On the 5-6 occasions I taught "Modern British Poetry" to graduate students
& undergraduates in the USA, David Jones and Dylan Thomas represented my
coverage of Welsh poetry. Which subsequent figures would you treat, and
why? Is Doug Lang, originally from Swansea but resident of Wash DC for
about 30 years now, still considered a Welsh poet? What would I be missing
if I chose to view rarely-screened documentaries by Chris. Marker and Jean
Cocteau instead of witnessing a local appearance by Robert Minhinnick?
"Robert Minhinnick, named "the leading Welsh poet of his generation" (The
Sunday Times), has produced eight collections of poetry, several books on
the environment in Wales, and essays on Albania, California, Brazil, and
the "absurd zones" of the world. Called a combination of Martin Amis and
Bruce Chatwin, Minhinnick is editor of the Poetry Wales magazine, whose
latest column - and his reading at Georgetown - will showcase the work of
Dylan Thomas."
Barry Alpert
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