Hi Simon----
There are several takes on the mid-70s situation in the collection of
interviews PROSPECT INTO BREATH published by North and South. The book
contains the second half of a 60 page interview with Eric (the first half,
which covers early life up to the mid 1960s is in LIVE ALL YOU CAN,
published by Solaris), plus interviews with Lee Harwood and Elaine Randell
which touch on the period. The book also includes extensive interviews with
Ric Caddel, Jonathan Williams, David Annwn, Frances Presley, Kelvin Corcoran
and Catherine Walsh.
Peterjon
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From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: British poetry in the 1970's
Date: 19 December 1997 12:36
<<File Attachment: ENVELOPE.TXT>>
19.xii.97
Hello, you all out there. I've been tracking this discussion group for
three
or four months now, with great interest.
I'm trying to put togther an exhibition on the poetry of the 70's for The
Poetry Library, and want to ask for help with one or two things. Firstly,
am
I right in thinking that the most important event of that decade
was the unseating of Eric Mottram, Lee Harwood etc from the Poetry Society?
What are people's views on this? I know what Eric Motttram thought from his
essay in New British Poetries and I know Andrew Duncan has expre
ssed his view in Angel Exhaust. Have the events of the mid-70's left us the
present status quo, with the so-called avantgarde "on the outside", rendered
invisible? Is this actually a state to enjoy with greater freed
om, to work in ways and forms prefered by poets, the "golden age" of the
Underground? Were there other more subtle pressures operating that meant
the
PS would inevitably fall into the hands of a now seeming mainstream.
What I want to get at is the truth, what really happened to innovative
poetries in the 70's? Was the parting of the ways with the "mainstream"
inevitable, necessary even. As I read the history there was some kind
of uneasy coexistence in the early 70's, maybe a consensus even?
Any views that people might want to share with me on this, so I get the
exhibition right, will be used in consultation; obviously if I'm going to
quote you on anything you'll see the text and the context for your app
roval -- some of you were there, I was not.
This list is the place to discuss this kind of issue: Fiona Templeton and
cris
cheek touched on it a couple of weeks ago, but if you want to contact me
direct please do. The exhibition will run through April 1998, so
if you want to email/phone me I'll need any info you can offer between now
and
the end of January.
Have a cool yule,
Simon Smith
The Poetry Library
Tel: 0171 921 0664
email: [log in to unmask]
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