I should say that one of my reasons for going to Glasgow University
forty years ago was to encourage my Scots accent (I was born and brought
up in England) cos I realised that it would be much more useful to
me than a hybrid English regional accent. This held for the 60s and 70s,
but into the 90s regional bacame very much the accent in England.
I think I made the right choice.
And regarding Candice's saying that Jeremy Prynne writes great poetry
I have already put my thoughts down in `Lynx'. But I will say, that
me being neurotic, I require emotional sustenance and JHP has never
provided me with that.
And regarding Tim Allen's latest offensive let me warn him that I heard
him read at Buckfastleigh. He would be much more rewarded if he entered
into dialogue with SEan O'Brien rather than trying to set up a slanging
match. For the past thirty years I have been open-minded to innovative
and mainstream poetry, whilst not really belonging to either, and the
only way forward is mutual respect. I have recently read Roddy Lumsden's
books and he has a genuine feel for language. It is unfortunate that
he writes an ephemarel poetry akin to Ruth Padel. But he is a poet for
all that and that should be acknowledged. I dare say that he has a greater
feel for language than most of the innovative poets around. I am very upset
at the loss of Barry Macsweeney who straddled both worlds. But Tim has
to learn that education is the only way forward. And I consider it
unfortunate that most of the current innovative poets lack a feeling
for language. In the case of the exceptions like Helen Macdonald and
Nicholas Johnson they dont use their language abaility to write a
poem that satisfies me. But that is probably bacause I am anachronistic.
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