Excellent readings on Tuesday 16th November 1999 by Michael Heller and David
Bromige.

I told the readers that I couldn't make the introductions I had intended
because I had left them at home. In fact, when I got back I realised that I
had written some notes; but not much more. I had spent the afternoon making
my tape recorder work. Unfortunately that proved to be a local effect and it
didn't work in Holborn

In the case of Michael Heller, my intention was largely to welcome a fairly
regular and recent visitor back.

He read quite a bit of new work, much of which is very exciting. He brought
copies of his selected Wordflow, which I don't think was around the last
time he read & he had also found 3 copies of Conviction's Net of Branches:
Essays on the Objectivist Poets and Poetry which is o.p. and they were
grabbed - I got one and very pleased by that I am too - Zukofsky Oppen
Niedecker and Reznikoff

He was bloody good. Nothing much more to say. [But may I just add something
that came to my attention during the run up to the reading. It's available
at the svp website, which is a little bit more viable than it has been, but
you may well not have seen it - there's so much to read. Anyway, among the
press comments Heller sent, I discovered that at some point, the East
Hampton Star said of Mike Heller "He's somewhat a latter-day Jewish Yeats"
Very odd]

Of David Bromige I wanted to say how much I had looked forward to seeing him
and hearing him read a poetry which means a great deal to me. He's read at
svp before, but I have missed him, and we've ecorresponded but had never
met. I greatly admire his poetry but hadn't seen anything like all of it
since "Desire"...

I also wanted to commend a now 12 year old magazine "The Difficulties" which
is dedicated to his work. I was given a copy of it earlier this year and
learned an immense amount. I recommend it to everyone if you can find it.

Well, I managed to say all that. Maybe that was enough. Perhaps I should
leave my notes at home again.

David's reading was superb. He read from the new AS IN T AS IN TETHER,
largely from the 3rd section, published as Spad #2

[Two pounds sterling only please incl post from me - more oversea. Subs
wanted.
Or you can buy it from Peter Riley if that's easier
He's more efficient than me anyway so you'll get it quicker]

Attenders last night got it free

It was fascinating to hear him read it with the text there - it was a copy
of his working text, sent to me by email, and formatted without alteration -
although various points had been checked...

Section 7.5 turns into gibberish and I had been looking forward to hearing
him read it. David skipped that saying it wasn't readable. Might take that
to the WF workshop. Prove him wrong... Elsewhere there were occasional
hesitations and a word other than what is on the page was used - revisions?
off the cuff revision?... some layout and spacing seemed not quite to match
the reading... A poem still in the making. Exciting and interesting BUT

I was disappointed by the turnout. Michael read first and not a few didn't
come back in the interval. Probably urgent family business.

I don't know what to do. David Bromige read for the first time in 6 or 7
years, 6 or 7 years, and you don't come in droves? and that was with loads
of leaflets...

The last two readings have been well-attended although the idea of Friday's
gig, that Finns would read to an existing audience was rather frustrated...
But on Tuesday's showing the malaise is still there

Encouraged by the recent turnout a new season is under way and will be
announced soon - but the implicit hope is that people will turn up...
Otherwise precious time is being wasted

[Here I should say that I am not digging at those who are just swamped by
work; I am not digging at anyone... just reiterating the question I put
earlier this year]

The next gig is 7th December 1999 - Messrs Selerie and Halsey. LOOK OUT FOR
ANNOUNCEMENTS before.

btw I have one ticket for 2 to the preview tomorrow (Thursday) night to
Artists Book Fair at the Barbican - it was wanted and then too late for the
post it wasn't (Im only saying that to make the initial recipient feel bad!
joke) so you can have it, by arrangement because there's only 1, if you can
collect it from me outside the fair - I think this will only work if we
recognise each other

L




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