On Fri, 30 Oct 1998, Peter Riley wrote:
> That's a very pleasing idea, also rather complicated and somewhat
> frightening.
- I'll take that as a working "yes" then.
> I don't feel altogether happy about other poets contributing
> to the expense of publishing a book by me, why should they? Though a
> straight and public subscription arrangement would be no problem.
- certainly, the financial side has to be tackled, and a number of
possibilities suggest themselves. If it's the "other poets contributing"
bit which is a problem, I'm sure people can redirect their life savings
via the usual laundering channels - aunties, bloke in the pub, you know
the routine... There will be absolutely no compulsion for people to
contribute other than because they want to.
> But I must say that I'm far from the only British poet well beyond the
> youth bracket who lacks a substantial retrospective. Off the top of my
> head I list: John James, David Chaloner, Wendy Mulford, Grace Lake, Barry
> MacSweeney, Ric Caddel.....
- for sure. But it's like clearing all those smallpress pamphlets out of
the garage when you move, isn't it? You have to start somewhere or you
never start at all...
> and of course there are new texts being
> produced all the time, some of them extensive.
- that's where we rely on you, when we get to shaping the vol. Commonsense
wd suggest that you must prepare the volume, and no doubt a cutoff point
will emerge, perhaps leaving extensive works to enjoy a life of their own
as separate vols... or not, as you decide, in the light of other
practicalities.
> Also, anyeone anyone
> remember Mark Hyatt? I know someone who once said he would contribute £200
> if anyone was willing to do a substantial Hyatt volume, but no one has yet
> been found.
- separate project, Peter - one which we can see is worthy, but have to
say that two hundred wd go nowhere towards doing it properly, against the
wind as it were. My own feeling wd be that a live poet is more worth doing
than a dead one, no disrespect, some of my best friends are dead poets
etc. Anyway, we now have about half a dozen publishers and the like who
say it should be you, so you're overruled. Is that democracy or what?
> Quick response.
> I'll have to speak to my manager.
- suggest that at some point (when the manager's OK'ed it) discussions on
this go backchannel as they'll involve serious sleeves-rolled-up haggling
- of a constructive kind, of course...
RC
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