I would take the view now that "Penniless Politics" was not a total
failure yet I see it as a project that is a good example of an idea
best left as an idea. At that stage Douglas was living in America.
"Poetry and Narrative In Performance" proceeded it and his Paladin
masterpiece emerged in 1990. For me this is a classic as is "Kind"
which takes in his work from 1969 onwards. Wendy Mulford published "In
the Cave of Suicession" in 1974. This work in its own way is built on
Oliver heading into an actual cave with a manual typewriter. What
emerged was a stunning poem I am amazed that is not seen as an epic in
a multi media sense. Lyrical and surreal and totally buzzing with
rhythm. He captures so much in this work to a degree rarely seen in
poetry. It puts what he achieved in "The Harmless Building" on to a new
level.
My point in a nutshell is that Oliver should have continued to explore
rather than perhaps listen too much to Alice Notley? His work and
Notley's on reflection prior to "Penniless Politics" were poles apart.
She is a big hitter in her own field Couples who write can often feel a
shadow if either is more acclaimed. It is a common problem all through
literary history as are relationships within poetic groups or circles
literary. Often political parties are lonely hearts clubs and
journalists never stop being journalists. Oliver was a working
journalist for a lot of his life.
The later works I feel while impressive never reached the heights of
his output in the Paladin and in "Kind". I see the shadow of Notley in
the two final books. A harsh judgement but one based on Oliver's own
strengths.
On a final note I regret Douglas did not value the Paul Buck driven
writing that was published in Curtains. Given that his own work covered
many sexual areas I never saw the logic of not recognising the advances
made by Paul Buck.
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