No. No. No. No. It's Duncan's poetry we're talking about.
I know his criticism makes friends and enemies -- I just don't care, because I
don't take most criticism seriously. He doesn't have the power to write me or
anyone else in or out of literary history (though he's tried) and I've never
felt wounded for more than two minutes about anything he's tried to say. This
is all little stuff. I like manners, but I'm not too disturbed about lack of
them. Too many weirdos in the poetry trade -- lots of bad manners all about,
sometimes from the best of them.
Another thing. Why do we not talk more about Nicholas Johnson's Etruscan
Reader series? It happens that I'm in one of the forthcoming editions, so
I'll be accused of vested interest. But surely that's a series that takes
concern for women's poetry? Can we never forget our squabbles? Surely, too,
Duncan, has paid regard to that other of the two wings of poetry. And he is,
after all, conducting public polemics about poetry-poetry, not idea-poetry:
are there a lot of people doing that? I mean, for god's sake, guys, why are
we so worried about pinpricks?
And please, oh women all, forgive us if you're ever listening.
Best
Doug
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