The poetry books I have of David Harsent are 'Mister Punch', 'Selected
Poems', and 'News from the Front'. I remember being particularly struck
by 'Mister Punch' but by 'News from the Front' my interest was waning.
I didnt know he had had a book since then. I shouldnt think it is
still on the shelves. I also read a novel of his, which wasnt too bad.
Autobiographical about a love affair as I remember. The book he has
edited re Hamilton etc would interest me but I have never seen it.
I dont have access to Amazon anymore to look it up. And my memory is
beginning to tell me that 'News from the Front' is bad. I will have
to dig it out.

My view on L&T has hardened now and I view it as a mediocre album.
I dont think much of the lyrics which previously I was comparing
the personal touches therein with the poems in SALT. Almost everybody
else thinks differently and I feel the real problem for me is
Dylan's voice which is inaccessible to me in a way not to an American.

And I am stirring re Rupert's books. I am hoping William Oxley,
who is due a major heart operation, will be able to find a home
for them via South West Arts in Exeter. But they may be in Manchester
which would be impossible. I hope the Arts Council can work
something out.



Douglas Clark, Bath, England           mailto: [log in to unmask]
Lynx: Poetry from Bath  ..........  http://www.bath.ac.uk/~exxdgdc/lynx.html

On Tue, 22 Jan 2002, Martin J. Walker wrote:

> Dear Douglas, glad to see you back again ~ your mail inspired me to look up
> David Harsent on the net, as I too, without anything like the same
> acquaintance with recent British poetry that you have, remembered his
> earlier work & in addition very much value the libretto for _Gawain_, which
> I can take delight in as a dramatic poem by itself (& of how many libretti
> can that be said?). I discovered a very positive review ( in _The Richmond
> Review) of  _A Bird's Idea of Flight_, published 1998 by Faber, which sounds
> very interesting. Have you discounted this? The contents of the review make
> me feel it's my kind of thing, but I'd like to know what you or any others
> feel about it before I spend some of my last remaining shekels on the
> volume. And what about the book _Another Round at the Pillars_ ed. Harsent
> on the subject of Hamilton & the lit. London of the last 30 years? Is it as
> good as the (publisher's?) blurb on the Net says? I rather like reading
> about literary feuds & so on, as isolated as I am from all that fiddle.
> Best, Martin
> PS By the way, to pick up an ancient thread of yours, I've just got round to
> the latest Dylan  & must confirm your enthusiasm for the lyrics but also
> register my delight in the music, perhaps the best overall album since
> _Blood on the Tracks_; I don't have any trouble listening to Dylan's voice
> or accent myself. With rock &c one nearly always has to check the written
> lyrics, with most opera & Lieder too, actually.
>