have you read 'Poetic Artifice' Kent? very interesting text. what do others
think of her theories?
must say i haven't read much of her poetry.
i'd be interested, too, if David were to elaborate on her personal problems.
cheers
Will
-----Original Message-----
From: KENT JOHNSON <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, 18 April 2002 11:06
Subject: Re: Forrest-Thomson
David,
That's a surprising reaction. I think her work is terrific! A wonderful
mix of learned abstraction and lyrical elan.
There's a term, actually, that's been batted around these parts by
younger poets in the wake of Language poetry's slow death throes:
"the abstract lyric." I think her work's an exciting example--
certainly an example of how personal and emotional material can
be elegantly encased in hard-edged linguistic/conceptual stuff and
vice versa.
And she's very sharp with form, too. Sudden rhymes that ring like
faint chimes here and there, and you have to go back to really see
where the noise came from. And sometimes when you go back
there's another one...
By the way, J.H. Prynne would certainly seem to disagree with
your grumpy estimation. But how *did* she die, if you could say so
without going into details, if doing so wouldn't be appropriate. How
old was she when she died, and what was she like when you knew
her. Anything anecdotal would be appreciated. There's quite a bit of
stuff by her and about her at Jacket # 20 and a few other pieces in
an earlier issue.
thanks,
Kent
**
David B. said,
her poetry I think doesn't stand
examination, she is fast becoming a legend, whis is one of the
benefits of
an early death for a poet, it's a career move, as they say.
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