Dear Alison
>I was made very uncomfortable by David's assertion that because
Rebecca was a "paid professional" she had no right to comment on the
sexism she perceived in David's posts.<
I didn't make such an assertion, I did say that I resented Rebecca implying
that my unpaid work in a poetry workshop was somehow sexist. You know, there
was one occasion on which 'The Poet Laureate of Nottingham' , believe it or
not such an entity exists, visited our workshop, which has a 50-50
male/female membership, and receives no subsidy. On that night most of the
women members were not present, just by chance, so +he+ put in a report
about us that we were prejudiced against women although the workshop
standard was high. That this person who was exploiting links to the official
bodies chose to use us in this fashion infuriated me, after all, East
Midlands Arts has no power over it, it's a self-funding group, unlike our
readings.
As for Carol Anne Duffy it's better if I tell you about that b-c and then
maybe you'll understand why I was angry at her, it's not a nice story. I
don't hold any anger at Rebecca and am quite happy for the issue to desist
between she and me. I did feel a need to make some kind of reply to the
number of posts she had made overnight. Now as for poetry, Ms Croggon, do
you think my view that 'How bad the smell' manages the idea that was behind
my, erm, 'notorious poem' rather more successfully?
I'm waiting for feedback on that but keep getting statements on other poems,
including the unmentionable one!
Love and Peace, in these dark days
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Leicester, England
Home Page
A Chide's Alphabet
Painting Without Numbers
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
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