I don't think I ever met the guy. (And I tend to think that I'd probably 
remember meeting him if I had met him!). And I do know I was never too sure 
what to make of his writing. All I can remember is hearing some comment 
something like, "If you want to read his poems you really should also see 
his garden!" or something like that! Which I think was a way of saying he 
didn't present poems in the conventional or usual or expected ways. But why 
mention is garden of all places????
Sometimes I can enjoy  reading lots of different types of poetry, sometimes 
I can only cope with reading it, and sometimes I just want to read what I 
know I'll enjoy.
When I think about some of the poems I've got of his nestling in the odd 
book now I guess I'm thinking that if I had gone to see his paintings, or 
heard him at a reading, I might have found more in the poems.
Bob
who's not the most skillful visual artist.

>From: Roger Collett <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Sad News
>Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 23:13:06 +0100
>
>Ian Hamilton Finlay died this morning
>
>Roger Collett
>Arrowhead Press
>http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>"Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality."
>Jules de Gaultier