This has occurred to me also over the years, and the only explanation
for it has to be that perhaps most poets have larger egos than most
novelists etc. As contemporary poetry is a relatively easy thing to write
compared to making a film, say, or painting the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel, it attracts people who may perhaps not have a genuine “calling”
to the art, and who only look to it as a way to gain some attention.
Because of this ego battles are bound to occur.
On Fri, 2 Oct 2009 09:01:56 -0600, Douglas Barbour
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Byron's references to William Turdsworth, which are contained in a
>collection of his letters that are due to be auctioned by Sotheby's,
>made me think two things. First, that there seems to be no form of
>artistic creation that generates quite the same internecine loathing
>as poetry. I don't know quite why it should be, but perhaps a
>generalised sense of neglect and cultural demotion by parvenus such
as
>the novel and film finds release in these volcanic fumaroles against
>fellow poets. Perhaps they're even more horrible about novelists and
>film-makers and we simply don't get to hear about that. Second, I
>thought again about that melancholy day in John Murray's parlour when
>the two volumes of Byron's memoirs were ripped to shreds and burnt in
>the fireplace. "Turdsworth" is the kind of juvenile joke that I doubt
>any writer would want preserved for posterity, but you don't write
>your memoirs with the view of them becoming nothing more than solid
>fuel. That Byron's wit and energy was constrained by the watchful eye
>of imagined posterity (which doesn't care about buggery but is
>unforgiving of literary clumsiness) is surely something to grieve.
>Turdsworth made the scar ache again.
>
>Ah, yes, are we worthy of remembrance?
>
>Doug
>Douglas Barbour
>[log in to unmask]
>
>http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/
>
>Latest books:
>Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
>http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
>Wednesdays'
>http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-from-
aboveground-press_10.html
>
>Take away my wisdom and my categories!
>
> Phyllis Webb
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