Interesting on position of academia and Irish poets. As cris pointed out,
the academic thing is quite recent in Britain too: the number of poets who
were quite well known before they obtained a degree. But I think some of us
are late entries to teaching because of the expansion of higher ed here
(something a visitor to Edge Hill from Trinity College Dublin said was not
the case in Ireland), and particularly in recent years in creative writing
(which I hope is to the good). Doesn't Maurice teach literature (there's a
reference to such in a piece on Roy Fisher the world will see shortly).
I wonder too why poets might need an HQ, but that's how the Poetry Society
operated. Certainly flesh-meets are important in creating literary
communities, but I guess you'll disagree.
I didn't see Keith's assertion that it was the day (which day: first last
ort middle??) thatr LngPo died. I didn't notice. What I did notice was the
fact that US poetries could no longer ignore the Irish, Australian, UK and
Canadian presences there. That was exciting.
Robert
----- Original Message -----
From: Mills, Billy <[log in to unmask]>
To: British (E-mail) <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2000 3:12 PM
Subject: re: loose thoughts
> Hi
>
> It strikes me reading some of the recent mails in this thread just how far
> from the academy the Irish alternatives are. None of the Irish poets who
> have read at the Cork gigs have jobs in Eng Lit!
>
> I also wonder why (pace Robert), poets should feel the need for a HQ? And
> why defeat, unless you imagine you will be famous, and then aren't The
only
> real defeat is the inevitable fact that the work you do is never as good
as
> the work you imagine.
>
> A further stray thought. Wasn't Assembling Alternatives really more
> important in the history of the US scene? As Keith Tuma wrote to the
Buffalo
> list, you were present the day Language Poetry died.
>
> Billy
>
> hardPressed poetry
>
> Alternative Irish poetry publishing and distribution
>
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
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