Yeah, Rob. In a sense, it doesn't matter whether Sappho was a real person or
not, the construct 'Sappho' is a unified poetic entity (albeit one mostly
made up of fragments) and much more so Homer.
But Yasusada is different, in time and context. As I said before, if
Yasusada had been presented as a fiction, well, it would have been
brilliant. But as it is it's rather as if Pierre Menard had tried to pass
Don Quixote by Pierre Menard off as Don Quixote by Cervantes. Though Kent's
questioning of authenticity has point. But I can't help feel that Yasusada
was presented as it was in order to gain the maximum attention/ notoriety.
And at this point I'm starting to tear my hair out as the quibbles are
threatening on the far horizon so I'll shut up ....
Best
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Leicester, England
Home Page
A Chide's Alphabet
Painting Without Numbers
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robin Hamilton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 9:44 PM
Subject: Re: Hoaxes and Heteronymity interview
dave writes:
> Your list I find odd - Homer or Sappho may or may not have been said
> presumed persons, the truth is unknowable,
Well, Plato (who was close enough in time to her) sure as hell thought
Sappho was a real person. In the _Phaedrus_, he links her to Anacreon as
one of those most knowledgeable about love.
<g>
Robin
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