous book, "The Sheltering Sky" ws made into a major motion picture and he traveled to Paris to see it. -
Death of Paul Bowles
Paul Bowles dies on this date in Tangier, Morocco. His body was shipped to America in 2000 and was cremated and placed in a memorial.
