Honestly, I know almost nothing about T.S. Eliot as a human being aside from the following facts:
1. He was born in America but moved to England at some point, and
2. If you don’t use his middle initial in his name, it spells “toilet” backwards.
Not a lot to go on as a human, really, but I suspect I could learn more if I cared to. The fact is I don’t, because having read a few of his poems and one short story (As I Lay Dying) I have determined I don’t like his work.
Granted, it’s probably unfair to say since I haven’t read his magnum opus in The Wasteland, but I also feel no compulsion to do so. He’s just so… dreary. Turns a good phrase, crafts really evocative scenes, but gosh are they ever depressing.
I should point out that this isn’t to say I don’t think he’s good. His work is incredible. But it’s like appreciating a painting by Picasso or a building designed by Gaudi. I can admire the artistry without actually wanting to be anywhere near the work itself. They’re just not my style.
But it’s equally important to know that. Since I know what I don’t like in Eliot’s work, I can now avoid making the same creative decisions in my own work. And that’s worth something.
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!
EDIT: Ha! I forgot that As I Lay Dying is a Faulkner, not an Eliot! Gosh, that’s embarrassing. I don’t like either of them, though. ^_^