Hi Each
I had posted before, you know. In the last 12 months
Xexoxial published a pamphlet of mine a while back and I rejoined the list
to be able to circulate the advertisement.
I didn’t say much beyond the advert – I didn’t say anything beyond it –
and I suppose my understated return was missed in the excitement everyone
felt at the prospect of being able to buy new work by me.
It seemed right to rejoin given that I had been included in the anthology.
Yet for a variety of reasons, I felt ok about lurking. It’s not really my
style; but it’s been interesting. I don’t know that I have had that much
to say that’s worth hearing. I have certainly been busy.
Alison’s post though caught me unawares. I read most of what you all write
and every post she writes because it is always pertinent and perceptive;
but don’t tell her I said so. It might not be good for her if she knew the
degree of my admiration!
And on top of her voice, I heard Wyatt’s and that extraordinary poem. So I
shared my internal voices
Oh the joys and pitfalls of an always on connection. I sent it and then
realised that I had spoken when I had a cloth over my head and was
supposed to be a lamp standard. Oh well, so it goes, I thought; but it was
nearly missed again, it seems!
No harm is done by my outing and I am delighted at the warmth of the
response. Thank you.
Goldsmiths isn’t just an art college. I think the demi gods who steer us
towards whatever it is would face a collapse of the London University
federation with a brave equanimity. They might not even play up as the
empire broke into Ptolemaic kingdoms; but they would play the game.
It’s true that Goldsmiths has contributed an artist pickled in money; and
I believe Ms V Westwood is one of ours, though I don’t have any of her
ensembles myself – nor any Hirsts on myt dressing room wall – but it’s a
moderately wide range of studies. Music is big. That’s where I am located,
Music. There’s English. I think it’s _and comparative literature_.
Psychology is huge. Media are getting a new building, perhaps the last new
building in Educational Christendom. There’s Drama; I worked with them on
a celebration of 100 years since Marinetti’s manifesto. (It’s not that I
am much of a Futurist; they were more than silly like the rest of us; and
I am appalled by the militarism of little boys with some privilege. But it
was an opportunity to perform in front of a rather large audience, taking
projected paintings by Carra as a jumping off point for vocal improv; and
I also performed Stein’s Completed Portrait of Picasso to some hundreds of
innocent victims. They took it well, which made listening over and over to
Blessed Gertrude for weeks till I got her cadence or something of it more
than worthwhile.)
It’s an ok place to be. As a man called out to me and my partner 20 years
ago in Rethimnon “come to me; I have many hats and sunglasses” – only in
this case it is a sound studio and very interesting people ready to listen
and talk.
If there were a decent transport service it would be ideal. I believe we
have – if you’ll pardon the verb – Princess Beatrice.
So I sit in my office. It’s a bit too warm for my taste; but there’s room
enough. It’s opposite the toilets and the sound of the paper towel
dispenser sometimes keeps me awake. It’s ok.
Maybe sometimes one nudges another and asks Who is he? and maybe they
respond that they don’t know; I just turned up last May and seem to have
keys.
I am just hoping that the clowns in Downing Street will have got the
nicked money back by Spring 2011 when my fellowship ends so that I can
propose another project. If anyone has any fellowships starting then,
think of me. I work hard. Honest.
I was listening to Heiner Goebbels last night. More Blessed Gertrude. And
today, a new day has risen and, against the forecast I heard, it is
raining, so not a day for felling a sycamore in my overgrown garden. So
there is a purpose to life. Thus liberated from work, I had better go out
and get culture
All best
Lawrence
PS I recall Nathan Whiting. He read in London. 1970s. Amiable enough, He
stood still to read but seemed to find the idea of writing without running
implausible.
Comparison with Reznikoff interesting.
That's it
On Fri, April 24, 2009 13:59, Barry Alpert wrote:
> Welcome back to Poetryetc, Lawrence. And congratulations on the position
> at Goldsmiths, an art college which I didn't quite realize was part of the
> University of
> London. You've started me thinking about which of their faculty and
> graduates I follow as a critic.
>
> Barry Alpert
>
>
>
> On Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:12:48 +0100, Lawrence Upton wrote:
>
>
>
>
> they send to me which some time did me cheat
>
>
> L
>
>
> On Thu, April 23, 2009 01:35, Alison Croggon wrote:
>
>> They send them to me, promising all sorts of erectness and watches.
>> And I've never met a man called Alison. I don't think bots distinguish
>> gender.
>>
>
> --
> Lawrence Upton
> AHRC Creative Research Fellow
> Dept of Music
> Goldsmiths, University of London
>
>
--
Lawrence Upton
AHRC Creative Research Fellow
Dept of Music
Goldsmiths, University of London
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