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On Wed, 15 Oct 1997, Lawrence Upton. wrote: > Keith Tuma wrote > <<and sometimes gratutitously exhibitionist in its display of erudition.>> > of EM > > i want to say how wrong i think this business of _gratutitously > exhibitionist_.. i dont recognise it and i have read all that's published > as far as i know - it's odd: I do recognise the symptom Keith refers to, or I can see how it might strike one thus, but I don't think Eric would. I think Eric wrote with what he lived with - and he lived with all kinds of information, fact, writing, music, art, practical culture etc as well as a wide range of friends, associates etc : all of which/whom come to play their legitimate part in his life/work. Erudition? I get tired of having to apologise for the twopenn'th of information I carry anyway: I'd rather be baffled by something I don't know than live amongst the know-nothings. > <<Peterjon Skelt also suggested that EM's poetry needed to be heard; I > can't speak to that.>> > > I would agree with that and, to address the second half of the quote, would > say that it is ALWAYS best to hear the poet reading if that is possible - well yes: but that doesn't help those who don't/can't, who are getting more numerous every day. EM's work *does* stand up on the page on its own, if you let its curious bluntness come to you, and are prepared to "Stand up and use your ears like a man" (Charles Ives to a critic, in times when such sexism went unchallenged)(I've got a feeling I've quoted that before - its's a favourite of mine. Sorry). RC %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%