Hi Martin
I don't want to get this out of proportion. I do, however, think that Sheila
Murphy's poetry deserves attention. (There'll be another SPAD mag in
November, only 6 months late, with her in it among others; and WF will put
out a small pamphlet in the new year - so I am doing a little myself to
spread the word.) It had been my intention to respond to the review and let
it go at that.
I don't think you have answered my response...
One of my principal objections was to the use of redundant quotes, phrases
that could mean anything such as "good poem" and rabble rousing phrases like
"so-called". I queried how it was he had read a poem but claimed he couldn't
experience it.
These worries are little to do with the consequences of being either
conversational or discursive. It seems to me that for some reason he prefers
not to or is unable to say what he means.
A line of Orwell's - which doesn't quite fit but comes quite near this
situation - comes to mind: "the slovenliness of our language makes it easier
for us to have foolish thoughts"
L
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