Quite right about the grumpy nature of my reaction, Kent, I was writing late
at night, a bad habit I must get out of, and the context I was coming from
was so tangentially wonky as to beggar belief (that well known pauper).
I'd been talking to people at my local theatre who'd been seeing a certain
Liverpool poet (it was a sell-out performance, in more ways than one). I
made the point to them that, though I had no problem with that poet's
success, what galled my kibe was that there are people who are far better
who wouldn't even be given a shot at the venue. They blithely agreed, and
happily added that saw about 'death being a career move' for a poet, that is
to say, unless you happen to be associated with something media-friendly,
like writing the lyrics to a hit song, it's to be expected and even alright
that a poet is ignored, largely, while alive. Hence my scowling on the
subject.
Best that I don't say anything about the circumstances of Veronica's death
(I've heard, as well as read, multiple versions of it, that all conflict) I
shouldn't have mentioned it in the first place. She was about 28/29 btw.
Her poems do have a peculiar music all of their own, and a headlong
individuality of voice.
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: "KENT JOHNSON" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 2:05 AM
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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