Dear Peter, Geraldine and everyone

I owe you a big apology: "Wow! Poets - eat your hearts out!" was meant to be
my heart too - but I can see I entirely got that wrong. Sorry.

However, I'm not sorry about raising the 'good/bad' poetry debate here. I
was lucky enough to discuss this issue today with poet Caroline Gilfillan
who is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of East Anglia and
Lisa D'Onofrio, poet and community literature officer. We had the same sort
of turmoil as on the List - but... Though we each come from entirely
different backgrounds and carry many opposing views, our common - and
comradely - desire is to promote the writing of poetry, the reading of
poetry, the purchase of poetry, the broadcasting of poetry, the performance
of poetry among the entire populace.

Variously, among the three of us, there are elements of leading edge
poetics, academia and community all mixed up. That is wonderful. More
wonderful is that we're wholeheartedly working together.

I'm so sorry to have been Don Quixote here.

***

I am not into proletcult at all. However, I've read a lot about it and even
fought against it in my time. But we all have backgrounds and differences.
The Quill Writing Group I work with in Gt. Yarmouth - fast growing in
number - really want to buzz with the 'new' in the world and especially
within themselves. But only in an understanding from where they're starting
from can they really be included in the bigger picture (and The List,
hopefully). Their rhyming couplets are drawn from popular music and women's
magazines (sic). The distance they're travelling in their 20s, 30s, 40s,
50s, 60s, 70s and 80s - in their development - is like raising the high jump
bar from a foot to six foot.

In reaching three foot of their investigations, enquiries and desires who
could tell them: that's not 'good' yet.

***

On the grapevine I'm hearing a lot of writing/poetry groups are declining in
numbers in Britain. I don't think this would be good for poetry in the UK.
This would make it even easier to cut the Literature Budget.

***

For all my bolshie asides I am a soft hearted pluralistic liberal poet who
really wants to develop poetry for all. But if I've offended as a co-List
Manager here I will not be at all offended - in anyway - to be stood down.

***

Whatever, I will now begin to relate some fantastic projects coming up for
me:- The Black Box, Inprint poets/artists collective, two amazing
residencies (in which I get to work with people in care, junior school
children, a photograper and a composer), the Norwich Fringe Festival, The
Poetry Vending Machine, Interface (as InToFace), a poetry/dance project and
a new poetry cabaret opening up in Lowestoft.

All sincere best wishes, Rupert