William Blake: The Gates of Paradise

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Ironically, this biography of William Blake (1757–1827), a poet,
painter, and engraver, may suffer the same fate that Blake did, that of
being largely ignored. In the same way that, tragically, Blake’s
creative talents were not recognized by his contemporaries, it would be
equally wrong if this superbly written story of his life were to be
overlooked by today’s youth. Unfortunately, while most adolescents can
readily identify countless contemporary popular culture icons, few would
likely be able to say anything about William Blake. Yet the example of
Blake’s committed passion for his art should resonate with teens,
especially those who are trying to express their individuality in
creative ways.

Bedard’s work could serve as an exemplar for other biographies
written for adolescents. The contents are well researched and supported
by source notes, a selected bibliography, and an index. He has elected
to share Blake’s life in a chronological fashion and, where
appropriate, digresses to provide readers with the necessary historical
background to understand a particular happening. His text is generously
illustrated with black-and-white images of Blake’s work, the settings
in which he worked, and the people in his life. Given that Blake’s
handcolouring of his engravings was a significant aspect of his work, it
is regrettable that the sole full-colour examples are limited to the
dust jacket and the book’s endpapers. This is a must purchase for
school and public libraries. Highly recommended.