Peter Riley:
>"Tittivating footnote to recent comments on Bloodaxe catalogue and JH Prynne.
>In the new catalogue Bloodaxe have decided to put a face photograph of
>every poet against his/.her books... JHP doesn't approve of poets'
photographs. >Opposite the notice of his
>Poems is a strange "portrait" whether of JHP's doing or not...You have to
admire >someone who stands against the tide like that. All
>other poets (without exception) say "Oh yes I'd love to have my photograph
>printed." He recognises that it means something inappropriate, and
>insists."
Whatever my personal views of Bloodaxe and their hilarious blurbs are or of
photographs of poets in books etc I fail to see how someone not wanting their
photo in is somehow superior to someone who wants one or doesn't mind.
Whatever reasons Prynne has for doing whatever he does has nothing to do with
being somehow better than others. i have noticed Peter that you are one of
the first to react strongly when someone on the list brings in some political
angle >if from the left< and yet you seem to be applying that very criteria
here, inferring, if I am not mistaken, that because Prynne does not partake
in the selling of his 'image' then he is to be praised.
This, regarding Prynne, applies to his other self-chosen exclusions etc. It
reminds me of the Led Zeppelin ploy of not putting singles out. They were
considered to be very 'hip' for this, far superior to bands who did issue
singles for the 'pop' market. It was a great ploy because it sold their
image. This has nothing to do with the merits of their music - any more than
it is to do with the merits of Prynne's material.
I have never seen Prynne but I imagine him as looking a little like Davros -
I've no idea why.
Tim A.
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