good stuff, Steve.
One of the problems, for me, with Kent's 'insistence' on the heteronym is
that it might not be absolutely necessary (& we have to remember
publishing, & the requirements of the copyright page), since, as you seem
to be implying, the self is not just indeterminate but multiple, & I would
say that is especially true of the writing self.
Found this quoteed in Expiration Date yesterday:
My brain I'll prove the femal to my soul,
My soul the father, and these two beget
A generation of still-breeding thoughts;
And these same thoughts people this little world,
In humours like the people of this world . . .
Thus play I in one person many people,
And none contented . . .
Shakespeare [whom we all 'know' to identify, eh]
Richard II
This at least I know, that although 'my' name might be attached to my
books, the 'i' in each poem is not the same, & I often am absolutely
surprised by what that person(a) has, to say...
Doug
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
Take away my wisdom and my categories!
Phyllis Webb
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