This is something I say with much forethought and great reservation of
doubt-in-feeling, however, I have come to the conclusion that my only course
in respect of this list is to resign. I will miss it greatly, and all those
on it, including people I have argued with (Hi, Frederick!) but my
continuing status in 'temporary' review is not acceptable any more. I have
monitored posts in the last few months closely and at times there have been
statements that have far exceeded anything I said in terms of personal abuse
and given the general orientation of this list why someone should be on
review status for saying naughty things about members of the UK literary
establishment is bewildering, let me give a relevant quote, and of course
these are not +my+ words, this from the hallowed Brit magazine 'Poetry
Review', discussing Ruth Padel's '52 ways of looking at a poem', the article
is by Peter McDonald, the lines quite close to summary go: "Whether Padel
and her poets constitute a self-promoting 'elite' is not a question raised
in the book, but it might well occur to any reader who pays attention to the
litany of praise and hyperbole contained there."

Now these be his words, not mine, he said, defensively, in case any
accusations of libel fly through the air, but why a list like this should be
so anxious about the reputations of the UK literary establishment defeats my
mind, it is full of gangs, a few of whom can actually write, but the main
business is self-promotion, that is not some delusion of mine but something
that is blatantly obvious to any dispassionate observer and has been
commented on for years, this ain't radical stuff, Westminster Abbey and the
Tower of Big Ben aren't threatened by my saying this. That, sadly, this list
managers choose to tacitly support this, while espousing, in one case,
political views that are the opposite of it, it's rather like simultaneously
supporting liberation for Third World peasantry and New Labour's views on
criminalising beggars (that's what they plan to do, talk about reverting to
the sixteenth century) . I think the hats have got severely confused.

Anyhow, and I do say this with sorrow, this is my farewell from here, I
shall miss you all, but as soon as my censor allows the post through I shall
depart.


Love and Peace


Dave



David Bircumshaw

Leicester, England

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