I can remember when Todd Swift was a member of Poetryetc. It was an amusing
spectacle--his unconvincing "opinions" got him laughed off the list. Check the archive.
Barry Alpert
On Sun, 7 Mar 2010 16:55:34 +0000, Jeffrey Side <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>I don't think my being on Todd's blog means I have "sold-out"--if that's
>what you may be thinking. In a way, I wish I had it in me to sell-out.
>But it is in my nature, as it is, I'm sure, in yours to always seem to be
>on the wrong side of any game—usually the losing side.
>
>Todd is quite eclectic in his poetic tastes. He likes what is good in both
>mainstream and non-mainstream poetry. I don't think he is a particular
>champion of one or the other.
>
>Best,
>
>Jeff
>
>
>
>
>
>
>On Sun, 7 Mar 2010 06:15:50 +0000, Desmond Swords
><[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>>That's it. You've seen the error of your ways and have begun to play
>the
>>game as it should be. Eyewear is a very prestigious mainstream
>>avant-freindly blog. You know that don't you? And that Swift is one of
>the
>>most able theoreticians and commentators on, not only British poetic
>>culture, but the global one. Your playing with the big kids now, who
>take
>>seriously their games and status in the playground. Do right by us,
>learn
>>how to ...you know what I am taking about, and we'll do right by you.
>>
>>It's about time you grasped the pointlessness of nailing yourself to a
>>flimsy Poundian cross and dropped the act to come on board of the MS
>>express. You say nice things about the right kind of people, P.L.U's,
>people
>>like us, and just watch what a nod and wink can bring in the way of
>kudos,
>>respect and all the sorts of top-table opportunities you don't find in
>the
>>staff rooms of under-seige English depts performing at the arse-end
>of UK
>>poetry.
>>
>>I've dropped the act myself, started being more compliant with the
>tenor in
>>one’s spam. From now on I’m taking po-biz seriously and strategically
>>starting to blurb whoever i think it is of poetic benefit to do so, for me
>>personally on a comedic level, as a pretty unhappy person not getting
>on in
>>UK Poetry because i am discriminated against due to my popularity in
>the
>>states of lexical prejudice in things like ‘colour’ and color, pavement
>and
>>sidewalk, the john or the jacks, labour or labor, and culturally slipping
>>into a disadvantage of being the absent other who has been very
>much rent
>>apart by the collapse of capitalism, dream and fiction ....I dunno.
>>
>>What i do know is i'm stopping being stupid as a cultural agitator and
>>starting getting crafty, being nice, making sure to say the right things
>to
>>the right people, embracing the use of emoticoms as tools for practical
>>advancement of my career, familiarizing oneself with the html and
>internet
>>shorthand that will allow people to feel comfortable about having me
>on
>>board their freinds lists and as an ally there to back them up with an
>>affirmative one-liner agreeing with 'em 'what Jeff said' and, by
>deploying
>>the correct smilies in innovative and interesting ways, work a way up
>the
>>ladder of online success. Who knows, one day I might even appear in
>the
>>Manchester Review. Hit the big time if my strategy of sucking up to
>>McAuliffe and that mob, pays off and the toadying gets me the official
>>sanction from a rag connected to she I have decided to put at the top
>of my
>>to-say-nice-things-about-list, Dame Carol and Sir Andrew.
>>
>>Who knows, one day I might even get some minor recognition of my
>services to
>>UK poetry, if I play the game right and become a dependable blurbist
>>promoting the right kind of poetry for the right kind of audience,
>serving
>>others instead of serving one's selfishness, embracing the kind of
>poetry
>>that makes the UK great, the straight-up lyric eyes who rhyme and
>don't mess
>>about with anything pointlessly experimental or try anything too
>foreign.
>>English is what I speak, England's where I'm from and I'm quitting the
>Irish
>>scene, because it's just a waste of space Jeff.
>>
>>It bores me. It's too insular, the poets are not that exciting and
>there's
>>no money in it, so from now on, I want to be known as English and ask
>>forgiveness from the the people I foolishly took against when starting
>out,
>>conned by the Irish into saying fairly tasteless things about the poets
>I
>>was jealous of in England who, knowing I could not compare with
>them because
>>they were so much more classy than me, I decided, foolishly and
>impelled
>>only by shallow self-interest, to compete with them and learnt the
>hard way,
>>they're just too good for me. So, I am asking Todd as a very influential
>>representitive of English poetry, please can I come back home?
>>
>>I also wish to apologise to everyone I have offended and can only ask
>you
>>please, please give me another chance. There's no excuse for going
>against
>>the grain because I was jealous of you all, and I promise if you do
>extend
>>another go my way, I will compose only excellent and supportive
>comments
>>about you personally and your work.
>>
>>Sorry, I was a div, please, please do not let this affect the outcome of
>my
>>facebook request.
>>
>>(:->
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