Well Alison, I like Cummings' poetry very much. And I have to say the biography included some photos of him which I liked too. But, probably as a result of my own life, I have a strong appreciation for paid work and financial/family responsibility. It disillusioned me that Cummings never worked or earned money but relied on borrowing/subventions from friends and family. It was not disillusioning, but sobering, to see the extent to which class and Harvard connections facilitated his career. When the economy of the poetry world is folded back, as it is a little here, it refreshes me to the realities of my own class/economic situation, and how this informs my career. I felt something similar when I read Bin Ramke's support letters
on the foetry site: I have never been able to generate such letters and reading them makes me aware of how little I have contented myself with, and the level of support that is necessary in order to get a book published. This is not a criticism of Bin Ramke, who has published my work in the Denver Quarterly and who has always been attentive and responsive. Just that when one lifts oneself out of one's struggle long enough to read something like the Cummings' biography, one can gain awareness about the realities, limitations, and achievements of one's own situation.
I think also my disillusionment with Cummings may relate to a general disillusionment with the romantic image of the poet; not surprisingly I am more keenly interested in the construction of the woman poet, and the reconciliation or at least co-survival of obligation to family and poetry. Nothing new here I know.
Mairead
>>> [log in to unmask] 07/30/05 5:12 AM >>>
How is the biography disillusioning, Mairead? Curious - is it just around
his privilege, or is it something else?
On 30/7/05 3:03 PM, "Mairead Byrne" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> The biography makes clear not only how these publications were financed
> (family and patrons) but also how tiny the sales were, in some cases less
> than 10 copies. That knowledge gives hope, at the same time as taking it
> away!
Hope for us all - I've said this before, but I do think of a horse bolting
out of control downhill when I contemplate the word "career" in connection
with the word "poetry"...
Best
A
Alison Croggon
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
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