Always sad to see any worthy reading event go forever and I always admired your guest list. To run readings demands time and energy as well as incurring the usual smart jibes tropes moans poets utter. The disdain is amusing given the fact many who grumble are too tight to even pay the entrance few yet always have booze money. 

In my own more active years at the literary coalface in Dublin I ran countless readings with no exclusion of any genre. Had those who sold out to to the Arts Council or been elevated to the 17,000 euros + elitist Aosdana put as much effort in they would be celebrated as good guys & gals. No requests for manuscripts or reading invites come my way to honour the fact I wasted time & energy for these creatures. But being young and foolish is nothing new in life so I could hum Yeats' little jingle to calm the soul. No doubt the monetarists will say get off your rear old guy from their cosy living rooms?

Another little tale relates to book exchange rather than actual payment in cash for my book Free Range. Wealthy well heeled poets could afford 3.50£ within the U.K. or £4.50 inc. postage from outside the U.K. In my time few free books came my way and neo socialist poets are superb capitalists. If the same book emerged from Shearsman or Reality Street's stables cash would be paid.

Good to see Hazel Smith's contribution as she is a writer I have admired since first seeing her in Tony Baker's FIGS. Her interview with David Antin illuminated the Antin modus operandi with great clarity. I can never see why Antin has to divert into fictional terrain in his talk poems. To me at least it negates the Antin text when one is wondering what is real and what is fiction or faction. In his poetry the real power is his directness which evolved from growing weary of Deep Image a la Robert Kelly and others. Antin as a critic is very important as he is prepared to not play safe or venerate the Objective rule book. 

Farewell to Amid The Ruins and indeed memories  of readings long forgotten in Dublin's unfair city of lost ideals and using people with gusto until they are no longer part of the gravy train career plan. We live & learn.

Sent from AOL Mobile Mail


-----Original Message-----
From: Hampson, R < [log in to unmask]>
To: BRITISH-IRISH-POETS < [log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, Dec 8, 2014 03:34 PM
Subject: Amid the Ruins

AMID THE RUINS:

 

 

Wednesday, 10 December:

 

Ulli Freer

Nisha Ramayya

Ryan Ormonde

Karen Sandhu

 

7.oo at Daniel Blau Gallery, Hoxton Square.

 

This will be the last ever event in the series.

 

All welcome