>What about a small press anthology of the really younger poets from both
sides of the Atlantic? A generous set of inclusions, as little limited by
genre as poetry politics will allow, and a partner to the Talisman, which
is surely a forerunner of much to come?
This seems like a good idea to me, and would I'm sure be pretty
influential were anybody able to deliver the readies -- anyone? The
Talisman book is a good one, I agree with Doug that certain omissions do
glare somewhat and that it's no great matter to list them, but would add
quickly a couple of things: 1. Douglas Rothschild? 2. The editorial
process was: of the three editors, at least TWO must have approved every
included writer. This led certain excluded writers to speculate re: who
said no, though of course anonymity was afforded every decision. I
suppose the group decision system is a fair one, provided the three sets
of interests represented are not too flammably disparate or cohesive -
maybe a similar system would work for the proposed anthology of
youngsters?
I does strike me that the Talisman book is a good example of what I
attempted to hint at -- using, perhaps, awkwardly provocative terms --
when I mentioned a latent nationalism in US work; this is an anthology of
young american writers, or, more accurately, of Young (American) Writers
(as the cover says, as if their Americanness were in every case merely
accidental, or not essentially relevant to the fact of their inclusion) --
why did it not occur to the editors to include writers of other
nationalities? For several reasons, I think: this book seems aimed at a
competition with previous anthologies of American work, seeking to
determine its own significance and the significance of those it represents
in a tacit rejection of those older books. Rosmarie Waldrop even hints at
this, on the back cover. English or Scottish poetry (eg) would, amid
the exigencies of this objective, seem of pretty marginal interest. Q:
Why would a British editor not feel this way, on the whole? Secondly, the
editors know the contibutors very well, and do not know what is going on
in Britain (at least, I cannot speak for Leonard Schwarz). British poetry
is almost completely unknown here, I'd venture to say; people have heard
names, are interested in hearing why they have heard them, but when does
this go further? As well as some kind of anthology, it might be
worthwhile to organize a conference - in London maybe? - at which people
could meet and develop reasons for pursuing what are at present quite
nominal curiosities. I'd be happy to work at this, to invite people from
here and promote the event here, were anyone interested in helping --
Doug: would you consider editing such an anthology? You would seem to be
the perfect candidate, having so thorough and broad an understanding of
what's going on in both places? Or, you could be one editor of three?
Can we turn some of this discussion into a BOOK?
back soon (wednesday), k
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