On Sun, 13 Sep 1998, cris cheek wrote:
> absence of representation, even more than misrepresentation is my cry.
- and alongside that absence, a matching vacancy called Who Chooses?
Because, choices are being made, all down the line by silent figures...
> - exploration of the issue of manuscript purchase as means of keeping
> 'important' works in England and of supporting their progenitors.
- I feel nervous about declaring at this point that I expressed some
interest in the general issue of mss (for obvious, BuntingArchive related
reasons) - but would be reluctant to see it as a central concern - until
the issues of accountability and selection are resolved!...
> - increasing emphases on placements...
- because they get media coverage, and look what 4weddings did for the
Auden industry (they really do cite it). - and a massive push to placing
poetry on the National Curriculum in ways which look most suspect to me,
and a totally off-hand reference to Higher Education (just not
media-sexy)...
> - more (a three fold increase) Writers' Awards (and for more money -
> recommendation of £15.000)
- That's a few more (there weren't many in the first place), and increased
in size. The words "prestige" and "flagship" are written on this...
Workable, small-scale ways of, for instance, allowing small presses to
increase or regularise their payment to authors, or reading centres to
increase their basic fees, are NOT a feature...
- the small presses get a pat on the head, and a prospect of something
from the lottery, subject to marketability and business plans... more jobs
for the business administrators...
- recognition of selected hi-profile poetry festivals, but no extra money
for longstanding poetry reading series...
> For what it's worth, and I do feel it's worth not simply walking away from
> such officious exercises in consultation and manufacture
- agreed: but I go on / into it with that familiar oh-no-not-again
feeling...
signed
A Grumpy Old Dinosaur
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|