Tim
But I'm not sure why you need to defensive about such an influence?  Your defence of it seems to imply that if Maggie had been influenced by Hughes in that work you would be disappointed by that information.  I can't see why this should be. 
 
G.
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Tim Allen
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: The influence of Ted Hughes

I didn't mean that she had no influences Geraldine, of course I didn't, that would be silly. O f course she needed.... what you said, etc. I suppose I was overstating my reaction to the idea that maggie might have written The House of the Shaman because of an influence from Hughes. If it was the case I would be very surprised, but only Maggie can say if it was or wasn't. As that particular book is one of my favourite poetry books of all time I can get pretty defensive about it, I suppose.

Cheers
Tim

On 8 May 2010, at 15:31, Geraldine Monk wrote:

Blimey Tim - I never thought I'd hear you argue that old chestnut about 'no influence' -  I mean Maggie needed the idea of Shamanism to explore Shamanism - she needed the idea of poetry to write poetry.  This conception that we are working  from a vacuum is not only bizarre - it's not even desirable.  If anyone was so 'original we wouldn't be able to respond to them at all - would we? 
 
G 
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Tim Allen
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 3:10 PM
Subject: Re: The influence of Ted Hughes

Maggie never needed any ideas from anyone else for The House of the  
Shaman. I'm sorry, but for me the similarities are, in the final  
analysis, superficial ones. Both deal with nature as metaphor, yes,  
but in entirely different ways. Both deal with strong sound in  
language, yes, but Maggie O' Sullivan takes that to a completely  
different level of experience, and one which, to boot, has a  
completely different aim and produces a completely different effect.

Tim A.

On 8 May 2010, at 14:45, Jane Holland wrote:

> I wonder though whether his IDEAS were an influence, Tim. Cf Maggie  
> O'Sullivan's IN THE HOUSE OF THE SHAMAN?