Thanks Jeffrey for saying that. i'm much appreciative.
My apologies go to all here (Jamie) who have been offended by me--and to Sean too. None of it was meant with malice. It is just my forthright way of talking. No offence intended.
I will depart the list for a while and allow things to settle down. I won't unsubscribe, as I would like in the future to post links to some of the more absurd things that I come across in the poetry world.
Bye for now :)
-------------------Original Message---------------
Jeffrey Side wrote:
David, it seems to me you’ve got yourself all worked up. I can appreciate that passions can be aroused in the various discussions held here, and that arguments can get out of hand, but you’re doing yourself no favours by allowing yourself to get agitated by whatever it is that has aggravated you.
In the past, from what I have been able to gather, your contributions to various discussions have not had an aggravated tone. And your current agitation might be because you feel frustrated after your various interactions with Jamie in that other discussion; and also because you feel that your complaint about Geraldine Monk’s discourteous reaction towards you in another discussion has found no sympathy here—that is understandable, and, certainly, some amicable resolution to it would be beneficial. Have you contacted her privately to come to some sort of understanding? It could be that she was not in the best of moods that day.
Regarding your frustrations with Jamie. I can empathise. In the past, I’ve had many heated disagreements with him that have at times been difficult for me to navigate, as he is a skilled and practiced advocate of the various position he holds. Thankfully, of late, I have found little to disagree with him about; and I think we have come to a sort of understanding that although we will never agree on some of the essential beliefs we hold about poetry, we will avoid disagreements that have the potential to become acrimonious.
I’ve had occasional communications with him off this list over the years, and I find him generous in spirit and decent as a person. Indeed, a few years ago he asked the moderator then (I forget who it was) not to ban me from the list for something I said about the position of the Chair of Oxford poetry—or something like that. So I can vouch that he is someone who does show a generosity of spirit to people who have argued with him vigorously. Perhaps you could come to a similar accommodation with him. I’m sure he would welcome it—at least I would hope he would.
I do recall some complimentary things you have said about some of my articles and my poetry over the years, and we have agreed on a few things in some discussions, and I thank you for that.
I hope that what I have said doesn’t sound patronising towards you. It is said with respect.
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