Alison, Jill: My knowledge of whatever conflicts in Australian poetry 
ends with Ern Malley, so this is all very helpful.

The split in the US is roughly along the lines of descendants of The 
New American Poetry and whoever else. Again, very roughly, it's 
concerned with what a poem's for, what kind of tool for discovery it 
is, and how to use it as such--questions central to what we do, and I 
think inevitable. My own very limited experience of Australian poetry 
is that most of the Australian poets I know fall within the vague 
boundaries of what I consider my home, but I couldn't generalize from 
that.  Ashbery seems to be central for more poets than he is here or 
in Britain.

Some of my own sense of possibility may indeed have to do with age, 
but not in the way discussed. One's practice trains one, and one 
identifies with it. When I was younger I probably could have tossed 
off the occasional poem-as-planned-event, tho even when I was writing 
sonnets it didn't really work for me. Now, it would feel like doing 
something other than writing poetry. I like to keep my tools clean.

At this point and for a long time our poetry wars havn't been about 
gender. How does that operate, Jill?

Mark

At 06:14 AM 3/28/2006, you wrote:
>Hi Alison,
>
>>Funny, I thought you were my g-g-generation...not that I think, either, that
>>generation particularly matters.
>
>Well, I still think I'm 18, and some people think I'm in my mid-30s. 
>So I guess I'm just a great big kiddy anyway.
>
>>  I didn't change the review, and perhaps
>>that partly explains my vertiginous placing as an "Australian poet" and my
>>intense dislike of "sides".
>
>'Vertiginous' has become my middle name - especially after all my 
>recent problems - and I too dislike 'sides', even those generated by 
>friends and colleagues of mine in poetry world.
>
>>I'm
>>thinking of the view you might have from Kinsella's anthology Landbridge,
>>for instance.
>
>I'm sorry, I think that volume flawed and not just for the obvious 
>reason. No point in taking that one further.
>
>>This might have as much to do with being a young culture as
>>anything else, the lack of that weight of tradition which weighs down
>>European writers for instance.
>
>There may be a lack of tradition (but look what Ern Malley's 
>detractors did). On the other hand, a tradition is something to kick 
>against. But, sure, there's some truth in what you say.
>
>
>>I personally think it's a fabulous time to be an
>>Australian poet. Whatever that is.
>
>Is there a specific thing you're meaning here, Alison? I'd rather 
>agree than disagree and I certainly don't want to be part of the 
>great Australian poetry 'moanathon' (not my phrase, but useful). I'm 
>certainly busy on a lot of projects and bits and bobs and whatevers 
>which keep me working too far into my off hours, rather than having 
>a life. Because I am having a life, this particular writing life.
>
>
>>Being situated nowhere, or worse, falsely situated, is my experience
>>absolutely.  It probably explains why I hang around theatre.
>
>Yes, falsely situated as well. Such as any situating goes. Which is 
>the main issue here, isn't it? The near silence, the non-discussion, 
>the very eeriness of essentially being one's only audience and critic.
>
>
>>And I'm kind of
>>shocked to hear that your sexuality has played into that feeling, a sad
>>surprise, as you say.
>
>Yep, sure is. It would have been better not to have been told. 
>Though it's par for the course still, in many areas. Oh well, jolly 
>hockey sticks and always keep a straight (in a manner of speaking) 
>bat. There are worse things.
>
>Best,
>Jill
>
>
>_______________________________________________________
>Jill Jones
>
>Latest books:
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>
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>
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>
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