Hugh Tolhurt has unsubscribed from the list for the third time in as many
weeks, so I'm not going to bother to reply to any of this, except to say
that I agree with Alison's take on the irrelevancy of his posts clogging
the list and haven't chimed in, due to other constraints.

Though I do want to say in reply to this "Art is a waste of real
space," that, for all it's true of empty work and the empty
artist, I can't help but think of Isaiah's House in Philadelphia,
where a huge and old and nearly condemned house has been
made into a work of art, the walls embedded with shards of
glass which sketch out human figures in light, the garden full
of ruin--broken or whole statues, wheels, fans, ceramics, all
the stuff of our culture--that is conversely beautiful, and
here and there embedded in some wall or another and
written in shards of glass or broken ceramic, with all
of its shattered bits of color is Isaiah's take on this
"Art is the center of the real world."

Best,

Rebecca

Rebecca Seiferle
www.thedrunkenboat.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Hugh Tolhurst <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Oct 12, 2003 5:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Art is perverse / often there is nothing blanker

Ruark, my dear

Very interesting post and let's make this a good
thread, team. I want no more prissy backchannels
just good gutsy writing of the intelligent variety and
am happy if John Kinsella handpasses me this list
if the girls continue to be faint of heart.

[Even if only a form letter, it was good our Prime
Minister contributed, he's welcome to do so on
Arts matters again. When jvk was boss I published
forwards here from my then boss Kim Beazley MP
on arts and taxation when he led Labor Federally.
Democrats and Liberal Advisers to the Arts Minister too.

Please remember John Winston Howard's hero was a
poet called Robert Menzies, our longest serving Prime
Minister and forgive me if this sounds immodest but
the Menzies family is very close to the Tolhursts down
here in Melbourne, Australia. The grandson Robert Menzies
is a dear friend of mine who acts on the international stage].

Art, my dears, has no limits and includes matters like taxation, foreign policy, sports and tourism and it's only
the first of these that I don't write on for the party I volunteer for. My policy documents are poetry, so would be
yours if you got out of bed as early as me. Immodest again, I'm sorry but only John Winston of my correspondents here does.

'blanker' - I like blanker as a word. Is it blank to say I'm not a poet. I'm not a poet. I'm not a poet.

I'm not a musician. It's really Premier Bracks's sister who does the T-shirt project we collaborate on in 2003, she's a
fashion designer, my words are merely the copyright she
has permission to play with from Black Pepper. I'm not Black Pepper. I'm not a ghostwriter.
I'm not a ghostwriter. I'm not a ghostwriter. Some think I'm a player. I do open
the bowling for Overland vs Meanjin, it's true. It used to be the other way around,
Nathan. It used to be the other way around, Ian. It used to be the other way around, Captain.

Captain come back to us, get back on strike. There are singles through cover. I think I got engaged today.
Caroline seems brighter than me. Caroline seems brighter than me. Caroline seems brighter than me.

Speech. Speech. Speech.

No, it is written. He goes to meet Caroline. Thank you Caroline. Thank you Caroline. Thank you Caroline.

Let Mr Howard get back to us, hence the cc. Respect him
if he does. Running Australia is a bit like poetry. Blank.
blank. blanker.

Harry Kewell's goal for Liverpool was good PM. You have
respect from this person who was never a poet. I really
really love Ken Menzies's meatloaf and Mum stole the recipe. IT is pure poetry. Love to Marjorie, if you're talking,
tell them Hugh got engaged again and may for once make it stick.

I like Ashbery's line (hi John), "Go get a job in the monument industry". Dancer Lesley Braithwaite
liked my phrase 'glacier bitch' and told me from California she was too busy to actually do the t-shirts.
If they end up being Bracks Slacks apparel, payment is irrelevant. Thank you Lesley, thank you Lesley, Thank you Leslox.

What is 'often' about this Ruark? Why did you not be more decisive.

ALL ART IS A WASTE OF SPACE

Hugh Tolhurst