I come across a lot of avant gesturing in manuscripts received here. It’s especially prevalent amongst younger poets who haven’t yet found their own voices and are aping currently fashionable practitioners. I suspect this has been going on since Catullus. Or the Gilgamesh poet. No one’s yet mentioned the issue of trendiness, in the avant, but it’s always been a factor. Being part of the in-crowd. Makes you feel less embattled.

Tony