Dear Mairead,
Me jumping in here, a sober enthusiast on the topic of class and the arts,
finding that it translates: If you have the socioeconomic position, you can
pump your art into the "mainstream" or you can choose those whose art you
will pump. It's a rule familiar to us who have plenty of word power but
little green power, when we glance at the political, corporate, and legal
worlds in any of our countries. And it's a well worn rule for those with
few words and fewer dollar bills. But the story isn't interminably dark,
primarily because artists are pretty much ignored (kind of like an old
Quaker friend once said about education: "It's amazing that wealthy folk
will entrust the education of their young to the impoverished.") In the
arts, at times, we display our beautiful hearts and guts because we seem
unable to help ourselves, and the real-er the bleeding, gutty and beautiful
display, the closer we come to lifting the entire stage of art---in spite of
the tiresome drag.
Btw, Mairead, did you "slip" (or purposely) write "foetry" in this message?
Wonderful, either way!
Your comments that especially drew my attention:
"The biography makes clear not only how these publications were financed (by
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!"
"It was not disillusioning, but sobering, to see the extent to which class
and Harvard connections facilitated his career."
My thanks to you for your presence on this List.
Judy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mairead Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 11:05 AM
Subject: Re: Cummings
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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