On Thursday 10 January at 18.30 Lawrence Crutcher will be giving a talk about his recently published biography of John Keats's brother, titled George Keats of Kentucky: A Life (Topics in Kentucky History, 2012). Admittance to this event is free but as numbers are limited, advance booking is essential (06 678 42 35 / [email protected]).

John Keats's biographers have rarely been fair to George Keats (1797-1841) -- pushing him to the background as the younger brother, painting him as a prodigal son, or labeling him as the "business brother." Some have even condemned him as a heartless villain who took more than his fair share of an inheritance and abandoned the ailing poet to pursue his own interests. In this authoritative biography, author Lawrence M. Crutcher demonstrates that George Keats deserves better. Crutcher traces his subject from Regency London to the American frontier, correcting the misconceptions surrounding the Keats brothers' relationship and revealing the details of George's remarkable life in Louisville, Kentucky.

Brilliantly illustrated with more than ninety color photographs, this engaging book reveals how George Keats embraced new business opportunities to become an important member of the developing urban community. In addition, George Keats of Kentucky offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into nineteenth-century life, commerce, and entrepreneurship in Louisville and the Bluegrass.

In 2006 Crutcher happened upon unpublished Keats family materials in Louisville which gave him the incentive to write George Keats.  Its last chapter was originally conceived as an epilogue, detailing Keats’ descendants. Soon it became a book in its own right, The Keats Family, published in 2009.

Crutcher is a g-g-g-grandson of George Keats. Coincidentally he is a g-g-g-g-g-g-g-grandson of Squire Boone, brother of Daniel Boone, making him a tenth generation Kentuckian.